{"id":7560,"date":"2026-01-15T00:07:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T00:07:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/?p=7560"},"modified":"2026-01-15T00:07:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T00:07:49","slug":"us-halts-immigrant-visa-processing-for-pakistan-75-other-nations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/pakistan\/us-halts-immigrant-visa-processing-for-pakistan-75-other-nations\/7560\/","title":{"rendered":"US Halts Immigrant Visa Processing for Pakistan, 75 Other Nations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Thursday, 15 January 2026 | Web Desk<\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a significant policy shift, the US Department of State has announced a halt on immigrant visa processing for citizens of Pakistan and 75 other countries. The new measure is set to take effect from January 21.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A department spokesperson confirmed the decision, stating that the move was part of a broader review of procedures. The spokesperson added that the immigration system had been a drain on American taxpayers&#8217; resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to reports in US media, the list of affected nations includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Iran, and several others. A directive, or memo, has been sent to US embassies instructing them to reject visa applications until the procedures undergo a fresh review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Informed media circles indicate this action aligns with a wider immigration crackdown that has been a focal point since President Donald Trump reassumed office. In November, President Trump announced his intention to permanently curb immigration from what he termed &#8220;third-world&#8221; countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Analysts suggest the immediate catalyst for the suspension was a recent shooting incident in Washington, D.C., where a National Guardsman was killed. The alleged perpetrator was reported to be an Afghan national.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsmakers.com.pk\/en\/international\/iran-warns-us-of-retaliation-against-its-bases-in-middle-eeast\/7549\/\">Iran warns to attack US bases in Middle East<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This development represents a major setback for many Pakistanis and others whose plans for immigration or family reunification in the United States are now on hold indefinitely.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thursday, 15 January 2026 | Web Desk In a significant policy shift, the US Department of State has announced a halt on immigrant visa processing for citizens of Pakistan and 75 other countries. The new measure is set to take effect from January 21. A department spokesperson confirmed the decision, stating that the move was &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7561,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-pakistan"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>US Halts Immigrant Visa Processing for Pakistan, 75 Other Nations<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"US Department of State has announced a halt on immigrant visa processing for citizens of Pakistan and 75 other countries.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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