U.S. freezes all visa processing for 75 countries, including Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iran | 14 Jan 2026 | The State Department is pausing immigrant 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, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen, Russia, and more. The pause will begin Jan. 21 and will continue indefinitely until the department conducts a reassessment of visa processing. Somalia has drawn heightened scrutiny from federal officials following a sweeping fraud scandal centered in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered massive abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs.