U.S. Suspends Issuance of Immigration Visas for Citizens of 75 Countries, Including Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The U.S. Department of State is suspending the processing of immigration visas for citizens of 75 countries as part of efforts to tighten oversight of applicants considered potentially dependent on public benefits. The list includes Uzbekistan and other countries in Central Asia, according to Fox News.

A State Department memorandum, first published by Fox News Digital, instructs consular officers to deny visas under existing law while the agency reevaluates procedures for applicant screening and vetting.

The suspension will begin on 21 January 2026, and remain in effect until the reevaluation of the visa issuance process is complete.

Nonimmigrant visas, intended for temporary travel for specific purposes such as tourism (B2), business (B1), study (F1, M1), temporary work (H, L), or exchange programs (J1), differ from immigration visas, which grant the right to permanent residence.

The list of affected countries includes Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen, and others. Somalia has received heightened attention following a large-scale benefits fraud case in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered widespread abuse of public assistance programs involving many Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.

In November 2025, the State Department issued a memorandum to consular posts worldwide instructing the application of new “public charge” rules. Under these guidelines, consular officers are to deny visas to applicants they determine are likely to rely on government benefits. A broad range of factors is considered, including health, age, English proficiency, financial situation, and potential need for long-term medical care.

Applicants who are elderly or have obesity may also be denied, as well as those who have previously received public assistance or undergone treatment in public medical institutions.

“The State Department is exercising its long-standing authority to deem potential immigrants inadmissible if they would become a burden on the United States and rely on the generosity of the American people,” said State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott. “Immigration from these 75 countries will be suspended while the department reassesses procedures to prevent entry by foreign nationals likely to receive public assistance.”

Although the public charge rule has existed for decades, its enforcement has varied over time, with consular officers traditionally given broad discretion in assessing applicants. Exceptions to the new suspension will be “very limited” and allowed only after a public charge evaluation.

The 2022 public charge rule under the Biden administration narrowed the benefits considered, focusing mainly on cash assistance and long-term institutional care, and excluding programs such as WIC (food assistance for women, infants, and children), Medicaid, or housing vouchers.

U.S. immigration law allows consular officers to declare applicants inadmissible under public charge criteria. In 2019, the Trump administration expanded the definition to include a wider range of benefits; parts of this policy were later blocked by the courts before the Biden administration rescinded the changes.

Full List of Affected Countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Myanmar, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of 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 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.