The United States announced on Wednesday that it will suspend immigration visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including 13 Arab states, in the latest move by U.S. President Donald Trump targeting foreigners seeking to enter the country.
اضافة اعلان
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt wrote on the platform X that “the United States is freezing all visa procedures for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia, and Iran,” attaching a link to a Fox News report stating that the measure applies to immigration visas.
According to Fox News, the step aims to tighten scrutiny of applicants who are believed likely to become a burden on the U.S. social welfare system.
Reassessment
According to a memorandum issued by the U.S. Department of State and reviewed by Fox News, consular staff have been instructed to deny visa applications in accordance with existing laws until vetting and security screening procedures are reassessed.
The countries covered by the decision, as published by Fox News, include: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, the 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, 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 freeze will take effect on January 21 and will remain in place indefinitely until the Department completes its reassessment of the visa processing system.
New Rules
A Fox News article linked the decision to growing controversy in the United States over a corruption scandal involving migrants of Somali origin in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered large-scale misuse of taxpayer-funded assistance programs.
In November 2025, the U.S. Department of State sent a cable to its missions worldwide instructing consular officers to apply new, stricter screening rules under the so-called “public charge” provision of immigration law.
These instructions require denying visas to applicants who are likely to rely on government assistance, taking into account a wide range of factors such as health status, age, level of English proficiency, financial situation, and even the likelihood of requiring long-term medical care.
The U.S. State Department also announced on Monday that the United States has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Donald Trump took office, pursuing an anti-immigration approach. The figure is a record for a single year.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, “There is no higher priority for the Trump administration than protecting American citizens and safeguarding U.S. sovereignty.”
The figure represents a two-and-a-half-fold increase compared with the total number of visas revoked in 2024, when Joe Biden was president.
The State Department said that “thousands” of visas were revoked due to criminal offenses, which may include assault and driving under the influence of alcohol.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the revocation of visas for students who took part in protests against Israel.
Rubio relied on an old law that allows the United States to bar entry to foreigners deemed opposed to U.S. foreign policy, although some of those targeted have won legal challenges against deportation orders.
The State Department said that 8,000 of the revoked visas belonged to students.
The Trump administration has tightened visa screening procedures, including the review of applicants’ social media posts.
Visa revocations fall within a broader campaign of mass deportations carried out through the deployment of federal forces in U.S. cities.
Last month, the Department of Homeland Security said the Trump administration deported more than 605,000 people, while 2.5 million individuals left voluntarily. — (Agencies)
