U.S.A. decision to suspend visas for 75 countries DO NOT include tourist visas

The U.S. administration of President Donald Trump is suspending the processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries as part of an expanded immigration crackdown, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday. The information has been reported on Fox News and then confirmed by news agency Reuters.

The pause will take effect on January 21, wrote Reuters. It will impact immigrant visa applicants from countries across Latin America, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Affected nations include Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay in Latin America; Bosnia and Albania in the Balkans; Pakistan and Bangladesh in South Asia; and dozens of countries in Africa and the Middle East.

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the suspension is intended to prevent individuals deemed likely to become a “public charge” from entering the United States.

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would exploit the generosity of the American people,” Pigott said. Immigrant visa processing from the affected countries will be paused while procedures are reassessed to prevent foreign nationals from relying on U.S. welfare or public benefits.

The decision follows a November directive instructing U.S. diplomats to more strictly assess whether visa applicants are financially self-sufficient and unlikely to depend on government assistance, according to a State Department cable previously seen by Reuters.

Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration crackdown. Federal agents have been deployed to major U.S. cities, and the administration has expanded enforcement efforts while also tightening pathways for legal immigration. New fees have been introduced for certain visa categories, including H-1B visas for highly skilled workers, and screening procedures have been expanded to include stricter social media vetting.

Critics argue the measures disproportionately target legal immigration. David Bier, Director of Immigration Studies at the Cato Institute, said the policy could block nearly half of all legal immigrants, potentially affecting about 315,000 people over the next year.

The State Department said more than 100,000 visas have already been revoked since Trump took office. Trump has defended the tougher stance, saying it is necessary after years of high illegal immigration under former President Joe Biden. In November, he also vowed to “permanently pause” migration from what he described as “Third World Countries” following a deadly shooting near the White House.

List of affected countries

AFRICA : Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Tunisia and Uganda.

AMERICA : Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Uruguay.

ASIA/MIDDLE EAST : Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan,  Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Yemen.

EUROPE : Albania, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Russia.

OCEANIA : Fiji.

How about visitors with a tourist visa?

The decision, first reported by Fox News, does not apply to tourist, visitor, or other non-immigrant visas, including B-1/B-2 travel visas. These categories remain unaffected, an important distinction as the United States prepares to host major global events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.

However, in early December, the Trump administration announced to study new screening measures for tourists from dozens of countries including the EU, the UK, Australia and Canada.

People from countries eligible to visit the U.S. for 90 days without a visa with an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) form could be asked to provide social media history as a condition of entry to the United States. The proposal says “the data element will require ESTA applicants to provide their social media from the last 5 years“, without giving further details of which specific information will be required.  No decision has been taken so far as the proposal is still under consideration.

(Source: Reuters)

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