US halts immigrant visas from 75 countries

The State Department announced Wednesday it will indefinitely pause the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, a sweeping action that affects roughly 38 percent of all nations worldwide. The suspension takes effect January 21 and represents one of the broadest restrictions on legal immigration the Trump administration has implemented.

The freeze targets what officials say are countries whose nationals rely on public assistance at what they describe as unacceptable rates. The State Department said it will use the pause to reassess its screening procedures and strengthen its ability to identify and reject applicants deemed likely to become a financial burden on the United States.

Background

The public charge doctrine has long been part of American immigration law, allowing officials to deny entry to foreigners expected to depend on government benefits. However, the Trump administration is now using this authority on an unprecedented scale by targeting entire nations rather than individual cases.

The affected countries span multiple continents and include nations at vastly different economic levels. Among them are Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, Russia, Nigeria, Cuba, Iran, and Iraq. The complete list also includes countries like Afghanistan, Albania, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Jordan, Pakistan, and Yemen, among dozens of others.

This move follows earlier Trump administration actions restricting immigration and travel. The administration previously implemented a travel ban affecting 39 countries and has frozen refugee admissions with limited exceptions.

"The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people." – State Department statement

Key Details

The suspension applies specifically to immigrant visas, which are sought by people abroad who have been sponsored by American relatives or employers to move to the United States permanently. This includes both family-based and employment-based immigration.

The freeze does not affect temporary visas used for tourism, business travel, or education. People from the affected countries can still apply for tourist visas or business visas to visit the United States on a short-term basis.

State Department officials confirmed that the suspension will not apply to athletes, coaches, and support staff traveling to the 2026 World Cup, which the United States will co-host. World Cup attendees and their immediate relatives are exempt from the restrictions, allowing the tournament to proceed without visa complications for international visitors.

The affected countries

The State Department released a partial list of the 75 nations. Besides the countries mentioned earlier, the list includes Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and others.

Some of these countries already face restrictions under existing travel bans implemented by the Trump administration. The new suspension creates an additional layer of restrictions for nationals from these nations seeking permanent residency.

What This Means

The pause represents a significant narrowing of legal immigration channels for a substantial portion of the world's population. For families with relatives in the affected countries seeking to reunite in America, the suspension creates an indefinite waiting period with no clear timeline for when processing might resume.

Employers in the United States who have sponsored foreign workers from these countries will also face delays. Employment-based immigration, which has been a pathway for skilled workers and professionals, is now frozen for nationals of these 75 nations.

State Department principal deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said the action reflects the administration's commitment to controlling who enters the country.

"The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America's immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people," Pigott said in a statement.

The suspension will remain in place indefinitely while the State Department conducts its review. Officials have not specified how long the reassessment will take or what specific changes to screening procedures they plan to implement.

For visa applicants already in the pipeline from these countries, the pause means their cases are now on hold. The State Department has not provided guidance on whether applications already submitted will be processed under current rules or whether they will be subject to new criteria once the review concludes.

The move signals the administration's focus on tightening immigration overall. Combined with the existing travel ban, refugee restrictions, and other immigration enforcement actions, the visa suspension shows a broader shift toward limiting both temporary and permanent immigration to the United States.