The Trump administration has announced a worldwide pause in visa appointments as part of its ongoing immigration crackdown, a move that could affect applicants in Pakistan seeking entry to the United States.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the pause on Tuesday, saying global training initiatives have been launched across U.S. embassies and consulates. The training will temporarily halt visa applications that have reached the interview stage, while visa services will be adjusted to accommodate the initiatives.
The development comes as President Donald Trump, during his second term, has pursued tighter immigration and entry policies, including deportations, visa revocations and application rejections.
Media outlet Newsweek mapped countries that could be worst affected by the move by examining countries with the highest numbers of legal immigrants moving to the United States, using the latest available data from the World Population Review, dated 2023.
India ranked third on the list with 78,070 legal immigrants moving to the U.S., while Afghanistan ranked eighth with 30,300. The list was led by Mexico with 180,530, followed by Cuba with 81,600.
The other countries among the top 10 were the Dominican Republic with 68,870, China with 59,260, the Philippines with 49,200, Vietnam with 36,000, Brazil with 28,880 and El Salvador with 26,210.
According to Migration Policy Institute data cited in the report, Indian immigrants accounted for 6.3 percent of the U.S. immigrant population in 2024, with 3.163 million Indian immigrants. Chinese immigrants accounted for 5.2 percent, while Filipino immigrants accounted for 4.3 percent.
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The pause comes amid broader changes to the U.S. visa process and tighter immigration restrictions under the Trump administration.
Visas and green cards have been revoked and applications rejected over a range of issues, including political opinions and pro-Palestinian advocacy.
The administration is also set to remove visas of up to 200,000 people who have applied for, or are currently seeking, asylum in the United States. The State Department is expected to announce that B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 will be revoked if their holders have sought asylum or are currently seeking asylum, according to a report by The Associated Press citing State Department documents.
The immigration crackdown has also faced legal challenges. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas struck down a policy that suspended visa processing from 75 countries, including Iran and Somalia. The administration had argued that nationals from those countries were likely to require public assistance in the United States.
Vargas, who was appointed by former President Joe Biden, ruled that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had exceeded his authority in issuing the policy.
The temporary pause in visa appointments and other visa-related measures could also face legal opposition.
Source: Newsweek
