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What happened
The Trump administration is placing an indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing from 75 countries. The State Department said the administration wants to end abuse of the system by people who would extract wealth from the American people by using welfare and public benefits. The order takes effect on 21 January, and a full list of the 75 countries has not been released. The suspension does not apply to non-immigrant, temporary tourist, or business visas.
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Key insights
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Public charge rationale cited for the pause: The State Department said the pause is intended to prevent entry of potential immigrants who would become a public charge and use welfare and public benefits.
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Temporary visas excluded from the suspension: The suspension does not apply to non-immigrant, temporary tourist, or business visas.
Takeaways
Immigrant visa processing from 75 countries is set to pause indefinitely starting 21 January while the State Department reassesses procedures, with temporary tourist and business visas excluded.