WASHINGTON: The US State Department has ordered an indefinite pause on immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, effective January 21, 2026, the Geo News reported.
The department spokesperson confirmed the news, citing that the crackdown on applicants deemed likely to become a “public charge,” or dependent on public benefits. A State Department memo directs consular officers worldwide to refuse visas under existing immigration law while the department reassesses its screening and vetting procedures.
The list of affected nations is: 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 and Yemen.
The pause aligns with President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, following a November 2025 vow to “permanently pause” migration from what he previously referred to as “Third World Countries.”
