The Trump administration on Monday announced that it will suspend visa processing for visitors from 75 countries starting January 21. According to a Fox News report citing a US State Department memo, the decision affects several nations, including Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, and Thailand.
This decision essentially halts new travel to the United States from more than a third of the nearly 200 countries globally. Consular officers have been directed to reject visa applications until the review of the screening and vetting procedures is completed. No exact timeline has been provided. This suspension occurs amidst the broad immigration enforcement initiatives implemented by Republican US President Donald Trump since he took office last January.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the US and exploit the generosity of the American people,” stated State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement released on Wednesday.
The full list of countries affected by this decision include comprises of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
In November, Trump vowed to "indefinitely halt" immigration from all "Third World Countries" after a shooting near the White House involving an Afghan national led to the death of a National Guard member. He has also begun ending deportation protections for Somalis as part of a broader deportation effort in Minnesota, where thousands of Somalis reside.
The Trump administration had earlier implemented much tougher rules alongside a visa-screening procedure that is widely acknowledged as one of the most stringent worldwide. Last year, the administration required officers to review applicants' social media profiles for signs of anti-US attitudes.