US FREEZES ALL VISA PROCESSING FOR 75 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING NIGERIA, RUSSIA, IRAN

January 15, 2026 • Dons Eze • 1 min read

The State Department is pausing all visa processing for 75 countries in an effort to crack down on applicants deemed likely to become a public charge.

A State Department memo, seen first by Fox News Digital, directs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses screening and vetting procedures.

The countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen and more.

The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of visa processing.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.