U.S. State Department Suspends Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries, Check Details

The U.S. State Department on Wednesday announced that it will suspend the processing of immigrant visas for nationals of 75 countries, citing concerns that applicants from these nations are likely to rely on public assistance after arriving in the United States.

The decision, effective January 21, aligns with expanded "public charge" guidelines issued in November under the Trump administration, the department claimed.

These rules require consular officers to more rigorously assess whether prospective immigrants could become dependent on government benefits. The State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, instructed embassies and consulates to pause immigrant visa applications from the affected countries while it reviews and strengthens vetting procedures.

The suspension applies only to immigrant visas (for permanent residency or family- or employment-based immigration) and does not impact non-immigrant visas, such as those for tourists, business travellers, or short-term visitors. Officials said that demand for non-immigrant visas is projected to surge in the coming years due to major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, both hosted or co-hosted by the United States.

In a statement, the department said its goal is to curb perceived abuse of the immigration system. "The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America's immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people. 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", it added.

The November directive builds on existing federal law requiring immigrants to prove they will not become a public charge. It expands scrutiny to include factors such as age, health, family status, financial resources, education, skills, English proficiency (assessed via English-language interviews), and any prior use of public assistance—regardless of the applicant's country of origin.

Applicants already face medical examinations and screening for communicable diseases like tuberculosis, along with questions about drug/alcohol use, mental health history, and vaccinations. Experts have warned that the intensified rules could significantly reduce legal immigration pathways, particularly from developing nations.

The affected countries are: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, 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.

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