Belize among 75 countries affected by new U.S. immigrant visa processing pause

Belize has been included in a list of 75 countries for which the United States will indefinitely suspend immigrant visa processing, a measure set to take effect on January 21 as part of the Trump administration’s expanded immigration crackdown.

According to U.S. reporting and the U.S. State Department’s public explanation, the suspension applies to immigrant visas—such as those used for employment-based immigration or for joining family members permanently in the United States. It does not apply to non-immigrant visas, including tourist and student visas, meaning short-term travel remains outside the scope of the new restriction.

The U.S. State Department said the pause will remain in place while it reassesses immigration processing procedures under the “public charge” provision of immigration law, which targets prospective immigrants believed likely to become a strain on public resources. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the U.S. will use its authority to deem ineligible those who would become a public charge, and that processing will be paused during the reassessment.

Belize is listed among the affected countries alongside several Caribbean, Latin American, African, Middle Eastern, and European states, including Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Colombia, Egypt, Somalia, and Russia.