By Michelle Hackman and Robbie Gramer
WASHINGTON -- The State Department will indefinitely pause immigrant visa processing for 75 countries as part of the Trump administration's ongoing effort to block low-income foreigners from immigrating to the U.S.
The pause takes effect starting Jan. 21, and will halt visa issuance to people looking to permanently immigrate, typically through marriage, family ties or work sponsorship. It doesn't block people from obtaining tourist or temporary work visas.
The countries affected span the globe and include many in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Visa processing will now be paused for Russia, Thailand, Morocco, Colombia and Brazil, among others, according to a State Department official briefed on the plan.
The move represents a significant expansion of President Trump's travel ban, which placed total or partial bans on 39 countries as of Jan. 1.
Trump initially introduced a travel ban a week into his first term, which he said at the time was aimed at blocking terrorists from entering the country. Since then, the purpose of the travel bans and immigration pauses have expanded to cover what the president has called immigration from "third-world countries."
For every visa application, State department officials are directed to determine whether the person they are evaluating might become a "public charge" if admitted to the U.S. -- meaning the person would likely need welfare or other public assistance. Most immigrants are barred from using programs such as Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program until they have been a permanent resident for at least five years, though there are narrow exceptions, and the rules don't apply to state-funded programs.
"The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America's immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people," State Department principal deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
"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. Immigrant visa processing 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."
Write to Michelle Hackman at michelle.hackman@wsj.com and Robbie Gramer at robbie.gramer@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 14, 2026 13:30 ET (18:30 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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