The U.S. State Department has announced it is indefinitely suspending immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, effective January 21, 2026. This indefinite suspension is part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, aimed at reassessing screening and vetting procedures under the “public charge” rule — to prevent entry of individuals deemed likely to rely on American taxpayer-funded public benefits or welfare.
The public charge provision has existed for decades to protect American taxpayers, but has been sporadically enforced depending on the administration in power.
The policy does not affect non-immigrant visas (e.g., tourist, student, or business visas), so it won’t impact travel for major events like the 2026 World Cup.
Morgan Phillips for Fox News:
The countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen and more.
The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of immigrant visa processing.
Somalia has drawn heightened scrutiny from federal officials following a sweeping fraud scandal centered in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered massive abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Many of those involved are Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.
In November 2025, a State Department cable sent to posts around the globe instructed consular officers to enforce sweeping new screening rules under the so-called “public charge” provision of immigration law.
The guidance instructs consular officers to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits, weighing a wide range of factors including health, age, English proficiency, finances and even potential need for long-term medical care.
“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,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement. “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.”
MacDailyNews Note: The U.S. State Department’s pause on immigrant visa processing for those 75 countries has no direct impact on non-immigrant worker visas like the H-1B program, which is commonly used by tech companies including Apple to hire skilled foreign talent.
Immigrant visas are for permanent residency, while H-1Bs are temporary and unaffected by this specific policy.
In September 2025, a $100,000 fee was imposed on new H-1B visas (not renewals).
Enhanced vetting (including social media screening) has caused widespread backlogs at U.S. consulates, leading Apple and other Big Tech companies to advise H-1B holders and similar visa employees against international travel to avoid getting stranded abroad while renewing stamps.
While H-1Bs aren’t halted, workers from the 75 countries who hold them might face blocks when transitioning to immigrant visas for green cards, limiting Apple’s ability to retain such talent permanently. However, since Apple’s H-1B hires are predominantly from countries not on this list, the immediate effect here is minimal.
The full list of countries comprises of 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.
Please help support MacDailyNews — and enjoy subscriber-only articles, comments, chat, and more — by subscribing to our Substack: macdailynews.substack.com. Thank you!
Support MacDailyNews at no extra cost to you by using this link to shop at Amazon.
Excellent. Less competition for the USMNT in the upcoming World Cup. Apparently Scotland won’t have to play anyone in the group round. Sweet.
Don’t worry, if Scotland does turn up they might be the only team competing.
There are a lot of people cancelling their World Cup tickets.