The State Department announced Wednesday it will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries — including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia — effective January 21, citing concerns that applicants are likely to require U.S. public assistance. The move is grounded in a November order that tightened standards for immigrants deemed potential “public charges,” and is part of a continuing effort by the Trump administration to restrict legal pathways into the country. The department said the suspension will remain in place while it reevaluates immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals expected to rely on public benefits.
The suspension applies only to immigrant visas — not the tourist and business visas that account for the vast majority of applications — but a separate cable issued Monday directs consular officers to screen non-immigrant visa applicants for potential public-benefit dependency as well, extending heightened scrutiny across nearly all visa categories.
Broader Screening of Non-Immigrant Visas
A cable sent Monday to all U.S. embassies and consulates, a copy of which was reviewed by The Associated Press, instructed consular officers to ensure that foreign nationals seeking to travel to the United States had been fully evaluated and screened for the possibility they might become dependent on public services before visas are issued. The cable cited what it described as widespread public-benefit fraud discovered across the United States.
The cable placed the burden of proof on visa applicants, who must demonstrate they will not seek public benefits while in the United States. Consular officers who suspect an applicant may seek public benefits are directed to require that applicant to complete a form documenting their financial status.
The potential scope of the non-immigrant screening is significant: demand for tourist and business visas is expected to rise sharply in coming years, as the United States is set to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, both wholly or partly on American soil.
Expanded Evaluation Criteria
The November guidance underlying Wednesday’s suspension directed consular officers to evaluate a broad range of personal details when assessing applicants — including age, health, family status, finances, education, skills, and any prior use of public assistance, regardless of country of origin. English-language proficiency may also be assessed, including through interviews conducted in English.
Federal law has long required applicants for permanent residency or legal status to demonstrate they would not become public charges. During his first term, Trump broadened the range of benefit programs that could disqualify applicants; experts said at the time the November guidance was issued that the new directives appeared to extend those standards further, at a moment when the government was already tightening entry standards.
The federal government had already restricted immigrant and non-immigrant visa processing for citizens of nearly 40 countries through prior immigration and travel bans before Wednesday’s announcement. The 75-country list more than doubles that prior scope.
Countries Affected
The 75 countries whose citizens are subject to the immigrant visa suspension 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.