The United States announced that it will temporarily suspend immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning January 21, 2026. The decision comes as part of the Trump administration’s wider effort to overhaul and restrict legal immigration.
According to the State Department, the suspension is being implemented under existing authority that allows the U.S. to label applicants as likely to become a “public charge”—meaning individuals who may rely on government assistance programs once in the country. Until new screening and financial self-sufficiency procedures are finalized, immigrant visa processing for the listed countries will remain on hold.
Immigrant visas—those that lead to permanent residency (green cards)—are the only categories affected. The suspension does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as tourist, business, student, or work visas. However, officials indicated that all visa categories will face heightened scrutiny in the coming months.
Government representatives argue that the move is necessary to prevent the entry of applicants who may strain public resources. Critics counter that this policy represents one of the most severe limitations on legal immigration in modern U.S. history, potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of families, workers, and international applicants.
The decision impacts a wide range of countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Latin America, including Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Nigeria, Brazil, and others. The suspension will remain active while the administration reassesses immigration regulations and enforcement measures.
FULL LIST OF THE 75 AFFECTED COUNTRIES
These countries fall under the suspension for immigrant visa processing:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma (Myanmar), 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, Libya, 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, Yemen.