The U.S. State Department is suspending the issuance of immigrant visas to citizens of Armenia and 74 other countries, the department has announced.
The move follows reports that migrants from certain countries receive unduly high levels of public assistance funded by U.S. taxpayers.
Earlier, Fox News incorrectly reported that the United States had halted all entry visas for those nations, but later clarified that the restriction applies only to immigrant visas, according to Sputnik Armenia.
In a post on X, the State Department said: “The Department is suspending immigrant entry visas for 75 countries whose incoming migrants are receiving unacceptable levels of social benefits at the expense of the American people.”
The department stressed that the suspension will remain in effect until U.S. authorities receive assurances that migrants will not live at the expense of Americans.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said the department will use its lawful authority to bar the entry of immigrants who could become an additional burden on the United States.
The policy is set to take effect on January 21 and will apply not only to citizens of Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, but also to those from Iran, Iraq, Brazil, Egypt, Thailand, and several other countries.
