The Trump administration is suspending immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, the State Department said Wednesday.
The State Department claimed that immigrants from the countries on the list — including Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt and Somalia — “take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates.”
The move marks an escalation of the Trump’s administration’s crackdown on immigration, which has included deportations and freezes on visa applications.
The visa processing for 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,” State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” Pigott 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.”
Most visa holders face limits in what kind of public benefits they can receive. For example, most green card holders are subject to a five-year waiting period for food stamps, non-emergency Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP.)
The suspension specifically applies to U.S. immigrant visas for foreigners seeking to live in the United States but not to short-term visas for those visiting as temporary workers, students or tourists, including World Cup-related visas.
The pause will take effect Jan. 21 and “remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said on X.
The plan was first reported by Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo.
A U.S. official confirmed the full list of countries will include 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.
The Trump administration had already moved to limit immigration from many of the countries included in Wednesday’s announcement.
In December, the administration halted immigration applications from nationals of 19 countries. On Tuesday, the administration said it was revoking temporary protected status for Somalis in the United States.