Public charge rule could add to visa denial surge
Total denied Granted after initial denial
Even before the Trump administration’s “public charge” rule takes effect, new research finds it has been denying visas on related grounds at 19 times the rate seen at the end of the Obama administration, reports Stef W. Kight for Axios. The study, published by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), finds that visa refusals on public charge grounds — including for spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens — increased 1,846% between fiscal years 2016 and 2019. “Trump’s new policies could supercharge efforts to keep out immigrants whom the government predicts might one day use certain tax-funded social safety nets,” Kight reports.
NFAP projects that family-based visas and family applicants from Mexico, Dominican Republic, China and Haiti may be hit especially hard.
KJ