The US Suspends Visa Applications for 75 Countries: A Crossroads of Geostrategy and Immigration Policy

On January 14, 2026, the US State Department announced via its official social media account that it would indefinitely suspend processing visa applications from 75 countries worldwide, effective January 21. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated that this move was part of a "reassessment of immigration processing" aimed at preventing "entry of foreign nationals who may be seeking welfare and public assistance."

This policy specifically targets immigrant visas, including work and family reunification visas, while non-immigrant visas such as student, tourist, and business visas are unaffected. The affected countries have a combined population of 2.52 billion, representing 31% of the global population, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in the Caucasus region, as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan in Central Asia.

01 Policy Content and Scope

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott stated in a press release that this move was an exercise of "long-standing authority" to prevent "entry of foreign nationals who may be seeking welfare and public assistance." The policy freeze will remain in effect until the State Department completes its reassessment of the approval process to ensure that "new immigrants do not exploit the wealth of American citizens."

The list of affected countries covers six continents: 23 in Asia, 8 in Europe, 26 in Africa, 1 in Oceania, 14 in North America, and 3 in South America.

In terms of country classification, the list includes 7 high-income countries, 52 middle-income countries, and 16 low-income countries, indicating a clear policy bias towards developing countries.

Consular officers will be required to comprehensively assess applicants' health, age, financial resources, and English proficiency during visa interviews. They have the right to refuse a visa if they believe an applicant may receive U.S. welfare benefits in the future.

02 Background and Motivation for the Policy

This visa suspension is directly related to the "Nourishing the Future" welfare fraud case that broke out in Minnesota. This case involved the abuse of a large number of taxpayer-funded welfare programs, with the amount involved reaching $250 million. The main perpetrators were mostly Somali citizens or Somali-Americans.

Since the Trump administration returned to the White House in January 2025, it has implemented a series of immigration restrictions. In August 2025, the US government announced it would review all foreigners holding valid US visas, and if violations were found, it would revoke their visas or deport them.

David Beale, chairman of immigration policy at the Seltz Foundation, stated, "The policies implemented by this administration are arguably the most hostile to legal immigration in US history." He estimates that this measure will exclude nearly half of all legal immigration applicants, resulting in approximately 315,000 legal immigrants being unable to enter the US each year.

03 The Special Situation of the Caucasus and Central Asia

The three Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia) and the three Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan) are all on the suspension list. This decision comes against the backdrop of a sensitive period in US relations with these countries.

Prior to this latest announcement, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan were already subject to stricter US visa restrictions. Some Kyrgyz officials suggested that Bishkek might reinstate visa requirements for US citizens in response to the US demanding large deposits from Kyrgyz travelers traveling to the US.

On January 12, Kyrgyz Deputy Foreign Minister Medel Abakirov, during a meeting with US Special Envoy Leslie Vigri in Bishkek, expressed concern about the US deposit requirement. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry stated in a post-meeting statement: "These US measures are detrimental to the development of exchanges between enterprises and hinder the deepening of bilateral economic and trade cooperation."

04 International Reaction and Geopolitical Impact

On January 15, Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak summoned the US Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, Cornelius Kornick, clearly expressing Thailand's dissatisfaction with being placed on the immigration visa restriction list, stating that this move "sends the wrong signal and damages Thailand's dignity."

The timing of the visa suspension sends a contradictory signal to Armenia and Azerbaijan, both of which are working to finalize a provisional peace agreement brokered by the US. This move could also disrupt the development of the trade corridor named after President Trump, considered a key component of an emerging trade network connecting the US, the EU, and Central Asia.

This visa freeze comes just weeks before a major meeting between the US and China in Kyrgyzstan under the C5+1 framework, aimed at improving trade and connectivity. In November 2025, Trump hosted a new round of the “C5+1” US-Central Asia Summit in Washington, attended by the presidents of all five Central Asian countries, focusing on $34 billion in orders and investment agreements.

05 Potential Economic and Strategic Impacts

Brukins Institution economists assess that 2025 could be the first year in half a century in which the US experiences more outflows than inflows of immigrants. Researchers believe this will have long-term effects on US economic and population growth, potentially leading to slower economic growth and weaker growth in employment, GDP, and consumer spending.

The Trump administration has prioritized expanding access to mineral resources in Central Asia as a key area of ​​cooperation with the region in 2025. Central Asia possesses abundant rare earth deposits and produces approximately half of the world's uranium. In 2023, Kazakhstan exported $3.07 billion worth of critical minerals to China, $1.8 billion to Russia, but only $544 million to the United States.

Visa restrictions could impact the business expansion of American companies in Central Asia. Kazakhstan has signed 29 cooperation agreements with American companies worth a total of $17 billion, covering areas such as rare earth resource development and aircraft procurement. The visa suspension could hinder the movement of personnel needed for these cooperative projects.

Economists at the Brookings Institution assess that 2025 could be the first year in half a century that the United States experiences more outflows than inflows of immigrants. This closed policy could exacerbate the US labor shortage and slow economic growth.

Countries such as Canada and the European Union are beginning to proactively introduce visa incentive policies to attract talent rejected by the United States. The global talent competition landscape may be reshaped by this US policy.