NEW DELHI: The United States has decided to freeze visa processing indefinitely for citizens of 75 countries, including Iran, Russia, Somalia and Afghanistan, in what is being described as one of the Trump administration’s most far-reaching immigration enforcement measures, according to a Fox News Digital report.The US State Department will suspend visa processing beginning January 21 while it reassesses screening and vetting procedures, a person familiar with the matter said. The individual spoke on condition of anonymity as the internal department memo has not been made public.According to the memo, consular officers have been instructed to refuse visas under existing law as part of a broader effort to tighten enforcement of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law. The move is aimed at denying entry to applicants deemed likely to rely on public welfare benefits.The list of affected countries includes Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand and Yemen, among others. While applicants from some of these countries already face significant hurdles in obtaining US visas, the decision is expected to come as a shock to nationals from others, including Brazil.The pause will remain in effect indefinitely until the State Department completes its reassessment of visa processing procedures, the report said.Somalia has drawn particular scrutiny following a major fraud investigation in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programmes. Federal officials said many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.In November 2025, the State Department sent a cable to US diplomatic posts worldwide directing consular officers to apply stricter screening standards under the public charge provision. The guidance instructs officers to deny visas to applicants considered likely to depend on public benefits, taking into account factors such as health, age, English proficiency, financial status and the potential need for long-term medical care.Under the guidance, older or overweight applicants could be denied visas, as could individuals with any past use of government cash assistance or institutional care.In a statement, State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said, “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,” he added.The public charge provision has existed in US immigration law for decades, though enforcement has varied widely across administrations, with consular officers traditionally given broad discretion in applying the standard.Exceptions to the visa pause will be “very limited” and will only be granted after applicants have cleared public charge considerations, according to the report.Under a 2022 version of the public charge rule implemented during the Biden administration, the scope of benefits considered was narrowed mainly to cash assistance and long-term institutional care. Programmes such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Women, Infants and Children nutrition programme, Medicaid and housing vouchers were excluded.The Immigration and Nationality Act has long allowed consular officers to deny visas on public charge grounds. In 2019, President Donald Trump expanded the definition to include a broader range of public benefits. That move was challenged in court, with parts of it blocked before being rescinded by the Biden administration.
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