TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Trump administration will indefinitely suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, and Somalia, as part of a broader crackdown on immigration.
The State Department said Wednesday that the pause, set to take effect on January 21, applies to countries whose nationals officials say rely on U.S. welfare programs at “unacceptable rates.”
Under the policy, visa applicants deemed likely to become a “public charge,” a term used to describe individuals expected to depend on government assistance for basic needs, will be barred from moving forward in the immigration process.
The suspension will not apply to non-immigrant visas, including temporary tourist and business travel, which account for the majority of visa applications, according to AP News.
At the same time, a diplomatic cable sent Monday to U.S. embassies and consulates and obtained by The Associated Press instructed consular officers to closely screen non-immigrant applicants for the likelihood that they could seek public benefits while in the country.
The cable said the administration is “laser-focused” on preventing fraud in public assistance programs and urged officials to ensure applicants are fully vetted before visas are issued.
Full List of 75 Countries Affected
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Antigua and Barbuda
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Bhutan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brazil
Myanmar
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Colombia
Côte d’Ivoire
Cuba
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Dominica
Egypt
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Fiji
The Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Haiti
Iran
Iraq
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
North Macedonia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Nepal
Nicaragua
Nigeria
Pakistan
Republic of the Congo
Russia
Rwanda
St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Yemen
Since returning to office in January 2025, President Trump has pursued a hardline immigration agenda, pledging to carry out what he has described as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history, Al Jazeera noted.
Over the past year, his administration has moved to restrict multiple visa programs, sharply reduced planned refugee admissions, and deployed heavily armed immigration officers to major U.S. cities to detain and deport people accused of being in the country illegally.
The State Department said earlier this week that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since Trump returned to the White House, a one-year record, while the Department of Homeland Security reported last month that more than 605,000 people have been deported and an additional 2.5 million have left the country voluntarily.
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