The US will suspend visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Russia and Iran

The Trump administration will indefinitely suspend, starting January 21, the processing of all visas for citizens of 75 countries, Fox News reported Wednesday, citing a US State Department memorandum. According to the cited source, the affected states include Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria and Thailand.

The measure takes place in the context of the extensive tightening of immigration policies promoted by President Donald Trump since taking office last January. In November, Trump promised to “permanently suspend” migration from all “third world countries” after an armed attack near the White House, committed by an Afghan citizen, in which a member of the National Guard was killed, Reuters notes.

Somalia is under increased scrutiny from federal authorities after a wide-ranging fraud scandal in the state of Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered widespread abuses in publicly funded aid programs. A significant portion of those involved are Somali citizens or Americans of Somali descent.

According to Fox News, in November 2025, a US State Department cable sent to diplomatic missions around the world asked consular officers to apply new and expanded vetting rules under the so-called “public charge” provision of immigration law.

According to the guidelines, visas must be refused to applicants deemed likely to become dependent on public assistance, with the assessment taking into account a wide range of criteria, such as health, age, level of knowledge of the English language, financial situation and even the possible need for long-term medical care.

Older or overweight applicants could be rejected, as well as those who have received government financial aid or been institutionalized in the past.

“The State Department will use its longstanding prerogatives to declare ineligible potential immigrants who would become a burden on the United States and take advantage of the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said in a statement, according to Fox News.

“Immigration from these 75 countries will be suspended while the State Department reevaluates its application processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would benefit from welfare and other public benefits,” he added.

Immigration and Nationality law has long allowed consular officers to deem applicants inadmissible on the basis of a “public charge.” In 2019, however, President Donald Trump expanded the definition to include a wider range of public benefits. That expansion was challenged in court, with some provisions blocked, before the rule was withdrawn by the Biden administration.