WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.

The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.

A State Department cable outlining the move and seen by Reuters said the Department was undergoing a “full review” of all policies, regulations and guidance to ensure “the highest level of screening and vetting” for all US visa applicants.

The cable, sent to US missions, said there were indications that nationals from these countries had sought public benefits in the United States.

“Applicants from these countries are at a high risk for becoming a public charge and recourse to local, state and federal government resources in the United States,” the cable outlining the move which was reviewed by Reuters said.

The move, which was first reported by Fox News, does not impact US visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the United States is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.

The decision follows a November directive to US diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the US, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” said Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department.

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

The cable directed US consular officers to refuse any applicants whose visas have been “print-authorized” but have not been printed, or those that have been printed but have not left the consular section.

LEGAL IMMIGRATION
Mr. Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.

While he campaigned on stopping illegal immigration into the United States, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult – for example, by imposing new and expensive fees on the applicants of H-1B visas for highly skilled workers.

“This administration has proven itself to have the most anti-legal immigration agenda in American history,” David Bier, Cato’s Director of Immigration Studies and The Selz Foundation Chair in Immigration Policy, said in a statement.

“This action will ban nearly half of all legal immigrants to the United States, turning away about 315,000 legal immigrants over the next year alone,” Mr. Bier said.

The State Department has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Mr. Trump took office, it said on Monday. The administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.

Mr. Trump, a Republican, captured the White House saying a tougher stance on immigration was needed after years of high levels of illegal immigration under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

In November, Mr. Trump had vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.

FULL LIST OF COUNTRIES
The list of countries that will be impacted by the suspension, according to a US official, are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen. — Reuters

BEIJING — China is willing to deepen cooperation with Canada while eliminating “interference,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Canadian counterpart at a meeting in Beijing on Thursday. 

The comments came after Prime Minister Mark Carney’s arrival in the Chinese capital on a four-day state visit, the first by a Canadian head of government in nearly a decade.

Mr. Carney is set to meet Premier Li Qiang later on Thursday and President Xi Jinping on Friday. 

“China is willing to enhance communication with Canada, foster mutual trust, eliminate interference and deepen cooperation,” Mr. Wang, China’s top diplomat, told Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand, who was part of Mr. Carney’s delegation.

That would ensure two-way ties keep steady, substantive and robust, the Canadian prime minister’s office cited Mr. Wang as telling Ms. Anand. 

“We’ll make sure that we continue to make progress together in the short and the long term for the benefit of the peoples of both of our countries,” Ms. Anand told Mr. Wang.

Since a positive encounter in October between Mr. Carney and Mr. Xi in South Korea, the countries have shown a common desire to turn the page and reset ties following periods of tension in relations since 2017.

The most recent instance of fraught ties was after former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government set tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in 2024, following similar US curbs.

China retaliated last March with tariffs on more than $2.6 billion of Canadian farm and food products, such as canola oil and meal, leading to a slump of 10.4% in Chinese imports of Canadian goods in 2025, shown in customs data on Wednesday.

Re-engagement with China has also been fueled by a push to diversify export markets after US President Donald J. Trump imposed tariffs on Canada last year and suggested the longtime US ally could become his country’s 51^st state. — Reuters

TAIPEI — More US arms sales to Taiwan are in the pipeline with four deals yet to be notified to Congress, a senior Taiwanese defense official said on Thursday, following the announcement of an $11-billion package last month, the largest ever for the island.

The United States is Taiwan’s most important international backer and arms supplier, despite the lack of formal diplomatic ties. China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, held war games around the island in late December after the latest deal was announced.

Speaking to reporters in Taipei following a weekly cabinet meeting, Vice Defense Minister Hsu Szu-chien said that four additional packages for Taiwan had yet to be formally notified to the US Congress, the usual process for approval of such sales.

“Don’t ask me what four these are, I cannot say, but there are still four cases yet to be notified to Congress,” Mr. Hsu said, adding he could not say more for legal reasons.

The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside Washington business hours.

The announced December arms sales cover eight items, including Lockheed Martin HIMARS rocket systems and Altius loitering munition drones.

In November, President Lai Ching-te unveiled an extra $40 billion in defense spending to 2033 to underscore Taiwan’s determination to defend itself in the face of the rising threat from China.

But Taiwan’s opposition, which has the most seats in parliament, has not let the measure progress to the committee stage for review, arguing that the spending details are vague and that they want more details.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo will give lawmakers a confidential briefing on Monday, and the ministry is happy to give more details, Mr. Hsu said.

“It is not that we are unwilling to explain — give us an opportunity to explain, a legal opportunity,” Mr. Hsu added. “This is not a ‘black box.’”

The Trump administration has strongly backed Taiwan’s plans to ramp up military spending, something it has been pushing its allies in Europe in particular to do.

Mr. Hsu said Taiwan had to spend more given the threat. “Everyone knows the threat we are facing is growing and growing,” he said.

Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future. — Reuters