Embassy in Pakistan says vetting process ensures migrants will not rely on public assistance
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said Friday that the Trump administration’s pause on processing and issuing immigrant visas would remain in place until authorities ensured new immigrants were “vetted to the fullest” to determine their eligibility to enter the country.
In a post on
“Effective January 21, the Department of State will suspend issuance of visas to all immigrant visa applicants from select countries, including Pakistan. Secretary [Marco] “Rubio has instituted this pause until we can ensure that new immigrants have been fully vetted 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 of screening and background checks of visa applicants. Beginning January 21, the Department of State will suspend issuance to all immigrant visa applicants from select countries,… pic.twitter.com/T7VwxwjVOL
— US Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) January 16, 2026
The embassy clarified, however, that the measure applies only to immigrant visas and does not affect non-immigrant categories, such as tourists, students, athletes, skilled workers and their families.
The statement followed the Trump administration’s announcement Wednesday that it would suspend immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan.
fox newswhich initially reported on the development, said the pause would take effect on January 21, citing a memo directing US embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the State Department reassesses its procedures. No timeline was provided for the review.
Read: Pakistan among 75 countries affected by US immigrant visa processing freeze
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to consider ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
Following the announcement, American analyst Michael Kugelman wrote in a post on
The US freeze on immigration visa processing for 75 countries appears to be based on a chart posted by Trump on Truth Social that lists the immigrant groups with the highest percentage of households receiving US public assistance. Most (not all) of the nations in the chart are on the list of 75.
But…—Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) January 15, 2026
Kugelman referred specifically to Pakistan, saying that according to the graph, which he said was unsourced, 40% of Pakistani immigrant households receive public assistance.
However, he said the available data indicates that the Pakistani-American community is generally known to be very wealthy, questioning the narrative and suggesting that more transparency regarding how the data was compiled would be helpful.
