Washington, January 15, 2026 – The Trump administration has announced a suspension of all immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, effective January 21, according to reports citing a State Department memo. The pause affects visas for employment or family reunification, while non-immigrant visas, such as tourist and student visas, remain unaffected.
The move is part of a comprehensive review of the “public charge” provision in US immigration law, which allows authorities to deny visas to applicants likely to rely on government assistance. The State Department instructed consular officers worldwide to refuse immigrant visas under existing legal authorities until the review is completed, with only very limited exceptions for those meeting public charge requirements.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” said spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
The policy will reassess factors such as age, health, financial resources, English proficiency, employment prospects, and potential need for long-term care. Applicants with a history of government cash assistance or long-term institutional care may face heightened scrutiny.
The suspension covers a wide range of countries across South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, including Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Somalia, Russia, Thailand, Brazil, and Pakistan. The full list includes Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
The visa suspension could impact thousands of Pakistani applicants seeking family reunification or employment-based immigration in the US. The State Department has not provided a timeline for completing the review or resuming normal visa processing.
This development follows previous measures under the Trump administration, including the revocation of over 100,000 visas in one year and deportation or voluntary exit of millions of people under stricter immigration enforcement.
The policy signals a return to stricter enforcement of the public charge provision, which was broadly interpreted during Trump’s first term and partially rescinded under the Biden administration.