President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, has ordered a pause on visa processing for 75 countries.
Reports monitored by symfoninews quote the State Department as announcing the directive on Wednesday.
According to the State Department, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the development in a post on X and linked to a Fox News report that first reported the move.
Affected countries include 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, the Trump administration ordered a crackdown on visa applications under a revised “public charge” rule in immigration law.
It instructs immigration officers to deny visas to applicants who would likely need to rely on public assistance.
Additional factors to consider include proficiency in English, health, financial stability, and age.
