rtr | The US is suspending immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries. A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry announced this on Wednesday. The suspension will come into effect on January 21st. Fox News first reported this step.
An internal ministry document seen by Reuters said all policies, regulations and instructions would be closely scrutinized to ensure the highest level of vetting and security for all US visa applicants.
In addition, there is a high risk for applicants from these countries that they could be dependent on government benefits in the USA. “The State Department will exercise its longstanding authority to declare inadmissible would-be immigrants who would be a burden to the public purse and take advantage of the generosity of the American people,” said deputy department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
The measure is part of an intensified crackdown on immigration since Donald Trump took office again as US president. According to the Cato Institute think tank, it is “the most anti-immigrant agenda in American history,” which would turn away around 315,000 legal immigrants next year alone.
Visit visas for the World Cup are not affected
Visit visas are not affected by the regulation. The USA will host the World Cup with Mexico and Canada in 2026, and the Olympic Games will take place in Los Angeles in 2028.
The suspension affects the following countries: Afghanistan, Egypt, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iraq, Iran, Jamaica, Yemen, Jordan, Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of Congo, Russia, Rwanda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay and Uzbekistan.
In December, the US government stopped immigration applications for people from 18 countries and imposed entry bans for people from 7 countries. This means that citizens of almost 40 countries are affected by entry bans. That was already in June 2025 List of entry bans (“Travel Ban”) expanded become.