A new “public charge” wall is being erected by the Trump administration, effectively blocking immigrant visas for 75 nations. Starting January 21, the US will indefinitely suspend processing for these countries. The administration argues that this drastic measure is required to prevent the entry of individuals who might rely on government welfare.
The mechanism for this suspension is a strict order to consular officials: stop printing visas. If a visa foil has not been generated by the cutoff date, the application must be refused. This administrative directive bypasses the need for new legislation and halts immigration immediately.
The impact will be felt across the globe, as the list of affected countries spans Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. It includes nations with deep historical ties to the US, disrupting the plans of thousands of families and workers. The policy makes economic self-sufficiency the primary gatekeeper for American entry.
Exceptions to this rule are minimal. They are limited to dual nationals who hold a passport from a non-listed country and those whose entry is deemed to be in the US national interest. For the vast majority of applicants, however, the door is effectively closed.
The countries facing this new reality are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The 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, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.