Consular staff have been instructed to deny visa issuance until the verification procedures are reviewed and updated. This measure will remain in effect indefinitely.
According to information provided by Fox News, the list of countries affected by these restrictions includes: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, 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, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
The State Department explained this decision as an increase in the enforcement of norms related to the concept of "public charge." This provision allows the rejection of applications for entry by foreigners who may become dependent on government assistance in the U.S.
Consular officers have now received new instructions requiring them to consider multiple factors, such as age, health, English language proficiency, financial status, and potential need for long-term medical care.
Visa applications may be denied even if the applicant has previously received government financial assistance.
Tommy Pigott, a spokesperson for the State Department, noted that the agency is using its authority to prevent the entry of immigrants who may become a burden on the U.S. social welfare system. He added that the immigration restrictions from these 75 countries will remain in effect until the review of procedures is completed.
Exceptions to the new rules will be extremely rare and possible only after verifying compliance with the "public charge" criteria.
Although provisions regarding the exclusion of immigrants who may become a burden on the budget have been in effect in the U.S. for several decades, the degree of their enforcement has varied depending on the political situation. In 2019, the administration of Donald Trump expanded the interpretation of these norms, but under the administration of Joe Biden, some of them were revoked.
The State Department emphasized that the visa suspension is aimed at protecting taxpayer interests and preventing abuses of the social assistance system.
