US resumes immigrant visas for Bangladeshis, 74 others

The United States has lifted a suspension on the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of Bangladesh and 74 other countries following a recent ruling by a federal court.

Earlier, the US Department of State had suspended immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries in January as part of additional scrutiny of applicants deemed more likely to depend on government assistance after entering the country.

Immigrant visas allow foreign nationals to move to the US for permanent residence and eventually become eligible for a green card.

The policy was challenged in a case filed by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. US District Judge Jeannette Vargas of the Southern District of New York ruled against the policy.

The court found that withholding immigrant visas solely because of an applicant’s nationality exceeded the Secretary of State’s authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Following the ruling, the suspension ended on August 21. The US Department of State’s website, updated on August 28, also confirmed that the suspension was no longer in effect.

This means citizens of Bangladesh and the other affected countries can again have immigrant visas issued, provided they meet the normal visa requirements.

Visas that had already been issued during the suspension were not revoked. Applicants were also allowed to submit new applications and attend interviews during the suspension, which mainly affected the final issuance of immigrant visas.

The list of countries 

The 75 countries covered by the policy included Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, the 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.