The Asian countries apparently impacted include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. 
The U.S. State Department has reportedly frozen the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including more than a dozen in Asia, deemed likely to “take welfare and public benefits.”
The Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration has intensified in recent months, with the expansion of partial and full bans on the issuance of non-immigrant visas – for business, tourism, and study – and immigrant visas, too. While the administration’s immigration restrictions fall disproportionately on African states, a number of Asian states have also been targeted.
First reported by Fox, a recent State Department memo “directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.” CNN reported that the pause will go into effect on January 21; it’s unclear how long it will last.
Current reporting also does not specify which types of immigrant visas will be affected, although the new policy is likely to apply to all categories.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement shared with the media.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
The countries covered by the order include 13 in The Diplomat’s coverage region: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. 
Some of the countries included in this apparent new immigrant visa ban have been subject to partial or full bans on the issuance of nonimmigrant visas, too, including Afghanistan, Laos, and Myanmar. Others – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Kyrgyzstan, and Nepal – were recently included in a planned expansion of the visa bond program, under which prospective recipients of nonimmigrant visas, those for tourism or business, will have to pay up to $15,000 to secure their visa.
Curiously, the list of Asian countries under the apparent new immigrant visa ban includes Central Asia’s two wealthiest states – Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan – but not its poorest, Tajikistan. 
How the State Department determined the list is not clear from currently available information and statements.
In November, after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members, killing one, near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries.” 
The State Department, as reported by the Associated Press, issued guidance in a cable to embassy and consular officials to “comprehensively and thoroughly vet visa applicants to demonstrate that they will not need to rely on public benefits from the government any time after their admission in the U.S.” The cable focused on what’s known as the “public charge” provision in existing immigration law and reportedly instructed consular officers to deny visas to those deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
By Catherine Putz
Catherine Putz is managing editor of The Diplomat.

Published Date:2026-01-15