ISLAMABAD: A visiting Pakistani parliamentary delegation has, in a rare direct engagement with US legislators, raised concerns over Washington’s suspension of immigrant visa processing for Pakistani nationals, delegation members said on Monday.

The issue stems from a US State Department decision earlier this month to pause the issuance of immigrant visas for nationals from 75 countries, including Pakistan, effective Jan. 21. 

The measure follows the revival of the so-called “public charge” policy under President Donald Trump’s administration, which allows US authorities to deny permanent residence to applicants deemed likely to rely on public welfare benefits. While applications and interviews are continuing, permanent residence visas are currently not being issued to Pakistani nationals.

“The main issue ... is that the visas, the immigrant visas have been stopped,” Senator Saleem H. Mandviwalla told a press conference in Washington on Monday. “This is something which was not very well received in Pakistan.”

Mandviwalla, the chief whip of Pakistan’s Senate, said he had discussed the issue with the US ambassador in Islamabad, Natalie Baker, before traveling to Washington, and confirmed that the matter was formally raised during meetings with American lawmakers also.

The suspension of immigrant visas is part of a broader hard-line US immigration agenda that includes a review of screening and eligibility standards. In addition to Pakistan, countries affected by the pause include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria and Russia.

“Those whom we are meeting are the ones who make policy,” Senator Rana Mahmoodul Hassan told Arab News during a phone call, adding that a new framework had been agreed to ensure legislative exchanges every two months.

The delegation’s visit marks an unusually high level of parliamentary engagement between the two countries.

According to Hassan, it was the first time a formal Pakistani Senate delegation had held structured meetings inside the Rayburn House Office Building, a key congressional complex on Capitol Hill.

The trip was organized by the Pakistan Policy Institute USA (PPI-USA), led by Dr. Gholam Mujtaba.

“It was very good. This is the first time that [Pakistani] senators have come inside the Rayburn Building in an official capacity, and they have met properly and been invited,” Hassan said, adding that both sides had agreed to regular parliamentary exchanges, a channel he described as historically underdeveloped despite longstanding diplomatic ties between Islamabad and Washington.

“Now, delegations from both sides will come, theirs will come [to Pakistan] and ours will go [to US],” he said, adding that another Pakistani delegation was expected to visit the United Nations on Feb. 12 before holding further meetings on Capitol Hill.

“This link of ours was very weak before, as you know,” Hassan said. “I believe that when parliament members visit each other and meet, they can do what governments cannot.”

During the meetings, US Congressman Al Green accepted a proposal to form a Pakistan Strategic Bipartisan Caucus in the US Congress, according to Pakistani senators, who said the forum said could provide a permanent legislative forum for dialogue on trade, security, immigration and regional issues. Arab News could not confirm that Green had accepted the proposal.