The United States freezes immigrant visa processing for 75 countries

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The U.S. State Department will suspend immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Russia, Iran and Somalia, starting January 21, 2026, reports Fox News, citing an internal department memo. The decision is linked to a review of applicant screening procedures and stricter enforcement of the “public charge” provision, which allows authorities to deny entry to applicants deemed likely to depend on government assistance.

The measure is based on an internal State Department instruction sent to U.S. consular posts. The document provides for a temporary suspension of immigrant visa processing while screening procedures are being reviewed and instructs consular officers to refuse visas under existing rules. No end date has been specified: the suspension will remain in place until the internal review of visa procedures is completed.



The measures affect citizens of around 75 countries, including Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Brazil, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen. The restrictions apply specifically to immigrant visas and, according to available information, do not extend to B1/B2 tourist visas, F student visas or J exchange visas. Exceptions are possible, but only after additional screening of applicants. The memo places particular emphasis on the application of the public charge criterion. When assessing applications, consular officers are instructed to consider a range of factors, including financial status, health, age, English proficiency and the potential need for long-term medical care. These factors are used to assess whether an applicant may become a recipient of U.S. public benefits in the future.

The public charge provision has been part of U.S. immigration law for decades, but approaches to its application have changed repeatedly. At different times, requirements were expanded or relaxed, and certain interpretations became the subject of court challenges and subsequent revisions. In 2019, the administration of Donald Trump tightened the application of this criterion by expanding the range of social benefits taken into account when reviewing applications, but those changes were partially challenged in court and later rolled back. The current memo relies on existing rules but effectively restores a stricter approach to assessing immigration risks without formally amending the law.

The version of the rules approved in 2022 limited the range of factors considered mainly to cash assistance and long-term institutional care. Social programs related to food assistance, health insurance and housing subsidies were not taken into account, significantly narrowing the grounds for refusal.

In November 2025, consular posts were instructed to apply existing rules more strictly when reviewing applications and to conduct a deeper analysis of the socio-economic risks associated with the entry of foreign nationals. The current suspension continues this approach and has effectively frozen immigrant visa processing until the internal review of selection criteria is completed.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the department is using its authority to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who could become a financial burden on the U.S. social support system. According to him, the suspension of immigrant visa processing is aimed at protecting public resources and will remain in effect until the review of screening procedures is finalized.



Reuters recalls that Donald Trump had previously publicly promised to suspend migration from so-called third-world countries, stressing that the restrictions could also affect cases approved under the previous administration. The statement followed an attack near the White House in which a U.S. National Guard member was killed. According to investigators, the crime was committed by an Afghan national who entered the country in 2021 under a resettlement program introduced during the administration of Joe Biden.

Among other proposed measures, the U.S. president also mentioned ending federal benefits and subsidies for non-citizens, the possible denaturalization of migrants deemed to undermine public stability, and the deportation of foreign nationals classified as a financial burden, a security risk or “non-compatible with Western civilization.”

Donald Trump began pursuing a tougher migration policy immediately after his inauguration in January 2025. In particular, a pre-registration program at the U.S.-Mexico border was closed, a number of restrictions were introduced in other areas, and the number of deportations increased sharply. At the same time, voluntary return programs were launched, including information campaigns in foreign languages, Russian among them.

Analysts at International Investment note that the suspension of visa processing shifts the focus from individual categories of applicants to entire countries. Immigration is no longer determined by the personal circumstances of citizens from those states, while new political decisions make long-term planning of relocation to the United States increasingly difficult.