United States: State Department Suspending Immigrant Visa Processing for 75 Countries Due to Public Charge Reassessment
January 14, 2026
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At a glance
- The State Department announced over social media that the agency will indefinitely pause immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries until the agency reassesses procedures for determining whether applicants are likely to become financially dependent on the U.S. government.
- Several of the reported 75 countries are already included on a full or partial travel ban list that prevents immigrant visa issuance, unless the applicant is eligible for a travel ban exception.
- The agency is implementing the suspension through an internal cable that is not available to the public.
The issue
The State Department has announced that the agency will indefinitely suspend immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, as the agency reassesses its review procedures for determining whether a visa applicant is inadmissible based on public charge grounds, which requires assessing whether the applicant is likely to depend on the U.S. government for financial assistance at any time in the future. In addition to the announcement, several media outlets are reporting on the internal State Department cable issued to implement the suspension policy, which provides some detail.
The internal cable is not publicly available, but according to news outlets, the immigrant visa suspension will apply to nationals of the following countries:
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*.
*Currently included on full travel ban list
**Currently included on partial travel ban list
It should be noted that many of these countries are already on either a full or partial travel ban list. As such, the practical impact of the processing suspension may be limited as to those countries, because applicants from travel ban countries would only qualify for a U.S. immigrant visa in the rare instance that they are deemed eligible for a travel ban exception.
Though some media outlets have reported that the immigrant visa suspension is to begin on January 21, the State Department announcement does not reference a start date, so the policy may be in effect at this time.
Background on public charge
Public charge is a statutory ground of inadmissibility that applies to all visa applicants (both nonimmigrant and immigrant), adjustment of status applicants, and some nonimmigrants within the United States in certain circumstances. The Immigration and Nationality Act does not define “public charge” but requires a totality test of certain factors to determine if a foreign national is likely to become a public charge of the government – health, age, and financial status are among the required factors. If the government deems it likely that a foreign national will become a public charge, the government can deny the immigration benefit or status sought by the foreign national. Immigrant visa applicants have generally been subject to a much more robust public charge review than nonimmigrant visa applicants.
Public charge inadmissibility is an individual, case-by-case assessment. The public charge ground of inadmissibility requires a totality test of all relevant factors; generally, no one factor is determinative in a public charge finding.
In November 2025, the State Department released new, more expansive public charge review guidance to its officers, and the guidance was to be applied to both nonimmigrant and immigrant visa processing. The expanded public charge review in the November cable included a much broader range of health conditions in a public charge determination, including diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, cancer, respiratory, neurological or metabolic diseases, mental health conditions, or obesity as negative factors in a public charge review. The cable also reportedly directed consular officers to consider the health conditions of an applicant’s family members who are not themselves visa applicants, in making a public charge finding, and to engage in a more rigorous review of whether an applicant’s age, education and skills, and financial situation indicate that the applicant is likely to become a public charge at any time. It appears that the State Department is taking further action to revise their public charge review guidance.
What it means
It remains to be seen how long the State Department will suspend immigrant visa processing for the identified countries as well as what the agency’s new public charge review guidance may entail. Immigrant visa applicants should stay alert for any communications from the State Department regarding their application. Nonimmigrant visa applicants from the above countries should be aware that they may experience increased public charge scrutiny applied to their visa applications as well, though no suspension has been announced for nonimmigrant applications.
Fragomen is tracking the implementation of this new State Department policy and any related policy changes at the State Department and will provide further information as it becomes available.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
