From January 21, the US government is changing immigration rules. The Department of State will pause immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries. This pause affects Green Card applications only and does not include student, travel, or H-1B visas. The pause will last until the welfare benefits usage by these nationals is reviewed. The 75 countries affected include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Cuba, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and many others. The full list covers countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Alongside this, the US revised its visa bond program. Nationals from 25 countries applying for business or tourist visas must now post a refundable bond of $5,000 to $15,000. This bond is refunded if the visitor leaves the US on time. Countries required to pay bonds include Algeria, Bangladesh, Cuba, Nepal, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe. Additional countries were added to the bond list earlier this month and in previous years. These changes reflect the Trump administration's 'America First' immigration policy, aimed at reviewing and controlling visa and immigration flows into the US.