US to Suspend Visas for 75 Countries, Including Bangladesh and Pakistan

International Desk, 14 January: The United States is set to suspend visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, including Bangladesh, Iran and Russia, according to a report by Fox News.

Fox News reported on Wednesday (January 14) that the decision will take effect from January 21.

The outlet initially published the names of several affected countries and later confirmed that Bangladesh has also been included in the list.

According to the report, the U.S. Department of State has sent directives to consular offices in 75 countries, instructing them to temporarily reject visa applications from citizens of those nations. The move comes as part of a comprehensive review of the current visa screening and vetting process.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the department is reassessing its visa issuance procedures.

“The State Department is reviewing visa processes, and as a result, entry into the United States will be temporarily restricted for citizens of 75 countries,” he said. The primary aim of the measure, he added, is to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who may become dependent on U.S. government welfare or public assistance programs.

Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump had claimed that among South Asian countries, Bangladeshi immigrants receive the highest amount of government benefits in the United States.

Countries facing visa suspension:

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Cuba, 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, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of 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 U.S. government has not specified how long the suspension will remain in effect, stating only that it will continue until the visa review process is completed.