The US State Department announced Wednesday that it will indefinitely suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States. The sweeping restrictions will affect immigrants from over a third of the world's 193 countries and are set to begin on January 21, 2026.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the affected countries in accordance with a broader executive order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become public charges in the US. The suspension will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas or temporary tourist or business visas, who make up the vast majority of visa seekers.
The countries affected by the freeze include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen, among others. State Department principal deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott stated that the Trump administration is bringing an end to what he called the abuse of America's immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people. He added that the department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge.
Under the new screening criteria, older or overweight applicants could be denied visas, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalization. These expanded grounds for denial represent a significant tightening of immigration policy that goes beyond traditional financial capability assessments used in previous administrations.
Critics and policy analysts have noted that the timing of the announcement, just five months before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the inclusion of countries with traditionally strong vetting cooperation suggest the reasoning may be tied to broader political and immigration enforcement goals rather than purely technical security gaps. Immigration advocates have condemned the move as discriminatory and overly broad.
The visa freeze comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration, which has also deployed thousands of ICE agents across the country for enforcement operations. Legal challenges to the policy are expected, with civil rights organizations preparing to contest the suspension in federal courts on grounds of discrimination and procedural violations.
Affected visa applicants who already have appointments scheduled will need to wait for further guidance from their respective US embassies and consulates. The State Department indicated that the suspension will remain in place indefinitely, with no timeline provided for when processing might resume for the 75 affected nations.