The United States has resumed issuing immigrant visas to citizens of Bangladesh and 74 other countries after a federal court order overturned a policy that had suspended the final issuance of such visas.
The US State Department had suspended immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries in January as part of a screening policy targeting applicants deemed likely to become dependent on government assistance after moving to the United States.
The immigrant visa allows successful applicants to obtain permanent residency, commonly known as a green card.
The suspension was lifted on August 21 following a ruling by US District Judge Jeannette Vargas in the Southern District of New York in a case brought by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) against US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The court ruled that denying immigrant visas solely on the basis of nationality exceeded the secretary of state’s authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act.
The State Department subsequently updated its website on August 28, confirming that the suspension was no longer in effect.
What does the decision mean for applicants?
With the suspension lifted, applicants from the 75 affected countries can once again receive immigrant visas, subject to the standard US immigration requirements.
The previous suspension did not invalidate visas that had already been issued. Applicants were also allowed to submit applications and attend interviews while the policy was in effect, but the final issuance of their immigrant visas had been put on hold.
Dual nationals who held valid passports from countries outside the 75-country list were exempt from the restriction. Children adopted by US families were also exempt under special provisions of Presidential Proclamation 10998.
The suspension applied specifically to immigrant visas and did not cover non-immigrant visas, including tourist, student and temporary employment visas.
Bangladesh was among the 75 countries affected by the suspension.
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