A sudden State Department move has frozen immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, Russia and Iran. Set to begin January 21, the pause raises questions about who is affected and how long the freeze will last.
US suspends visa processing for applicants from 75 nations
Washington: The United States State Department has announced a temporary suspension of immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Pakistan, Russia and Iran, as part of a broader effort to tighten immigration screening and eligibility checks.
The move is aimed at preventing visas from being issued to individuals deemed likely to rely on public assistance after entering the US.
According to an internal State Department memo cited by Fox News, consular officials have been directed to refuse certain visa applications under existing immigration laws while the review is underway.
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The pause is intended to give authorities time to reassess and strengthen vetting procedures, particularly for applicants flagged under public charge and security-related criteria. Officials said visa processing will remain suspended until further notice, and will only resume once the reassessment is completed.
The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 14, 2026
The suspension is scheduled to take effect on January 21, impacting immigrant visa applicants from a wide range of regions, including South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America. While non-immigrant visas are not explicitly mentioned in the memo, the focus remains on immigrant visa categories.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also shared a post acknowledging the decision, reinforcing the administration’s stance on stricter immigration enforcement.
The list includes nations such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Russia, Nigeria, Haiti, Sudan, Syria, Somalia, Nepal, Egypt, Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, Morocco, Tunisia, Uganda, Yemen, and dozens of others spanning multiple continents. Several Caribbean and African nations are also included in the suspension.
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The development aligns with former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration rhetoric. In November last year, Trump said he planned to “permanently pause migration” from poorer countries and vowed to remove millions of immigrants by stripping them of legal status. He cited concerns over crime, strain on public services and housing shortages as justification.
Since returning to the Oval Office in January, Trump has continued to use strong language on immigration. His most severe remarks followed the shooting of two National Guard members deployed to patrol Washington, D.C.
“Only REVERSE MIGRATION can fully cure this situation,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. US officials say the visa suspension is an administrative measure rather than a permanent ban. However, with no timeline provided for the completion of the review, thousands of applicants from affected countries could face prolonged uncertainty over their immigration status.
