The United States has suspended the issuance of immigrant visas for citizens of Bangladesh and several other countries, the US State Department announced.
The decision has been in effect since 21 January 2026, the US Embassy in Dhaka said in a Facebook post on Monday morning.
According to the announcement, the suspension targets countries whose citizens receive comparatively higher levels of government benefits or social support funded by US taxpayers.
The move is aimed at balancing the impact of immigrants on the American economy and public expenditure.
The suspension applies only to immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas, including visitor and tourist visas, remain unaffected.
Those seeking short-term travel to the US can continue to apply for visas under the usual process.
The embassy clarified that visa application processing and scheduled interviews will continue as normal.
Applicants from affected countries can still submit applications and attend pre-set interviews, while the embassy will maintain routine scheduling of visa appointments.
“This suspension does not affect visitor visas in any way,” the embassy added, reassuring Bangladeshis that travel for tourism or short-term visits remains unchanged.
