Legal immigration to the United States fell by half early this year under the Trump administration's immigration restrictions, with people from 91 countries effectively barred from immigrating and new immigrant visas issued to South Koreans down 19%.
The State Department issued only 26,000 immigrant visas in February, about half the monthly average of 52,000 before President Donald Trump took office, the New York Times reported on the 18th. Immigrant visas grant permanent residency and lawful permanent resident status.
New immigrant visas for South Koreans now total 340 a month, down 19% from the monthly average of 420 in 2023 and 2024. South Korea was among 25 countries where new immigrant visas fell by more than 20%. Visas for China dropped 31%, while those for Japan and India fell 25% and 16%, respectively. By contrast, Canada and Mexico, which were not subject to visa restrictions, saw increases of 142% and 17%, and together accounted for about 30% of all immigrant visas issued in February. They were among only a handful of countries where new immigrant visas rose.
By region, Central Asia was hit hardest with a 99% decline, followed by Africa at 89%, Eastern Europe at 84%, the Middle East at 81% and Australia and Oceania at 73%. Immigration from Muslim-majority countries plunged more than 90%. The State Department has issued almost no immigrant visas for more than eight months to applicants from the 91 countries where immigration to the United States has become virtually impossible.
Non-immigrant visas also declined. Visas for foreign students and workers fell 30% from a year earlier, while tourist and business visas dropped about 25% in February. Entry bans left nationals of 39 countries unable to obtain student or work visas at all, and new rules and fees reduced the issuance of student visas and H-1B visas for applicants from other countries. Visas for seasonal farm workers and exchange workers held near previous levels, but those for other sectors such as lodging and tourism declined. The refugee program was also sharply curtailed, and asylum claims at ports of entry were blocked.
Courts Ordered Visas Resumed, but Applicants Remain Stuck
Trump has drawn attention for his crackdown on illegal immigration, but he has taken an equally hard line on restricting legal immigration. David Bier, an immigration expert at the libertarian Cato Institute, which supports expanded immigration, said that apart from the pandemic period, the current reduction is the largest since the Hoover administration unilaterally rejected visas for qualified legal immigrants during the Great Depression. The administration has said it adopted the policy to better screen for security risks and the likelihood that applicants would later rely on public assistance.
For thousands of would-be immigrants, the policy has become a final barrier at the end of a years-long effort to immigrate legally. Daniel Brackins, a U.S. citizen living in Los Angeles, said his son was born in Kazakhstan because his wife, Zhanna, failed to receive an entry visa at the final stage of the legal immigration process. "My wife and I have broken down many times, and it puts a huge strain on the relationship," he said, "especially watching our son grow up over video calls."
Willian Nelson Hernandez Morales has been stranded in Guatemala since January. He has been unable to return to Middlesex, New Jersey, where he has been raising four children with his wife, Angela Duro. Hernandez entered the United States illegally as a minor 26 years ago and, after marrying Duro, a U.S. citizen, in 2021, decided to apply for permanent residency based on the marriage. Four years later, the couple traveled to Guatemala for an interview, and their application was denied under the visa freeze.
The new policy was implemented without congressional approval and was later checked by federal courts. In two separate lawsuits in late August, federal courts ordered the government to resume issuing visas. Despite the court orders, however, most of those whose visas were blocked still have not received approval.
Immigration experts say the changes are part of an effort to restrict all forms of immigration, alongside the administration's large-scale deportation operations. Taken together, the New York Times said, they could achieve through executive action alone the same goals as the sweeping anti-immigration laws passed by Congress in the early 20th century.