US suspends immigrant visa processing for 75 countries from next week

The United States is suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 countries from next week.

The State Department is suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 countries in a tightening of the rules on applicants judged likely to become a public charge.

The directive instructs embassies and consulates to pause decisions from 21 January while the department reviews its screening procedures under current immigration law, according to an internal memorandum first reported by Fox News Digital.

The move comes months before the United States co-hosts the 2026 World Cup, with almost 2 million tickets already sold to fans worldwide. The Trump administration had previously stated that “any athlete or member of a sports team, including coaches, essential support staff and immediate family members” travelling to attend the World Cup would be exempt from the travel bans.

The immigrant visa suspension will not apply to applicants for non-immigrant visas, or temporary visitor or business visas, which account for the majority of visa applicants, according to the State Department. The announced suspensions will therefore not apply to those travelling to the United States for the World Cup this summer.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed that the agency is suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 countries.

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belize
• Bhutan
• Bosnia
• Brazil
• Burma
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Colombia
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Cuba
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Dominica
• Egypt
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Gambia
• Georgia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Iraq
• Jamaica
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Liberia
• Libya
• Macedonia
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• 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
• Yemen

“The Trump administration is ending the abuse of the American immigration system by those seeking to profit from the wealth of the American people,” the State Department’s principal deputy spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, said in a statement on Wednesday. “The Department of State will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible prospective immigrants likely to become a public charge on the United States and to take advantage of the generosity of the American people.”

“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be suspended while the State Department reviews its immigration processing in order to prevent the entry of foreign nationals likely to draw welfare payments and public benefits,” Pigott added in Wednesday’s statement.

Some state and local officials have disputed the accuracy of the video, and the authorities said that at the time none of the centres appearing in the video were alleged to have committed fraud.

Federal agencies are investigating allegations concerning the state’s social services system, while Minnesota officials reject the claims of fraud.

In November, the State Department sent a cable to consular posts worldwide, instructing staff to apply stricter screening under the “public charge” rule.

Under this guidance, consular officers must refuse visas to applicants deemed likely to become dependent on public assistance.