Seventy-five nations now face an indefinite wait for US entry due to a new visa suspension. The Trump administration has halted immigrant visa processing for these countries starting January 21. The decision is driven by the “public charge” rule, which bars entry to those likely to need government aid.
The suspension is implemented by stopping the printing of visas. Consular officers must refuse pending cases, creating a backlog of denials. This administrative action effectively pauses legal immigration from the listed countries.
The list of affected nations is extensive, covering many regions. It includes countries with significant diaspora populations in the US. The policy is likely to have long-term demographic effects.
Exceptions are available for dual nationals of unaffected countries and those serving a national interest. But for the vast majority, the wait for US entry has become indefinite.
The nations facing this wait are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.