The United States Government has announced the pausing of immigrant visa processing for applicants from about 75 countries, including Nigeria, starting January 21, 2026.
The disclosure was made via the official X account of the White House on Wednesday.
The U.S. government said it took this decision because migrants from the affected countries take welfare from the American people “at unacceptable rates.”
It added that the freeze would remain active until the U.S. could ensure that new immigrants would not extract wealth from the American people.
The pause applied specifically to immigrant visas and was expected to remain in place indefinitely while U.S. authorities reassessed immigration processing procedures.
According to the statement, the freeze would remain active until the United States could ensure that new immigrants would not extract wealth from the American people.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the statement read in part.
The White House noted that the pause impacted dozens of countries, including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea, which it said had produced immigrants who often became public charges on the United States upon arrival. It added that the administration was working to ensure that the generosity of the American people would no longer be abused.
Fox News reported, citing a U.S. State Department memo seen by the outlet, that consular officers had been issued new operational directives while the pause was in effect.
According to the memo, officers were instructed to refuse immigrant visas under existing law as the department reassessed its screening and vetting framework.
The memo said visa officers were expected to apply the “public charge” provision more strictly, with decisions guided by a broader assessment of applicants’ personal circumstances. These included health conditions, age, English language ability, financial capacity, and the likelihood of requiring long-term medical care.
Fox News added that the guidance also directed officers to closely scrutinise applicants with any prior reliance on government cash assistance or institutional support, as such histories could weigh against visa approval under the revised approach.
The directives were expected to shape visa adjudication standards until the reassessment process was concluded.
According to Fox News, the visa processing pause applied to a wide range of countries across Africa, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
The affected countries spanned multiple regions. They included Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, and Burma.
Others were Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Fiji. The list also covered Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, and Jordan.
Others were Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Fiji. The list also covered Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, and Jordan.
Additional countries named were Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, and Nigeria.
The remaining countries were 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.
This latest development follows new travel restrictions for Nigerian applicants for B1/B2 (business and tourism) visas, who are among 38 countries required to post a visa bond of up to $15,000.
The U.S. Department of State noted on its website, Travel.State.Gov, that payment of the bond does not guarantee visa issuance, and any fee paid without the express direction of a consular officer will not be refunded.
The requirement is scheduled to take effect on January 21, 2026, just weeks after partial travel restrictions were imposed on Nigerian visa applicants. The policy is part of a broader visa risk-management framework aimed at countries assessed as high-risk.