US suspends immigrant visas for Bangladesh and 74 other countries

The United States Department of State has suspended the issuance of immigrant visas for citizens of Bangladesh and 74 other countries. However, the US embassy in Dhaka has said visitor visas will remain operational as normal.

The information was shared on the embassy's official Facebook page on Monday, March 2. The post stated that under this decision, effective from January 21, 2026, immigrant visas for citizens of Bangladesh and 74 other countries have been suspended. The reason cited is that immigrants from these countries become overly dependent on US government assistance.

However, the application process has not been completely halted. The US embassy said citizens of affected countries can submit immigrant visa applications and attend scheduled interviews. The US Department of State will continue to schedule visa interviews.

The other 74 countries listed alongside Bangladesh are—Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Myanmar (Burma), Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.