WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration is suspending imigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday.
The spokesperson did not elaborate on the plan, first reported by Fox News, which cited a State Department memo.
The pause will begin on January 21, Fox News said.
The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 14, 2026Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, and Thailand are among the affected countries, according to the report.
The memo directs US embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures. No time frame was provided.
The reported pause comes amid the sweeping immigration crackdown pursued by Republican US President Donald Trump since taking office last January.
In November, Trump had vowed to "permanently pause" migration from all "Third World Countries" following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.