US Implements New Visa Freeze for 75 Countries, Pakistan Included
The Donald Trump administration has announced a new visa freeze affecting 75 countries. This policy takes effect from January 21 and will continue indefinitely. The State Department will issue a new notification before lifting the pause.
Expert Raises Concerns Over Pakistan's Inclusion
South Asia expert Michael Kugelman has expressed strong doubts about keeping Pakistan on the restricted list. He points out there is no reliable data showing Pakistanis take welfare benefits from the United States.
"The Pakistani-American community is known for being highly affluent," Kugelman stated. "Available data supports this fact." He emphasized the lack of justification for Pakistan's inclusion given these circumstances.
Questionable Data Sources Behind the Ban
The visa freeze appears based on a chart President Trump posted on Truth Social. This chart lists immigrant groups with the highest percentage of households receiving U.S. public assistance.
Kugelman noted several problems with this approach:
- The chart provides no sourcing for its data
- Some figures seem questionable or inaccurate
- The methodology behind the data remains unexplained
According to the controversial chart, Bhutan tops the list with 81.4% of immigrant households receiving assistance. Pakistan shows at 40.2%. Both countries are new additions to restricted lists that previously focused mainly on African nations.
Official Reasoning and Missing Details
The State Department has not provided specific reasons for choosing these 75 countries. Officials stated the pause will allow reassessment of immigration processing procedures.
The stated goal is preventing entry of foreign nationals who might take welfare and public benefits. However, the department has not explained how particular countries were selected for inclusion.
Countries Affected by the New Policy
The comprehensive list includes nations from multiple regions:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria
- Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan
- Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados
- Belarus, Belize, Bhutan
- Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar
- Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde
- Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba
- Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt
- Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji
- The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana
- Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea
- Haiti, Iran, Iraq
- Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan
- Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan
- Laos, Lebanon, Liberia
- Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova
- Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco
- Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria
- Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia
- Rwanda, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia
- St Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone
- Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan
- Syria, Tanzania, Thailand
- Togo, Tunisia, Uganda
- Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Yemen
Notable Exclusions from the Freeze
Several countries appear on travel ban lists but not this visa freeze:
- Angola, Benin, Burundi
- Gabon, Malawi, Mauritania
- Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The discrepancy between travel bans and visa freezes adds another layer of complexity to U.S. immigration policy under the Trump administration.
Kugelman concluded his analysis by noting, "Some explanation of how the data was derived would help." His comments highlight ongoing questions about the factual basis for these immigration restrictions.
