B Mirror Report : The United States has announced a temporary suspension of immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, including Bangladesh, starting from January 21.
The development was first reported on Wednesday by U.S.-based broadcaster Fox News, which cited an internal document issued by the U.S. State Department. A State Department spokesperson later confirmed the move to Reuters, saying immigrant visa processing for applicants from the listed countries would be paused, though further details were not made public.
In a message shared on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, the State Department stated that the suspension targets countries whose immigrants access U.S. welfare benefits at what it described as excessively high levels. The post said the restriction would remain in effect until authorities are confident that new immigrants will not place an undue burden on American public resources.
According to Fox News, the State Department plans to review and strengthen its existing screening and vetting mechanisms. The aim is to block entry to individuals who may become reliant on government assistance. Immigrant visa processing will stay on hold until this assessment is completed. While consular officials have been directed to withhold visas under current laws, the timeframe for lifting the suspension has not been specified.
Diplomatic sources in Washington said Bangladesh has not yet received formal notification regarding the visa suspension. However, indications of a tougher immigration stance by the Trump administration emerged earlier this month.
On January 4, former President Donald Trump posted a list on his social media platform, Truth Social, titled “Immigrant Welfare Recipient Rates by Country of Origin.” The list ranked Bangladesh 19th among 120 countries and regions, noting that about 54.8 percent of Bangladeshi immigrant households in the U.S. receive government benefits.
Other South Asian countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Pakistan, and Nepal were also included, while India and Sri Lanka were absent from the list.
Although U.S. authorities have not officially released the full list of affected nations, Fox News published country names based on the State Department document. Alongside Bangladesh, the countries reportedly include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Albania, Algeria, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Syria, Thailand, and Uzbekistan, among others.
A 2025 report by the Pew Research Center shows that the Bangladeshi community in the United States has expanded rapidly over the past two decades. The population grew from about 40,000 in 2000 to nearly 270,000 in 2023, reflecting an increase of more than 560 percent.
