US to halt visa processing for applicants from 75 nations including Ghana, Nigeria

The suspension will take effect on January 21, 2026

The Trump administration is suspending visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, according to a spokesperson for the US State Department.

The spokesperson declined to provide further details on the move, which was first reported by Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo.

Fox News reported that the suspension will take effect on January 21, 2026.

Countries said to be affected include Somalia, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Ghana, Nigeria, and Thailand, among others.

The memo reportedly instructs US embassies to deny visa applications under existing laws while the State Department conducts a review of its screening and processing procedures. No timeline has been given for when the reassessment will be completed.

The reported suspension comes amid a broader immigration crackdown under Republican President Donald Trump, who returned to office in January.

In November 2025, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from what he described as “Third World countries” following a shooting near the White House by an Afghan national that killed a National Guard member.

See the full list below:

• Afghanistan

• Albania

• Algeria

• Antigua and Barbuda

• Armenia

• Azerbaijan

• The Bahamas

• Bangladesh

• Barbados

• Belarus

• Belize

• Bhutan

• Bosnia and Herzegovina

• Brazil

• Myanmar (Burma)

• Cambodia

• Cameroon

• Cape Verde

• Colombia

• Côte d’Ivoire

• Cuba

• Democratic Republic of the Congo

• Dominica

• Egypt

• Eritrea

• Ethiopia

• Fiji

• The 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