The United States will suspend immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries beginning January 21, a move framed by the State Department as part of a broader effort to tighten enforcement of “public charge” rules and limit the entry of migrants deemed likely to rely on government assistance.

First reported by Fox News Digital on January 14,the affected countries span Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Among the countries are Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and Yemen.

Tommy Piggott, a State Department spokesperson, said the department would exercise its statutory authority to deem certain applicants ineligible if they are judged likely to become a financial burden on US taxpayers.

“Immigration from these countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” Piggott said.

Under the revised guidance, consular officers are instructed to apply stricter scrutiny when evaluating visa applicants’ economic self-sufficiency. Determinations will weigh factors such as age, health status, English-language proficiency, financial resources, employment prospects, and the likelihood of requiring long-term medical care. Applicants with a history of receiving government cash assistance, or those who have previously been institutionalised, may face a higher risk of denial.

US officials said Central Asian and Caucasus states including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, and Georgia were singled out after internal data indicated elevated rates of visa overstays, higher perceived welfare dependency risks, and persistent concerns over document fraud and weak local economic conditions.

The administration argues that these indicators justify a more restrictive approach under the “public charge” doctrine, which prioritises migrants who can demonstrate economic independence.

Some countries have attracted particular scrutiny due to past enforcement cases. Somalia, for instance, has been flagged following a high-profile fraud investigation in Minnesota, where federal prosecutors uncovered abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programmes. Officials say such cases reinforce the need for pre-emptive screening rather than post-entry enforcement.

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

The State Department said exemptions to the suspension will be “very limited” and granted only after applicants have cleared public charge considerations.