US visa processing halted for 75 nations: Pakistan, Bangladesh included. Check full list

The memo directs U.S. embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures.

• US suspends visa processing for applicants from 75 countries
• No timeline given for resumption; review of visa procedures underway
• Affected nations include Pakistan, Russia, Iran, Nigeria, Brazil, and Thailand

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The Trump administration has announced a temporary suspension of visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, a US State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, marking a fresh escalation in Washington’s immigration crackdown.

The spokesperson did not provide further details on the decision, which was first reported by Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo. According to the report, the pause will come into effect from January 21, with no clear timeline on when normal processing may resume.

Countries affected by the move include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Somalia, Brazil, Nigeria and Thailand, among others.

The memo reportedly directs US embassies worldwide to refuse visas under existing legal provisions while the department reassesses its visa procedures. No time frame has been specified for the review process.

The development comes amid a broader tightening of immigration policies under Republican President Donald Trump, who returned to office last January and has since pursued a sweeping crackdown on migration.

In November, Trump had publicly vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.

According to Fox News, the full list of countries covered by the suspension includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka’s neighbours in South Asia, several African nations, parts of the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

The State Department has not yet clarified whether the pause applies to all visa categories or if humanitarian and diplomatic exceptions will be considered.

The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.

— Department of State (@StateDept) January 14, 2026

Full list of 75 countries 

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 Fox News report added that in November 2025, a State Department cable sent to missions around the globe instructed consular officers to “enforce sweeping new screening rules under the so-called "public charge" provision of immigration law.

The guidance had instructed US consular officers across the world to deem those individuals seeking to enter and live in the US ineligible if they have certain medical conditions, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, saying these people could end up relying on public benefits.

The foreigners applying for visas to live in the US “might be rejected if they have certain medical conditions”. “You must consider an applicant’s health…Certain medical conditions – including, but not limited to, cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, cancers, diabetes, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, and mental health conditions – can require hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of care,” the cable had said.

The cable also advised visa officers to consider conditions like obesity in making their decisions, noting that the condition can cause asthma, sleep apnea, and high blood pressure.

The guidance directed "visa officers to deem applicants ineligible to enter the US for several new reasons, including age or the likelihood they might rely on public benefits.

The guidance says that such people could become a “public charge” — "a potential drain on US resources — because of their health issues or age”.

The report added that older or overweight applicants could be denied, along with those who had any past use of government cash assistance or institutionalisation. P