On Wednesday, January 14, 2026, Secretary of the State Marco Rubio instructed the State Department to suspend the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries whose nationals the Trump administration has deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said he had instructed consular officers to halt immigrant visa applications from the countries listed in accordance with a broader order issued in November that tightened rules around potential immigrants who might become “public charges” in the U.S.
There will likely be a lawsuit challenging this in the near future, if one was not already filed.
Countries on the list, which will have immigrant visas paused include:
The countries affected by the suspension announced on Wednesday are:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, 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.