US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a state department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington’s intensifying immigration crackdown.
The pause — which will affect applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean — will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.
A state department cable outlining the move and seen by Reuters said the department was undergoing a “full review” of all policies, regulations and guidance to ensure “the highest level of screening and vetting” for all US visa applicants.
The cable, sent to US missions, said there were indications that nationals from these countries had sought public benefits in the US.
“Applicants from these countries are at a high risk of becoming a public charge and recourse to local, state and federal government resources in the US,” the cable outlining the move, which was reviewed by Reuters, said.
The suspension, which was first reported by Fox News, does not affect US visitor visas, which have been in the spotlight given the US is hosting the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
The decision follows a November directive to US diplomats asking them to ensure that visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and do not risk becoming dependent on government subsidies during their stay in the US, according to a state department cable seen by Reuters at the time.
“The state department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the US and exploit the generosity of the American people,” said Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson at the state department.
“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the state department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” he added.
The cable directed US consular officers to refuse any applicants whose visas have been “print-authorised” but have not been printed, or those that have been printed but have not left the consular section.
Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has aggressively prioritised immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major US cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.
While he campaigned on stopping illegal immigration into the US, his administration has also made legal immigration more difficult — for example, by imposing new and expensive fees on the applicants of H-1B visas for highly skilled workers.
This action will ban nearly half of all legal immigrants to the US, turning away about 315,000 legal immigrants over the next year alone
— David Bier, Cato’s director of immigration studies and Selz Foundation chair in immigration policy
“This administration has proven itself to have the most anti-legal immigration agenda in American history,” said David Bier, Cato’s director of immigration studies and the Selz Foundation chair in immigration policy.
“This action will ban nearly half of all legal immigrants to the US, turning away about 315,000 legal immigrants over the next year alone,” Bier said.
The state department has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump took office, it said on Monday. The administration has also adopted a stricter policy on granting visas, with tightened social media vetting and expanded screening.
Trump captured the White House saying a tougher stance on immigration was needed after years of high levels of illegal immigration under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.
In November, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World countries” after a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national, killing a National Guard member.
Full list of countries
The countries affected by the suspension, according to a US official, are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
Reuters
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