US pauses visa processing in Nigeria, 74 other nations

●Full list of countries affected

By Editor

The Trump administration is suspending all visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson said on Wednesday. Nigeria is one of the countries listed.

The pause will begin on January 21, Fox News said.

Nigeria, Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, and Thailand are among the affected countries, according to the report.

The memo directs US embassies to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its procedures. No time frame was provided.

The reported pause comes amid the sweeping immigration crackdown pursued by Republican U.S. President Donald Trump since taking office last January.

In November, Trump had vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.

The move comes amid heightened scrutiny of Somali nationals following a major fraud scandal in Minnesota involving taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Many implicated in the scandal are Somali or Somali-American.

In November 2025, the State Department sent guidance to consular posts worldwide instructing officers to enforce stricter screening under the long-standing “public charge” provision.

The rules allow visas to be denied based on factors such as age, health, English proficiency, finances, and potential need for long-term care.

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,”

State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott told Fox News. “Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”

Full List of Countries Affected

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, 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.