US pauses immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, including several in Europe – full list

The United States is temporarily pausing immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, a State Department spokesperson confirmed to Anadolu on Wednesday.

“The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” the department said in a statement posted on US social media company X.

“The pause impacts dozens of countries – including Somalia, Haiti, Iran, and Eritrea – whose immigrants often become public charges on the United States upon arrival.”

The State Department, however, did not provide the full list of affected countries.

Fox News Digital first reported the move, citing an internal State Department memo, which “directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.”

The pause applies to immigrant visa processing for nationals from countries including Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Brazil, Egypt, Russia, Iran, Somalia, Nigeria, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Haiti, among others, according to the report.

It added that the pause could begin as early as Jan. 21.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s remarks in November, calling for a pause on immigration from “all Third World Countries” to allow the US system to “fully recover” after two National Guard members were shot and an Afghan national was named a suspect.

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US pauses immigrant visa processing – full list

European countries affected by the US visa pause

Among the 75 countries, a number of European and Europe-adjacent states are included:

• Albania
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Belarus
• Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Georgia
• Kosovo
• North Macedonia
• Moldova
• Montenegro
• Russia

These countries are either fully European or closely tied to Europe geographically and politically, meaning the decision may have direct implications for Europe–US mobility, migration, and family reunification cases.

The full list of countries comprises of 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. 

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Trump administration revokes over 100,000 visas amid crackdown on immigrants

The US revoked the visas of more than 100,000 foreign nationals last year, the State Department said on Monday, as the Trump administration continues to enforce stricter immigration curbs.

“In less than one year, the State Department revoked over 100,000 visas from foreign nationals, marking a new record and more than a 150% increase in revocations since 2024,” deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott said in an emailed statement to Anadolu.

He added that the revocations included thousands of foreign nationals charged or convicted of crimes, including assault, theft, and driving under the influence.

“The State Department’s recently launched Continuous Vetting Center works to ensure that all foreign nationals on American soil comply with our laws — and that the visas of those who pose a threat to American citizens are swiftly revoked,” Pigott said, “The Trump administration will continue to put America first and protect our nation from foreign nationals who pose a risk to public safety or national security.”

The statement came amid the administration’s broader crackdown on immigrants, which has extended to international students and activists critical of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Legal challenges have pushed back against these actions.

Turkish PhD student Rumeysa Ozturk, who was arrested on the street by plainclothes ICE agents after co-authoring an op-ed on Gaza, was later released from ICE detention, and a federal judge restored her student record in December.

Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful US resident and pro-Palestinian activist at Columbia University, was also released and has legally challenged the revocation of his visa.

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