Indefinite Hold: 75 Nations Paused from US Immigration

Immigration to the US has been put on indefinite hold for 75 nations. The Trump administration announced the suspension of visa processing, effective January 21, based on the “public charge” rule. This pause affects millions of people hoping to start a new life in America.
The policy requires a halt to visa printing. Consular officers are instructed to refuse any case that has not resulted in a printed visa by the cutoff date. This administrative move effectively freezes the immigration pipeline for the listed countries.
The affected nations include major sources of immigrants like Brazil and Nigeria. The list creates a significant gap in the global flow of people to the US. The administration argues this is necessary to protect the US economy, while critics see it as an exclusionary tactic.
Exceptions are provided for dual nationals of non-listed countries and national interest cases. But for most, the hold is absolute and indefinite.
The list of nations on hold is: 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.