The United States has indefinitely suspended all visa processing for citizens of 75 countries. The US State Department said the decision was made out of concern that applicants from these countries may rely on government assistance in the future when they travel to the United States.
This information was reported by Fox News on Wednesday (January 14).
An internal State Department document obtained by Fox News said that visas will not be issued for the countries concerned until the visa screening and security process is completed. Consular officers have been instructed to deny visas under existing law. This list includes Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen and many more countries.
The State Department said that the suspension will take effect from January 21 and will remain in place until the reassessment is completed.
The report said that increased monitoring is being carried out on Somalia. The country came under fire after a major fraud scandal involving taxpayer-funded assistance programs in the US state of Minnesota. Federal officials said many of those involved in the scam were Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.
In a November 2025 memo to U.S. embassies around the world, the State Department ordered new and stricter screening under the so-called “public charge” rule. Under the rule, applicants who are deemed to be likely to rely on government benefits or assistance in the future will not be granted visas.
The new guidelines call for factors such as an applicant’s age, health, weight, English language proficiency, financial situation, and whether they may need long-term medical care. A history of receiving government cash assistance in the past or receiving long-term medical care in an institution could lead to a visa denial.
“We have long had the legal authority to ineligible people who come to the United States to abuse government benefits and public services,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
He said the 75 countries are being temporarily suspended from immigration. The move is aimed at preventing foreign nationals who rely on welfare programs from entering the country.
