US Suspends Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries Over Public Charge Concerns

The United States has announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil and Thailand.

According to a report by Fox News, the pause will take effect from January 21, 2026, as the US State Department undertakes a broad reassessment of its screening and vetting procedures. The move is aimed at tightening enforcement of immigration laws related to applicants considered likely to become a public charge on the US welfare system.

A State Department memo, first cited by Fox News Digital, directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing legal provisions while the review is ongoing. The suspension applies to immigrant visa applications and will remain in force indefinitely until the reassessment is completed.

The affected countries span Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. Ghana is among the African nations listed, alongside Nigeria, Somalia, Egypt, Ethiopia and others.

Somalia has reportedly attracted increased scrutiny following a major fraud investigation in Minnesota, where US prosecutors uncovered large scale abuse of taxpayer funded benefit programmes. Authorities said many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali Americans.

In November 2025, the State Department issued a global directive instructing consular officers to apply stricter standards under the public charge provision of US immigration law. The guidance allows officers to deny visas based on factors such as an applicant’s age, health status, financial resources, English proficiency and potential need for long term medical care. Past reliance on government cash assistance or institutional care may also be considered.

State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said the US would use its long standing authority to block the entry of immigrants deemed likely to rely on public benefits.

“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would exploit welfare and public benefit systems,” he said.

While the public charge rule has existed for decades, its enforcement has varied across administrations. The Trump administration previously expanded its scope in 2019 to include a wider range of public benefits, a move that faced legal challenges and was later reversed under the Biden administration in 2022.

Officials say exceptions to the current suspension will be very limited and only considered after applicants have cleared public charge assessments.

The full list of affected countries includes Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, 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 and Yemen.