US Stops Issuing Visas and Halts Asylum Decisions for Afghan Passport Holders

The United States has suspended the issuance of visas for all individuals traveling on Afghan passports and has also paused decisions on all pending asylum applications.

In a statement, the US State Department announced that the processing and issuance of visas for Afghan passport holders have been halted immediately. The department said the measure is part of broader steps being taken “to ensure US national security and public safety.”

Separately, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) also confirmed that all decisions related to refugee and asylum cases have been placed on hold. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow stated that “all decisions have been suspended until the vetting and maximum possible screening of any foreign national can be ensured.”

Earlier, US President Donald Trump had said that the United States would seek to permanently block migration from all developing nations. He stated that the administration would “permanently stop migration from all Third World countries and revoke the legal citizenship of any refugees who endanger domestic security.

These policy announcements come in the aftermath of an incident involving an Afghan national who opened fire on National Guard personnel near the White House. The attacker, who entered the US in 2021 under a resettlement program, killed one National Guard member and critically injured another.