Translated with AI
The United States has suspended immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, as well as Russia and Iran. Fox News reported this on January 14, citing US State Department documents.
"Immigration <…> will be suspended until the State Department revises its immigration processing procedures to prevent entry of foreign nationals who would otherwise benefit from social and public benefits," the statement said.
The ban will come into force on January 21, 2026.
Fox News, which first reported the news, did not provide any details. The US State Department later confirmed the information, but clarified that the ban applies only to immigrant visas.
*An immigrant visa is a visa that grants permanent residence in the United States, meaning a green card and lawful permanent resident status. It is issued to people planning to move to America permanently: through family reunification programs (spouses, children, and parents of American citizens or permanent residents), through employment-based immigration categories (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3, and others), through the Diversity Visa lottery, also known as the green card lottery, and through special programs, including refugee or asylum status with subsequent adjustment of status. This does not apply to tourist visas (B1/B2), student visas (F-1), or temporary work visas (H-1B or L-1). This is why the news item specifically emphasizes that the ban applies only to immigrant visas. Tourists, business travelers, and students from these 75 countries can still apply for nonimmigrant visas, although in practice they may also be subject to much more stringent scrutiny due to the public charge rule.
"The Trump administration will end abuse of America's immigration system by those seeking to steal the wealth of the American people. Immigrant visa processing for citizens of these 75 countries will be suspended until the State Department revises its immigration processing procedures to prevent entry of foreign nationals who would otherwise rely on Social Security and government benefits," Fox News quoted State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott as saying.
Among those who do not seek to "steal the wealth of the American people," according to the US State Department, are citizens of Tajikistan.
But they, too, were subject to certain restrictions. On January 6, news broke that a new rule was coming into effect, requiring citizens of 38 countries to pay a visa deposit of $5,000 to $15,000 when applying for entry into the United States on tourist and business visas (B1/B2). This list includes Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. Turkmen citizens can expect to receive B1/B2 visas, but apparently only theoretically.
As Fox News notes, last November, the US State Department issued instructions to its diplomatic missions worldwide to comply with new screening rules. Consular officers were instructed to deny visas to applicants who were considered likely to be dependent on government benefits.
The US State Department also announced that since Donald Trump's return to the White House, more than 100,000 visas for citizens of various countries have been canceled, a record.
