The United States government has announced a suspension of immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, marking a new tightening of immigration policy under President Donald Trump’s administration.
A spokesperson for the US State Department confirmed the decision on Wednesday, saying, “The State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries.” The move affects countries across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and South America.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt disclosed via a post on X that the affected countries include Somalia, Russia and Iran.
She also shared a media report indicating that other nations impacted by the suspension include Brazil, Egypt, Ghana and Thailand, despite their generally friendly diplomatic relations with the United States.
The development comes amid renewed efforts by the Trump administration to reduce immigration into the US. President Trump has repeatedly expressed strong opposition to immigration from certain regions, particularly non-European countries, while showing preference for migrants from parts of Europe.
According to US authorities, the suspension applies strictly to immigrant visas and does not affect tourist or business visa categories.
However, the administration has maintained that all visa applicants will be subjected to more rigorous screening, including reviews of social media activity.
In a related update, the State Department disclosed earlier this week that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since President Trump returned to office, describing the figure as a record for a single year.
Similarly, the Department of Homeland Security revealed last month that over 605,000 people have been deported, while an estimated 2.5 million others left the country voluntarily during the same period.
The US government has not yet specified how long the suspension will remain in place or the criteria for lifting it.
