U.S. Lifts Immigrant Visa Suspension for Citizens of 75 Countries, Including Bangladesh

The U.S. Department of State said the suspension was no longer in effect as of August 21, allowing applicants from the affected countries to proceed with immigrant visa applications under normal procedures.

 

The suspension had taken effect on January 21 and covered nationals of countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan. During the suspension, applicants could still submit visa applications and attend interviews, but the issuance of immigrant visas was put on hold.

 

The State Department said the suspension had been introduced while it reviewed immigrant visa screening policies. The review was intended to ensure that immigrants could support themselves financially and would not become dependent on the U.S. government or improperly use public welfare benefits.

 

The change follows an August 21 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. Judge Janet Vargas ruled that the State Department’s January policy on immigrant visa applications was “clearly unlawful” and contrary to federal immigration law.

 

The court also found that existing law places clear limits on the Secretary of State’s authority over the immigrant visa application process. According to the ruling, Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his legal authority by adopting the suspension policy.

 

With the suspension now lifted, applicants from the affected countries can continue their immigrant visa cases in accordance with existing procedures. However, the lifting of the suspension does not guarantee that an applicant will receive a visa. Consular officers at U.S. embassies and consulates retain the authority to determine whether individual applicants qualify for immigrant visas.

 

The countries covered by the former suspension included Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo 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, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, 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 court ruling marks a setback for the Trump administration’s effort to impose broader restrictions on immigrant visa processing and could allow thousands of applicants from the affected countries to resume their cases.