Immigrant visa freeze hits Jamaica

WASHINGTON (AP)

Jamaica is among 75 countries whose citizens will face a suspension of immigrant visa processing, the State Department announced yesterday.

The list also includes Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia, with the Trump administration citing concerns that nationals from these countries may be likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.

Other Caribbean countries affected are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

An immigrant visa allows a foreign national to enter the United States with the intention of living there permanently and eventually applying for a green card.

The suspension, which will start next Wednesday, will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas, who make up the vast majority of visa seekers.

The State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said it had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the countries affected in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become "public charges" in the US.

The step builds on earlier immigration and travel bans by the administration on nearly 40 countries and is part of President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to tighten US entry standards for foreigners.

"The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America's immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people," the department said in a statement.

"Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits."

Meanwhile, a separate notice sent to all US embassies and consulates said that non-immigrant visa applicants should be screened for the possibility that they might seek public benefits in the United States.

"With the uncovering of massive public benefits fraud across the United States, the Trump administration is laser-focused on eliminating and preventing fraud in public benefits programmes," said the cable that referred specifically to most non-immigrant visa applications and was sent on Monday.

The cable, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, urged consular officers to ensure that foreigners wanting to travel to the US "have been fully vetted and screened" for whether they may rely on public services before they are issued a visa.