Three words—”refuse the case”—are set to end the visa hopes of applicants from 75 countries. This instruction is central to the Trump administration’s new policy indefinitely suspending immigrant visa processing, effective January 21. The directive targets nationals deemed likely to become public charges.
The policy mandates that if a visa has not been physically printed, the consular officer must refuse the application. This applies regardless of whether the applicant passed their interview or met all other requirements. It is a harsh retroactive measure that voids months or years of effort.
The countries affected range from major global powers to small developing nations. The list includes countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The policy does not discriminate based on the type of visa, but rather on the nationality of the applicant.
Exceptions are rare. Dual nationals of non-listed countries may still apply, as can those whose entry is in the US national interest. For everyone else, the instruction is clear: refuse the case.
The full list of countries is: 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, and Yemen.