US suspends immigrant visa issuance for 75 countries, including Bangladesh

The United States has suspended immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, including Bangladesh, according to a notice issued by the US Embassy in Dhaka on Saturday (April 25).

The announcement said the decision was taken by the US Department of State, citing higher rates of welfare dependency among immigrants from the affected countries as one of the factors behind the move.

The embassy clarified that the suspension applies only to immigrant visas and will not affect non-immigrant categories such as tourist and student visas.

According to the notice, the restriction is set to take effect from January 21, 2026.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump shared data on his Truth Social platform regarding welfare usage among immigrants in various countries. Bangladesh was ranked 19th on a list of 120 countries and territories, with claims that around 54.8 per cent of Bangladeshi immigrant households in the US receive government assistance. Other South Asian countries, including Bhutan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal, were also included in the list.