Trump revives hardline freeze on immigrant visas, 75 nations hit

The Trump administration’s decision to pause immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 “high-risk” countries, including Pakistan, has caught Islamabad in an awkward position: publicly measured, privately uneasy, and suddenly confronted with a policy that sits at odds with the recent tenor of US–Pakistan bonhomie.

On Wednesday, the US State Department unveiled a list of 75 countries whose would-be immigrants will face a halt in visa issuance, arguing that migrants from these nations become “public charges” at “unacceptable rates” and therefore risk burdening American taxpayers.

The suspension applies only to immigrant visas — those that allow permanent residence in the United States — not to tourist or other temporary visas, meaning travel for business, tourism, study or work remains unaffected for now.

The policy, effective from 21 January, is framed by Washington as part of Donald Trump’s push to ensure that incoming immigrants are “financially self-sufficient” and do not “extract wealth from Americans”. The White House echoed the State Department’s language on social media, declaring the move proof that “America First” was being translated into immigration policy.

Officials clarified that interviews for immigrant applicants may still be scheduled, but no visas will actually be issued until the freeze is lifted. Dual nationals applying with a passport from a non-listed country are exempt.

That Pakistan appears on the list at all is striking given the relatively cordial US–Pakistan engagements of recent months — meetings, delegations, and warm messaging that signalled a reset in relations after years of mistrust. Yet when the suspension arrived, Islamabad found itself folded into the very same dragnet that includes countries Washington treats as adversaries, crisis zones or diplomatic irritants.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s response was subdued but noticeable. Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi adopted a tone that was more diplomatic than defiant, repeatedly expressing “hope” that the “routine processing” of immigrant visas would resume soon. Speaking at his weekly press briefing, Andrabi described the move as internal US housekeeping rather than punitive targeting.

“We understand that this is an internal ongoing process of review of US immigration policies and system, and hope that the routine processing of immigrant visas will resume soon.”

Andrabi emphasised that Pakistan was “in touch with US authorities to ascertain further details”, while declining to directly criticise the Trump administration. Yet beneath the calm phrasing lies the reality that thousands of Pakistanis apply annually for US immigrant visas — spouses, students transitioning to residence, and skilled workers among them — and the freeze threatens to throw family reunifications and long-planned moves into limbo.

The juxtaposition is hard to miss: at a diplomatic level, Islamabad has been signalling improved coordination with Washington — on Afghanistan, counterterrorism, and regional diplomacy — yet the new visa policy places Pakistan back in a category of states viewed as socio-economic risks to the US taxpayer. The disconnect underscores how public messaging about partnership does not always convert into policy exemptions, especially under Trump’s revived immigration hard line.

Andrabi avoided linking the decision to broader geopolitical tensions, even as Tehran–Washington hostilities and regional volatility dominated questioning. On Iran, Andrabi stressed that Pakistan was watching developments closely, valued Iran as a neighbour, and supported peaceful de-escalation. He also used the briefing to urge India to avoid “baseless” accusations and to focus instead on extremism within its own borders.

FULL LIST OF COUNTRIES

The list of countries that will be impacted by the suspension, according to a US official, are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the 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.

With agency inputs