Donald Trump’s administration has suspended the processing of immigration visa applications for citizens of 75 countries since January 21st, according to an internal memorandum from the State Department, Fox News reports.
Restrictions are being introduced during the period of visa procedures review, including strengthening security checks and risk assessment criteria for the US social system.
The measure is temporary and is related to the revision of procedures. Existing visas are not automatically canceled. For applicants residing within the US and formalizing a change of status, the rules may differ, as their cases are handled by the immigration agency, not the consular service.
What exactly is suspended?
The processing of all immigration visas for foreigners outside the US, that is, categories leading to obtaining a permanent residence permit (green card), will be terminated:
- family immigration;
- immigration through work (including “talent visas”);
- individual humanitarian immigration programs (with possible exceptions);
- consular processing of Green Card (DV) visas has already been suspended worldwide, including in Uzbekistan.
The issuance of tourist, student, exchange, temporary work, transit, and diplomatic American visas for Uzbek citizens will continue.
Afghanistan, Russia, and Central Asian countries — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan — stand out in the list. The remaining states are represented by the regions of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, America, and Oceania.
The publications of American media are based on the leak of a US State Department document, the data is not officially confirmed. Among the countries of the CIS and the post-Soviet space are Russia, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, as well as Uzbekistan and neighboring Afghanistan.
European countries are also listed: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Montenegro. Most of the list consists of countries from Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Earlier, it was reported that official Tashkent plans to simplify the visa regime with the US for its citizens, while Transport Deputy Minister Jasurbek Choriyev stated that Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s visit to the US created “premises for visa liberalization”. In this regard, Uzbekistan unilaterally announced the introduction of a visa-free regime for American citizens starting from 2026.
