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By Chinelo Obogo
The US State Department has said it will stop immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants ‘take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.’
The freeze, the State Department said on its X handle on Wednesday, will remain active ‘until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.’
A State Department memo has directed consular officers across the globe to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.
The pause will begin January 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of immigrant visa processing.
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In November 2025, a State Department cable sent to posts around the globe instructed consular officers to enforce sweeping new screening rules under the so-called “public charge” provision of immigration law.
The guidance instructs consular officers to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits, weighing a wide range of factors, including health, age, English proficiency, finances and even potential need for long-term medical care, or overweight applicants could be denied, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalisation.
“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.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement.
The visa suspension affects 75 countries, including 27 in Africa, 22 in Asia, eight in Europe, 13 in North America and the Caribbean, three in South America, and one in Oceania.
The full list of affected countries are: Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Yemen, Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, Cambodia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Albania, Belarus, Bosnian, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and NevisSaint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and Fiji.
