The United States Government has announced an indefinite freeze on immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, further tightening access to legal immigration to the United States under the administration of Donald Trump.
The measure, confirmed by the United States Department of State, will take effect on 21 January 2026 and applies exclusively to immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas, including tourist and business travel, remain unaffected.
US authorities say the decision is part of a comprehensive review of immigration policies aimed at ensuring that new immigrants are financially self sufficient and do not rely on welfare or public benefits.
Visa issuances paused as State Department reviews procedures
According to the State Department, consular officers have been instructed to continue accepting applications and conducting interviews, but no immigrant visas will be issued to nationals of the affected countries during the pause.
“The State Department will use its long standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States,” said Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott.
The review is being led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has tasked the department with reassessing policies to prevent what officials describe as the exploitation of US welfare systems.
Dual nationals applying with a valid passport from a country not included in the list are exempt from the freeze. The State Department has also stressed that no existing immigrant visas have been revoked under the new guidance.
In Case You Missed It: The Department of State has paused issuance of all diversity immigrant visas. We will take the time and the measures necessary to protect U.S. national security and public safety. There are no new announcements regarding DV-2027 at this time. More… pic.twitter.com/buXQJ6tJNM
— TravelGov (@TravelGov) January 9, 2026
Wide geographic scope, strong impact on Africa
The list of affected countries spans multiple regions, including Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. It includes Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Yemen, among others.
Immigration analysts say the decision could have a substantial impact on legal migration flows. Cato Institute director of immigration studies David Bier said the measure could block nearly half of all legal immigrants to the US over the next year.
Meanwhile, American Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick noted that when combined with earlier suspensions and restrictions, immigrant visas are now paused or banned for nationals of around 90 countries, with approximately 70 percent of them located in Africa.
Part of a broader crackdown on immigration
Since returning to office in January 2025, President Trump has pursued a hardline immigration agenda, promising the largest deportation operation in US history. His administration has already curtailed several visa programmes, sharply reduced refugee admissions, and expanded enforcement operations in major US cities.
US officials say more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since Trump’s return to the White House, while the Department of Homeland Security reports over 605,000 deportations and 2.5 million voluntary departures during the same period.
The State Department has emphasised that the current freeze concerns immigrant visa issuances only, and does not constitute a general travel ban. Asylum claims, citizenship applications and other immigration processes are subject to separate rules and ongoing policy reviews.
