The United States has moved to indefinitely suspend immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, in one of the most far-reaching restrictions on legal migration under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The freeze, due to take effect on 21 January, targets people officials say are likely to become a “public charge” by relying on government assistance. In a post on social media, the US State Department said it would halt visa processing for countries whose migrants were deemed to draw on welfare “at unacceptable rates”, adding the pause would remain until safeguards were in place to prevent abuse of public benefits.
An internal diplomatic cable, first reported by The Guardian, lists countries across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and the Caribbean, including Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Fiji.
The countries affected span multiple regions. Africa accounts for the largest share, including Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda.
In the Middle East, the pause applies to Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
South Asia includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan, while East and Southeast Asia covers Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia and Thailand.
Central Asia is represented by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
In Europe, the affected countries are Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Russia.
The Caribbean list comprises Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Central America includes Belize, Guatemala and Nicaragua, South America covers Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, and the Pacific region includes Fiji.
It is reported that this suspension applies only to immigrant visas, with temporary tourist and business visas excluded.
State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the administration was using its long-standing authority to bar applicants likely to rely on welfare, arguing the move would protect “the generosity of the American people”. The department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has instructed embassies and consulates to halt decisions while vetting procedures are reviewed.
The visa pause comes amid an intensified immigration crackdown. Officials say more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since Mr Trump returned to office, alongside large-scale deportations and expanded travel bans. Earlier measures included suspending asylum processing and halting citizenship and green card applications for nationals of countries already subject to restrictions.
The policy has drawn criticism from migration experts and researchers, who dispute claims that immigrants disproportionately rely on welfare. A 2025 report by the Cato Institute found immigrants used significantly fewer welfare and entitlement benefits per capita than native-born Americans. Analysts at the Migration Policy Institute warned the move could deter eligible families from accessing essential support for fear of harming future immigration prospects.
Human rights groups have also raised concerns about the broader impact, particularly on communities already under scrutiny, such as Somali Americans, following fraud allegations in Minnesota that local officials have disputed.
Despite the administration’s insistence that it supports legal migration, the latest suspension further narrows lawful pathways into the US. A State Department spokesperson confirmed the list of affected countries was still being finalised, but said the pause would remain in place until further notice.
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