US Halts Immigrant Visas for 75 Nations, India Exempted

• The US Department of State will pause immigrant visa processing for nationals of up to 75 countries starting January 21.
• India is notably excluded from the list of affected countries, allowing Indian nationals' immigrant visa applications to proceed.
• The open-ended pause aims to prevent new immigrants from abusing public benefit systems, aligning with the "America First" policy.
• Consular offices will refuse immigrant visas while screening standards are reviewed, using the "public charge" provision.
• The pause affects immigrant visas only, not temporary travel or diplomatic visas, with no clear timeline for resumption.

Why It Matters: US pauses immigrant visa processing for 75 countries to curb welfare reliance, but India remains unaffected.