Fiji included in US immigrant visa suspension

The United States will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries — including Fiji — under new measures announced by the State Department as part of the Trump administration’s tightened immigration rules.

The State Department said Wednesday it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.

The State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said it had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the affected countries in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges” in the U.S.

The suspension, which will begin on Jan 21, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, including temporary tourist or business visas, which account for the vast majority of visa applications.

Demand for non-immigrant visas is expected to rise sharply in the coming months and years due to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, both of which the United States will host or co-host.

“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” the department said in a statement.

“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

President Donald Trump’s administration has already significantly restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of dozens of countries, many of them in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The November guidance underpinning Wednesday’s decision directed U.S. embassy and consulate officials to comprehensively vet visa applicants to ensure they will not rely on public benefits at any point after being admitted to the United States.

While U.S. law already requires those seeking permanent residency or legal status to prove they will not become a public charge, Trump expanded the range of benefit programs that could disqualify applicants during his first term.

The latest guidelines appear to go even further.

Immigrants seeking entry into the U.S. are already required to undergo a medical examination by a U.S. Embassy-approved physician.

They are screened for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and must disclose any history of drug or alcohol use, mental health conditions or violence, in addition to meeting vaccination requirements.

Under the new directive, consular officials must consider more detailed factors when assessing visa applicants.

These include age, health, family status, financial resources, education, skills and any previous use of public assistance, regardless of country of origin. Officials are also instructed to assess English-language proficiency and may conduct interviews in English.