The United States Department of State has paused visa processing for citizens of 75 countries, including Nigeria, as Washington tightens immigration screening over concerns that some applicants may become dependent on public welfare.
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The directive, contained in an internal State Department memo, instructs consular officers to halt visa processing indefinitely for the affected countries while a comprehensive reassessment of screening and vetting procedures is carried out.
Under the instruction, visa officers are to rely on existing provisions of US immigration law to refuse applications during the review period. The pause takes effect from January 21 and applies across multiple visa categories.
A source familiar with the memo, who requested anonymity because the document has not been made public, said the move is aimed at enforcing the “public charge” provision of US immigration law, which allows authorities to deny visas to individuals deemed likely to rely on public benefits.
Some of the affected countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia, Somalia and Nigeria, already face significant hurdles in securing US visas. However, the decision is expected to come as a shock to applicants from other countries on the list, such as Brazil and several Caribbean and Latin American nations.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott confirmed the policy shift in a statement, saying the department would use its long-standing authority to deny entry to potential immigrants likely to become a public charge.
“The State Department will deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” Piggott said. “Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the department reassesses processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits.”
In November 2025, the State Department had already issued a cable to US embassies and consulates worldwide directing stricter enforcement of the public charge rule. The guidance expanded the factors consular officers must consider when assessing applicants, including age, health status, English proficiency, financial capacity, employment prospects and the likelihood of requiring long-term medical care.
Applicants with a history of government cash assistance or institutionalisation may also face denial under the stricter screening regime.
Somalia has attracted heightened scrutiny following a major fraud investigation in Minnesota, where US prosecutors uncovered widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded welfare programmes. Federal officials said many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.
While Nigeria was not specifically singled out in the memo, its inclusion places it among countries now subject to tougher migration controls at a time when thousands of Nigerians apply annually for US student, work, tourist and family-based visas.
The State Department has not provided a timeline for completing the review and has said any exemptions would be very limited and granted only after applicants clear public charge considerations.
The move is expected to increase uncertainty for prospective travellers, students and families from affected countries and may further strain diplomatic and people-to-people ties.
The countries affected by the visa processing pause include 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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