State Department Freezes Visas for 75 Nations

U.S. immigration processing is set for a major reset as the State Department moves to temporarily stop immigrant visa approvals for dozens of countries while officials reevaluate how applicants are screened under…

Andrew PowellJan 14, 20263 min read

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Officers were told to consider a wide range of factors, including an applicant’s age, health, English proficiency, financial stability, and the potential need for long-term medical care.

Applicants who are older, overweight, or who have previously relied on government cash assistance or institutional care could be denied under those standards.

Somalia has received heightened scrutiny amid a major fraud scandal centered in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Federal officials have said many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali-Americans, adding pressure for tougher screening.

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement.

“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses Immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

While the public charge provision has existed for decades, its enforcement has varied widely across administrations.

A Biden-era rule implemented in 2022 narrowed the scope of benefits considered, largely limiting them to cash assistance and long-term institutional care. That rule excluded programs such as SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and housing vouchers.

President Donald Trump’s earlier expansion of the public charge definition in 2019 included a broader range of benefits but was later rescinded after legal challenges.

The Immigration and Nationality Act still gives consular officers broad authority to deny visas on public charge grounds, and the current pause signals a renewed effort to apply that authority more aggressively.

The full list of countries affected by the pause includes: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, 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, and Yemen.

State Department officials say the pause is intended to restore consistency and credibility to Visa screening, with further guidance expected once the reassessment is complete.