According to reports, the State Department will stop processing visas for visitors from 75 countries, including some of the world’s top soccer nations.
The pause has been in effect as of January 21, and will ‘remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.’
Speaking to Forbes, David Bier, a director of immigration studies, said: “This administration has proven itself to have the most anti-legal immigration agenda in American history.
“This action will ban nearly half of all legal immigrants to the United States, turning away about 315,000 legal immigrants over the next year alone.”
Donald Trump
There will be 75 countries banned from the US. Credit: Alamy
However, the US has stated that the visa suspensions will not apply to visitors coming to the country for the World Cup.
What countries are banned?
The full list includes war-torn nations, US allies, and countries with long-standing migration ties to America, such as Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the 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, the 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.
According to the government, the freeze targets applicants that officials deem likely to become a ‘public charge’ – people who they believe may rely on government benefits.
The State Department further confirmed that the visa suspension doesn’t apply to temporary tourist or business visas, only immigration visas.
