Pakistan faces US Visa freeze despite outreach to Trump

Pakistan has been swept into a sweeping US visa processing freeze despite months of diplomatic outreach and public praise for Donald Trump, highlighting the unforgiving, transactional nature of Trump-era immigration policy.

The Trump administration has indefinitely paused visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, starting January 21. An internal State Department memo cited tighter screening reviews and concerns over applicants becoming a “public charge” on the United States.

Pakistan’s inclusion stands out. In recent months, its political and military leadership—led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army chief Asim Munir—had openly signalled alignment with Trump’s worldview in an effort to reset ties with Washington.

Those overtures failed to deliver relief.

US analyst Michael Kugelman noted that Pakistan’s revived engagement with Washington “didn’t shield it” from the visa pause, underscoring how US domestic immigration priorities now outweigh diplomatic signalling.

The timing added to the setback. The freeze coincided with Islamabad hosting a high-profile event involving the family of US envoy Steve Witkoff around a proposed cryptocurrency memorandum of understanding—reinforcing the gap between optics and outcomes.

US officials framed the move as enforcement-driven. State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said visa denials would rely on existing law to prevent applicants likely to depend on public assistance.

Bangladesh’s inclusion has also drawn attention. Dhaka, which has recently edged closer to Islamabad while seeking to recalibrate ties with Washington, now faces the same restrictions.

For Pakistan and Bangladesh, the message is clear: symbolic outreach offers no exemptions. Under Trump’s immigration-first approach, access is conditional—and policy decisions are driven by domestic politics, not diplomatic goodwill.