The United States suspends visas for these are the 75 countries, including Iran and Brazil

One month after expanding the list of countries subject to partial or full restrictions on entry into the United States, the Trump administration ordered the suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 nations. According to a State Department memorandum obtained by Fox News, the agency instructed consular officers to deny visas while it reassesses its screening and vetting procedures.

The report states that the pause will begin on January 21 and will continue indefinitely until the federal agency completes its review of visa processing policies. The full list of affected countries includes:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bahamas
• Bangladesh
• Barbados
• Belarus
• Belize
• Bhutan
• Bosnia
• Brazil
• Burma
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Colombia
• Côte 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
• North 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
• Yemen

“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Several affected countries will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The visa suspension has raised concerns because countries such as Iran, Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay are among the 48 teams scheduled to participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Neither the State Department nor U.S. media reports, including Fox News, have clarified whether teams or individuals who already have tickets to World Cup matches will be exempt from the new measure pausing visa processing.

Previously, after expanding the list of countries facing entry restrictions, the Trump administration clarified that exceptions included athletes or members of sports teams traveling for the World Cup, the Olympic Games, or other major sporting events.

Countries barred from entering the United States: updated list

In June, President Trump signed a proclamation imposing partial or full entry bans on citizens of certain countries. In December, the president expanded the list of affected nations.

The Trump administration decided to maintain full entry bans on citizens of the following countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

It also expanded full restrictions to citizens of Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria. In addition, a full restriction was applied to individuals holding travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government maintained partial entry restrictions on citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela.

Restrictions on Turkmenistan were modified, while partial limitations were extended to Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Although each country faces specific conditions, partial restrictions generally apply to individuals holding tourist and business visas, including B-1, B-2, and B-1/B-2 visas, as well as student visas under the F, M, and J categories.

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