The embassy in Pakistan says the vetting process ensures that immigrants will not be dependent on public assistance
The US Embassy in Islamabad said on Friday that the Trump administration’s pause in processing and issuing immigrant visas would remain in place until authorities ensured that new immigrants were “vetted to the maximum extent” to determine their eligibility for entry into the country.
In a post on X, the US Embassy in Islamabad said the Trump administration was focused on protecting the American people by maintaining the highest standards for screening and vetting visa applicants.
“Effective January 21, the State Department is suspending the issuance of all immigrant visa applicants from selected countries, including Pakistan. Secretary [Marco] Rubio has instituted this pause until we can ensure that new immigrants have been vetted to the maximum extent to ensure their eligibility for a U.S. visa, including that they will not use public assistance,” the embassy said.
The Trump administration is focused on protecting the American people by maintaining the highest standards for screening and vetting visa applicants. Effective January 21, the State Department is suspending the issuance to all immigrant visa applicants from selected countries,… pic.twitter.com/T7VwxwjVOL
— US Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) 16 January 2026
However, the embassy clarified that the measure only applies to immigrant visas and does not affect non-immigrant categories such as tourists, students, athletes, skilled workers and their families.
The statement followed Wednesday’s announcement by the Trump administration that it was suspending immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan.
Fox Newswhich initially reported the development, said the pause would take effect on January 21, citing a memo instructing US embassies to deny visas under current law while the State Department reviews its procedures. No time frame was given for the review.
Read: Pakistan among 75 countries affected by freeze on US immigrant visa processing
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to consider unqualified potential immigrants, which would become a public indictment of the United States and take advantage of the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
After the announcement, US analyst Michael Kugelman wrote in a post on X that the freeze on immigrant visa processing appeared to be based on a chart showing immigrant groups with the highest percentage of households receiving US public assistance – a rationale later reflected in the embassy’s statement.
The U.S. freeze on immigrant visa processing for 75 countries appears to be based on a chart posted by Trump on Truth Social showing the immigrant groups with the highest percentage of households receiving U.S. public assistance. Most (not all) nations on the list are on the 75 list.
But…— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) 15 January 2026
Referring specifically to Pakistan, Kugelman said that according to the chart — which he noted was missing purchases — 40% of Pakistani immigrant households receive public assistance.
However, he said that available data indicates that the Pakistani-American community is generally known to be very wealthy, and questioned the narrative, suggesting that greater transparency about how the data was compiled would be helpful.
