The United States will indefinitely suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, in a new expansion of the Trump administration's offensive on immigration. The pause in processing will apply to countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Haiti, Somalia, and Russia. The suspension affects immigrant visas, such as those for employment in the United States. The measure does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as student or tourist visas, so it would not affect those seeking to travel to the World Cup this summer. The pause will begin on January 21, a U.S. official said. The suspension comes after the State Department last year ordered greater scrutiny under the “public charge” provision of immigration law, aimed at identifying whom the Trump administration considers could become a burden on public resources. “The Department of State will use its long-standing authority to declare ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge for the United States and would exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement on Wednesday. “The processing of immigrant visas from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reevaluates immigration procedures to prevent the entry of foreigners who would resort to social assistance and public benefits,” he added. Several of the countries affected by the suspension were already included in the Trump administration's expanded travel ban list. This action comes just one day after the White House announced the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Somali immigrants amid allegations of fraud in Minnesota. On Monday, the State Department announced on social media that it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since President Donald Trump took office nearly a year ago. In November 2025, Trump announced his intention to permanently suspend immigration from what he described as “Third World countries,” following the death of a National Guard member who was shot near the White House by an Afghan citizen. The list includes 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, and Libya. Also appearing are 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.
