Washington, DC [US], January 14 (ANI): The US State Department is set to pause visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Russia and Iran, as part of a crackdown on immigrants deemed likely to become a “public charge,” Fox News reported.
The public charge standard is used to assess whether a non-citizen is likely to rely primarily on government support, which can affect eligibility for entry or a green card. It generally focuses on cash assistance and long-term government-funded institutional care and typically excludes many non-cash benefits.
According to Fox News, a State Department memo directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures. The affected countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and Yemen, among others.
The pause will begin on January 21 and remain in effect indefinitely until the State Department completes its reassessment of visa processing. Somalia has come under particular scrutiny following a large-scale fraud scandal in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered alleged abuse of taxpayer-funded benefits involving several Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.
The guidance instructs consular officers to deny visas to applicants considered likely to rely on public benefits, taking into account factors such as health, age, English proficiency, finances, and potential need for long-term medical care. Older or overweight applicants, or those with any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalization, could face denial.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said. “Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
While the public charge provision has existed for decades, enforcement has varied across administrations, with consular officers historically exercising broad discretion. Under the new pause, exceptions will be very limited and permitted only after an applicant clears public charge considerations.
A 2022 version of the public charge rule under the Biden administration limited the scope of benefits considered mainly to cash assistance and long-term institutional care, excluding programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, WIC, Medicaid, and housing vouchers. The Immigration and Nationality Act allows consular officers to deem applicants inadmissible on public charge grounds, but former President Donald Trump expanded the definition in 2019 to include a wider set of public benefits. This expansion was challenged in court, with parts blocked before being rescinded by the Biden administration. (ANI)
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