US halts immigration visas for 75 countries: Full list and impact explained

The Trump administration cites tougher screening and public charge risks; India is not on the list

US President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending the processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, as Washington steps up its immigration crackdown.

 

A US State Department spokesperson confirmed the pause on Wednesday in a post on X. The suspension will take effect from January 21 and will apply to immigrant visa applicants from parts of Latin America, South Asia, the Balkans, Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

 

Countries affected include Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay in Latin America; Bosnia and Albania in the Balkans; Pakistan and Bangladesh in South Asia; and dozens of nations across Africa and the Middle East. India is not among the countries affected by the suspension.

 

List of 75 Countries Affected by the U.S. Immigrant Visa Suspension

 

The State Department said immigrant visa processing will be paused for applicants from the following countries:

 

Afghanistan

Albania

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahamas

Bangladesh

Barbados

Belarus

Belize

Bhutan

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

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

Moldova

Mongolia

Montenegro

Morocco

Myanmar

Nepal

Nicaragua

Nigeria

North Macedonia

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

 

Why the visas are being paused

 

A State Department cable outlining the decision, seen by several media organisations, said the Department was conducting a “full review” of policies, regulations and guidance to ensure “the highest level of screening and vetting” for all US visa applicants.

 

The cable, sent to US diplomatic missions, said there were indications that nationals from the listed countries had sought public benefits after arriving in the United States.

 

“Applicants from these countries are at a high risk for becoming a public charge and recourse to local, state and federal government resources in the United States,” the cable said. The document was shared publicly by Mariam Masumi Daud, an immigration attorney and owner of Johnson & Masumi, PC.

 

What is not affected

 

The suspension does not apply to US visitor visas. These have drawn attention as the United States prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

 

The decision follows a directive issued in November instructing US diplomats to ensure visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and unlikely to rely on government assistance during their stay, according to a State Department cable seen by Reuters at the time.

 

“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,” said Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson at the State Department.

 

“Immigrant visa processing 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,” he said.

 

The cable also instructed consular officers to refuse applicants whose visas had been “print-authorised” but not yet printed, as well as visas that had been printed but not released from the consular section.

 

How lawyers are reacting

 

US-based immigration attorney Charles Kuck questioned the reasoning behind the move in a post on X.

 

“Legal immigrants cannot obtain any welfare of any kind until they become US citizens or for five years after entry, whichever comes first,” he wrote. “Further, legal immigrants have a contract with the sponsor and the US government that allows the US government to recover from the sponsor any welfare-related payments made for 10 years after entry or until the person is a US citizen.”

 

“The problem is not immigrants, it is the welfare programme. Haters gonna hate,” he added.

 

Legal immigration under tighter scrutiny

 

Trump has pursued a wide-ranging immigration crackdown since returning to office in January. His administration has stepped up enforcement operations, deploying federal agents to major US cities and triggering confrontations involving migrants and US citizens.

 

Although Trump campaigned on stopping illegal immigration, legal migration routes have also become harder to access. Measures include new and costly fees for H-1B visas, used by highly skilled foreign workers.

 

“This administration has proven itself to have the most anti-legal immigration agenda in American history,” said David Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute and The Selz Foundation Chair in Immigration Policy.

 

“This action will ban nearly half of all legal immigrants to the United States, turning away about 315,000 legal immigrants over the next year alone,” he said.

 

The State Department said on Monday that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since Trump returned to office. The administration has also tightened social media checks and expanded screening requirements.

 

Trump, a Republican, won the presidency on a pledge to take a tougher line on immigration following years of high levels of illegal migration under his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden.

 

In November, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from what he described as “Third World Countries” after a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.