Moroccan nationals have been included in a US decision to pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, as Washington reviews enforcement of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law, according to reporting by Fox News and confirmation from immigration advisory firm Envoy Global, which cited internal US government guidance.
The pause affects immigrant visa applications processed at US consulates and embassies and is linked to renewed scrutiny of whether applicants are likely to become dependent on US public assistance, a standard known as the public charge ground of inadmissibility under the US Immigration and Nationality Act, according to Envoy Global.
Morocco appears on a list of affected countries obtained by Fox News and later published by Envoy Global.
The list spans Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, and includes countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Brazil, Cuba, Pakistan, Russia and Yemen.
According to US State Department figures, about 4,065 visas were issued to Moroccan nationals in 2023, including more than 2,550 through the Diversity Visa Lottery and over 700 under direct family preference categories, making Moroccans among the larger Arab national groups receiving U.S. immigrant visas.
According to Envoy Global, US consular officers have been instructed to suspend adjudication of immigrant visa cases from the listed countries while the review is ongoing. The firm said exceptions will be “very limited” and permitted only after applicants clear public charge considerations.
The US Department of State has not publicly released the internal guidance, and did not respond to requests for comment cited by Fox News.
The public charge provision has existed in U.S. law for decades, but its enforcement has varied significantly across administrations.
Under a rule introduced during President Donald Trump’s first term in 2019, the definition of public charge was expanded to include a broader range of public benefits, prompting legal challenges that resulted in partial court blocks.
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