New York/Washington: The Trump administration on Wednesday announced pausing immigrant visa processing for individuals from 75 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Russia, as part of increasing crackdown on foreigners likely to rely on public benefits in the US.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said in a post on X.
“The Trump administration will PAUSE immigrant visa processing from 75 countries until the US can ensure that incoming immigrants will not become a public charge or extract wealth from American taxpayers. AMERICA FIRST,” the White House said in a post on X.
Public charge is a US immigration standard used to assess whether a non-citizen is likely to become mainly dependent on government support, which can affect entry or green card eligibility.
Public charge focuses on cash assistance and long-term government-funded institutional care, and generally does not count many non-cash benefits, according to ANI.
ANI reported, citing Fox News, that the affected countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and Yemen, among others.
According to Fox News, a State Department memo directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.
Somalia has reportedly come under particular scrutiny following a large-scale fraud scandal in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered alleged abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programmes, with several of those involved identified as Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.
Fox News reported that in November 2025, a State Department cable sent to posts worldwide instructed consular officers to implement expanded screening rules under the “public charge” provision of immigration law.
The guidance instructs officers to deny visas to applicants considered likely to rely on public benefits, taking into account multiple factors such as health, age, English proficiency, finances, and potential need for long-term medical care. Fox News reported that older or overweight applicants could face denial, along with individuals who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalisation.
Under the new pause, exceptions will be “very limited” and would be permitted only after an applicant clears public charge considerations.
