The printing of visas has been halted for 75 nations under a new US rule. The Trump administration has ordered the indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing, effective January 21. This technical change has profound implications for applicants from the listed countries.
The rule mandates that if a visa is not printed, the case must be refused. This applies to all applicants, regardless of their approval status. The focus on the physical printing of the visa allows the administration to stop entry at the very last moment.
The affected countries include a diverse array of nations. From small island states to large continental powers, the list is extensive. The policy reflects a broad effort to limit immigration based on economic criteria.
Exceptions are rare, available only to dual nationals of unaffected countries and those serving a national interest. For most, the halt in printing means a halt in their immigration plans.
The countries affected by this rule 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.