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The US is set to halt immigrant visa processing for foreign nationals from 75 countries, including Russia and Iran, as the state department seeks to clamp down on applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
The pause will come into force on January 21, according to a US official, and will remain in place while authorities re-evaluate the process to screen out applicants considered to be at a higher risk of relying on government welfare.
The review would only affect immigration visas, a US official said. Short-term visitor visas are not expected to be affected.
“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,” state department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said.
Applicants from dozens of countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt and Nigeria, would also be affected, a US official confirmed. Citizens of the countries selected had “often become public charges on the United States upon arrival”, the state department said in a post on social media.
The pause was first reported by Fox News.
Under immigration laws in place since the 19th century, US officials have the right to deny applications from people they consider to be at risk of needing government support and welfare benefits.
The pause comes as the Trump administration has implemented a widespread crackdown on legal and illegal immigration in the past year.
In December, the White House expanded its ban on entry into the US to people holding passports issued by the Palestinian Authority, Syria and six other countries, citing national security and public safety concerns. The move added to a list of 12 countries whose nationals were subject to an earlier entry ban.
The Trump administration had also in November issued a notice signalling that it intended to revise and potentially broaden the scope of factors that officials take into account when considering whether a person may require federal aid after arriving in the US.
Additional reporting by Abigail Hauslohner in Washington