The United States’ State Department has announced that it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals are considered likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the State Department, which is currently headed by Secretary Marco Rubio, following an internal directive to consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the affected countries.
According to the department, the directive is in line with a broader order issued in November that tightened immigration rules for individuals who could potentially become public charges in the United States.
The suspension is scheduled to take effect from January 21 and will specifically apply to immigrant visas.
Applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, including temporary tourist or business visas, will not be affected by the suspension.
Explaining the decision, the department said in a statement, “The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people.”
The statement further added, “Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
The State Department did not disclose the names of the countries affected by the suspension in its official statement.
However, President Donald Trump’s administration has already imposed severe restrictions on both immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of several countries, many of which are located in Africa.
A United States official familiar with the development disclosed that the list of affected countries includes Russia, Iran and Somalia.
The official also said Afghanistan, Brazil and Egypt are among the countries on the list.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity, noting that the full list of affected countries has not yet been made public.
