Immigrant visa issuance to Bangladeshis paused, visitor visas unaffected: US Embassy
This means short-term travel visas will continue to be issued as before.
The United States Department of State has issued a clarification regarding the issuance of visas for citizens of Bangladesh.
The US Embassy in Dhaka said in a Facebook post today (2 March) that effective 21 January 21, the Department of State paused all immigrant visa issuances to nationals of 75 countries, including Bangladesh, "whose immigrants have a high rate of collecting public assistance at the expense of the US taxpayer."
However, the pause does not apply to visitor visas, said the US Embassy. This means short-term travel visas will continue to be issued as before.
The embassy also said citizens of the affected countries will still be able to submit immigrant visa applications and attend scheduled interviews. The Department of State will continue to schedule interviews.
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According to a notice from the US State Department, President Donald Trump has made it clear that immigrants must be financially self-reliant and should not become a burden on American taxpayers. As a result, screening and vetting policies for nationals of high-risk countries are being reviewed.
Countries whose citizens are subject to the suspension of immigrant visas from 21 January 2026 include Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Colombia, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Tanzania, among several dozen others.
