Officials said the step is part of the government’s “America First” policy.
“We are working to ensure the generosity of the American people will no longer be
abused,” officials added
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott state that his department “will use its longstanding authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public
charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people“.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department
reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals
who would take welfare and public benefits,” he added.
The suspension of visas is connected to the US public-charge rule, which assesses
whether immigrants may depend on government support. Although visa services have been
halted before, officials said the scale of this decision is without precedent. No date has
been set for the resumption of visa processing, but the State Department said affected
countries will be informed once the review process is concluded
From January 21, the US will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for Pakistan and 74 additional countries.
