The United States on Wednesday said that it is suspending the processing of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries “whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates”.

The pause, which will impact applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Russia, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay and Nigeria, among others countries, will begin on January 21, Reuters quoted Tommy Pigott, principal deputy spokesperson at the US Department of State, as saying.

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” Pigott added.

The Department of State said on social media that the “freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from” its citizens.

The move will not impact US visitor visas, Reuters reported.

The directions came amid a widening immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump, who has announced a series of restrictive measures since beginning his second term in January 2025.

On Monday, the Department of State said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump took office in January 2025.

In December, the US paused all immigration applications, including the processing of green cards and naturalisation ceremonies, for persons from 19 countries already subject to travel restrictions imposed earlier this year.

Some of the countries whose citizens were banned, including those from Afghanistan, the Republic of Congo, Sudan and Libya, were also subject to the pause imposed on Wednesday.

The guidance followed an attack in Washington DC that left one National Guard soldier dead and another critically injured. An Afghan citizen living in the US has been arrested in connection with the attack.

In the same month, the US froze all decisions on asylum applications, a day after Trump said he would “permanently pause migration from all third-world countries”.

In August, the Trump administration said that it was reviewing more than 55 million persons who had valid visas for any violations that could lead to deportation.

Other directives include the deportation of undocumented migrants using military aircraft, and imposing additional security measures on foreign students applying to American educational institutions.

Trump’s administration has also prioritised immigration enforcement within the US, sending federal agents to several cities and sparking violent confrontations with both migrants and US citizens.