The United States has announced it will indefinitely suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, as part of a sweeping new immigration policy taking effect January 21, 2026.
The move, unveiled by the U.S. State Department, underscores the Trump administration’s intensifying crackdown on legal immigration and efforts to restrict the entry of immigrants deemed likely to rely on public assistance.
According to the announcement, the freeze targets countries “whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.”
African countries on the list include Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Egypt, Eritrea, Morocco, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, The Gambia and Tunisia.
Other affected countries include Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba, Caribbean nations such as Barbados, Bahamas, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Grenada, European and Balkan states including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Moldova, North Macedonia, Belarus, Kosovo and Russia, as well as Asian and Middle East countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
The policy applies only to immigrant visas, the category used by people seeking permanent residency, such as through family sponsorship or employment pathways, and does not apply to visitor or temporary visas like tourist, student, or business categories.
This suspension is part of a broader set of restrictive immigration actions pursued by President Donald Trump since returning to office in January 2025.
The administration has already tightened asylum procedures, sharply reduced refugee admissions, and revoked more than 100,000 previously issued visas, according to government figures.
Critics, including immigration lawyers and advocacy groups, warn the policy could have devastating effects on families and lawful immigrants.
They say the “public charge” rationale, which allows officials to deny visas to those they believe might use government benefits, has been expanded far beyond its original intent and could disproportionately affect people from poorer nations.
The announcement has also drawn concern from policy analysts who point out that many immigrants historically use public assistance at lower rates than U.S.-born residents, and that broad suspensions could undermine established legal immigration channels and create long backlogs for families.
Although the administration framed the freeze as necessary to prevent abuse of U.S. social programs and to strengthen immigration vetting, no end date has been set for the suspension. Officials say processing will remain on hold “until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”
For now, thousands of applicants with pending immigrant visa cases from the affected countries face uncertainty.
Immigration attorneys have urged impacted applicants to stay in close contact with U.S. consulates and monitor official State Department updates, as the policy could significantly delay or block lawful entry into the United States for many families.
By TV47