Headline Roundup • January 15th, 2026
US to Pause Issuing Immigrant Visas to Citizens of 75 Countries
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The State Department announced Wednesday it will stop issuing immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries until the US "can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people."
The Details: The pause will take effect on January 21 and reportedly affect 17 countries in the Americas, 8 in Europe, 7 in the Middle East, 26 in Africa, 14 in Asia, and the three Caucasian nations – Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Notably included are US adversaries such as Iran and Russia, and three NATO allies – Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. The pause will not pertain to tourist visas, which can still be requested, or active immigrant visas.
For Context: On Tuesday, the Brookings Institution (Center bias) published a report that said for the first time in 50 years, the US experienced negative net migration. Last month, the administration announced it would be expanding a travel ban it issued in June 2025 to include a total of 38 countries – most of which are located in Africa. In November, Reuters (Center) reported the State Department directed US officials to ensure visa applicants were financially self-sufficient and not likely to become dependent on government assistance. The expanded restrictions come shortly after reports of widespread government assistance fraud have emerged in Minnesota's Somali community.
How The Media Covered It: The news was first reported by Fox News (Right), which said it saw a State Department memo that included the list of countries. Most mainstream outlets' reporting was reliant on the information reported by Fox. Fox highlighted the recent Somali fraud allegations, something most outlets from the left and center didn't do. The Cato Institute (Lean Right) went into depth on how many immigrants from each country will be affected by the new freeze and wrote, "President Trump is leading the most anti-legal immigrant administration in American history."
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Featured Coverage of this Story
The U.S. State Department announced Wednesday it will pause issuing immigrant visas to citizens of 75 countries over concerns that they may rely on public assistance in the future.
In a post on X, the U.S. government said immigrants from the list of countries "take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates."
The list, which includes U.S. allies and adversaries, alongside several top destinations for American travelers, was later posted on U.S. State Department's website.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is suspending processing for immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday, as part of Washington's intensifying immigration crackdown.
The pause, which will impact applicants from Latin American countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, Balkan countries such as Bosnia and Albania, South Asian countries Pakistan and Bangladesh, and those from many nations in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, will begin on January 21, the spokesperson said.
iStock
The State Department is pausing immigrant visa processing for 75 countries in an effort to crack down on applicants deemed likely to become a public charge.
A State Department memo, seen first by Fox News Digital, directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.
The countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen and more.
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