The United States Department of State has suspended the issuance of immigrant visas for nationals of Bangladesh and 74 other countries, effective 21 January 2026, the US Embassy in Dhaka announced in a Facebook post on Monday, 2 March.
The suspension targets countries whose immigrants have comparatively higher rates of receiving government assistance. The pause does not apply to visitor visas, meaning short-term travel visas will continue to be issued as before.
The embassy clarified:
Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State paused all immigrant visa issuances to nationals of countries, including Bangladesh, whose immigrants have a high rate of collecting public assistance at the expense of the US taxpayer. The pause does not apply to visitor visas. Immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of impacted countries may submit visa applications and attend interviews, and the Department of State will continue to schedule visa interviews.
According to the US State Department, President Donald Trump emphasized 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.
The countries affected 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, Tanzania, and several others.
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