The United States is suspending all visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesman said on Wednesday (January 14), Reuters reported.
The spokesperson did not elaborate on the move, according to the report, which was first reported by US media outlet Fox News, citing a State Department memo.
The media outlet said the move would take effect on January 21. According to its report, the affected countries include Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Thailand, Somalia, and Russia.
The department’s memo instructs US embassies to deny visas to applicants under existing law while the department re-evaluates their procedures. No time frame was specified.
In November 2025, President Trump vowed to “permanently stop” immigration from “all third-world countries” in order to fully restore the country’s system after Sarah Beckstrom, a twenty-year-old National Guard member, was shot and killed by a suspected Afghan national near the White House.
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