• The measure applies only to immigrant visas, not temporary travel visas
• Twenty-six African countries are affected, including Nigeria, Egypt, and Morocco
• The move is part of a broader tightening of US immigration policy

The US State Department announced on January 14 the suspension of immigrant visa processing for nationals of 75 countries, including 26 African states, as part of the stricter immigration policy outlined in recent months by President Donald Trump. The measure applies to visas for individuals seeking permanent residence in the United States and does not affect non-immigrant visas, which allow temporary entry.

The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates. The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.

— Department of State (@StateDept) January 14, 2026

As a result, tourist, business, and other short-term visas are not covered by the suspension. This includes visas that may be issued to football fans planning to travel to the United States for the 2026 World Cup, although the Trump administration has said it will review the social media history of all applicants.

Fox News, citing an internal State Department memo, reported that the measure applies, among others, to immigrant visa applications from nationals of the following 26 African countries: Algeria, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda.

In a X post, the State Department said the suspension targets the 75 countries whose migrants “take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates”. It added that “the freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people,” and said it would work to ensure that the generosity of the American people is no longer exploited.

In late November 2025, Donald Trump announced plans to sharply tighten US immigration policy. “I will permanently suspend immigration from all Third World countries in order to allow the American system to fully recover,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that he could cancel “millions” of admissions granted under the presidency of Joe Biden.

The State Department said on Monday, January 12, 2026, that more than 100,000 visas have been revoked since Trump returned to power. In December 2025, the Department of Homeland Security also said the administration had expelled more than 605,000 people, while another 2.5 million had left the country voluntarily.

Walid Kéfi