Immigrant visa issuance to Bangladeshis paused, visitor visas unaffected: US Embassy
Citizens of affected countries will still be able to submit immigrant visa applications, attend scheduled interviews.
The United States Department of State has clarified its decision to pause immigrant visa issuances for nationals of 75 countries, including Bangladesh, stressing that short-term travel visas remain unaffected.
In a Facebook post today (2 March), the US Embassy in Dhaka said the suspension took effect on 21 January. It applies only to immigrant visas for countries "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.
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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.
On 14 January, the State Department announced that it will be suspending immigrant visa processing for the 75 countries. State explained that the "freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people."
According to a notice from the 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 include Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Tanzania, among several others.
