The US State Department announces an indefinite suspension of Visas processing for 75 countries.

The United States said today it was suspending the processing of immigrant visas for 75 countries, including 11 from the Caribbean.

The decision was outlined in a memo circulated on January 1,4 which said the suspension is part of a broader effort to clamp down on visa applicants deemed likely to become a public charge.

The Caribbean countries affected by the US decision are Dominica , Antigua , Barbados , Jamaica , St.Kitts /  Nevis , St Vincent and the Grenadines , Grenada , Cuba  , Belize , Haiti and the Bahamas.

Among countries affected are Afghanistan , Algeria , Brazil , Bangladesh , Belize , Uganda , Russia , Pakistan, Nigeria  , Ghana, Sudan , Iran ,  Ethiopia , Cameroon and Egypt.