The United States government has paused the processing of immigrant visa applications for citizens of about 75 countries, including Ghana, as it reviews stricter rules on “public charge”, immigration lawyer Eric Okyere Darko has said.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Thursday (15 January), Darko explained that the suspension does not cancel visas outright but temporarily halts the issuance of immigrant visas for people seeking permanent residence in the United States.
“The State Department has paused processing of immigrant visa applications so it can further develop rules on public charge,” he said.
He clarified that the suspension affects applicants seeking to live permanently in the US, such as family-sponsored immigrants, and does not apply to visitors travelling on temporary visas like B1 and B2.
Under US immigration law, the public charge rule allows consular officers to deny a visa if they determine that an applicant is likely to depend on government assistance after entering the country.
Darko said that while the concept existed previously, it has now become a central ground for refusing immigrant visas under the latest presidential proclamation.
“In the past, a US citizen could overcome public charge concerns by showing financial capacity or providing a joint sponsor. Now, age, health conditions, education level and income are being used more aggressively to deny visas,” he said.
He argued that the policy unfairly affects Africans and immigrants from developing countries, many of whom migrate with the intention to work rather than rely on welfare.
“Most people coming from Ghana do not come to America to depend on benefits. They come to work and build better lives,” he said, describing the policy as a “big blow” to US citizens seeking to reunite with family members.
Mr Darko said applicants with interviews scheduled after January 21 may still attend their appointments but could be told that their cases are approved in principle while visa issuance remains paused.
He warned that the suspension could create significant backlogs for legal immigration and affect diversity visa lottery winners, whose applications must be completed before the September 30 deadline of each fiscal year.
“If the visa is not issued before that date, even qualified lottery winners will lose their chance,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty, he advised eligible applicants to continue filing petitions, stressing that US immigration law is enacted by Congress and cannot be permanently overridden by presidential proclamations.
“This is a temporary pause, not a permanent change to the law,” he said.
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