The United States has suspended immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, marking a significant escalation in the federal government’s effort to tighten immigration screening under the long-standing “public charge” provision of US law.
According to a State Department memo, consular officers worldwide have been instructed to pause visa adjudications beginning Jan. 21 while the department reassesses its screening and vetting procedures. The pause applies indefinitely and affects countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America — including Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Egypt, and Thailand.
During the pause, consular officers are directed to refuse visas under existing legal authority if applicants are deemed likely to become a public charge, a designation used to bar individuals expected to rely heavily on government-funded benefits.
Somalia has emerged as a particular focus for federal officials following a major fraud investigation in Minnesota that uncovered widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Prosecutors said many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali-Americans, prompting heightened scrutiny in visa adjudications involving Somali applicants.
The move follows a November 2025 State Department cable that instructed US diplomatic posts to enforce stricter screening standards under the public charge provision. The guidance requires officers to evaluate a broad range of factors, including health status, age, English proficiency, financial resources, prior use of public assistance, and potential need for long-term medical care.
Under the new enforcement posture, older or overweight applicants, as well as those with any history of government cash assistance or institutionalization, could face denial.
“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.”
While the public charge provision has existed for decades, its application has shifted across administrations, with consular officers traditionally exercising wide discretion. A 2022 rule under the Biden administration narrowed the definition, limiting it primarily to cash assistance and long-term institutional care while excluding programs such as SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and housing vouchers.
That narrower approach reversed a 2019 expansion under President Donald Trump, which broadened the range of benefits considered. The expansion was partially blocked in court before being rescinded, but the Immigration and Nationality Act has consistently allowed visa denials on public charge grounds.
State Department officials say exceptions to the current visa pause will be “very limited” and granted only after applicants clear all public charge considerations. No timeline has been provided for when visa processing may resume.
