U.S. halts immigrant visa processing from 75 countries

U.S. halts immigrant visa processing from 75 countries
Trump speaks to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after returning from Detroit, January 13, 2026
Reuters

The United States has announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing from 75 countries, expanding President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.

A U.S. official said the pause will take effect on January 21 and will apply to immigrant visas, including those for employment and family reunification. Non-immigrant visas, such as tourist and student visas, are not affected.

The suspension covers countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, including Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia and Russia. It also includes Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and many others.

The State Department said the decision follows a reassessment of immigration procedures under the “public charge” provision of U.S. law, which allows authorities to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public assistance.

“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said. He added that the aim is to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would “take welfare and public benefits.”

Pigott said the administration was moving to end what it called abuse of the U.S. immigration system.

Several of the affected countries were already included in the administration’s expanded travel ban list.

The Department of Homeland Security said last month that more than 605,000 people had been deported under the Trump administration, while another 2.5 million left the country voluntarily.

The move marks the latest step in Trump’s hardline immigration agenda and is expected to face criticism from human rights groups and immigrant advocacy organisations.

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