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US president Donald Trump has suspended the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of 75 countries, including Nicaragua, Cuba, Russia and Iran.
Immigrant visas are those that allow permanent residence in the United States, while non-immigrant visas, intended for temporary stays such as tourism, study, or temporary work, will not be affected by the suspension.
A State Department spokesperson confirmed to the EFE news agency the number of countries affected, without specifying which ones, although Fox News obtained access to the list.
Some of the Latin American and Caribbean countries included are Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Haiti and Uruguay.
Also on the list are Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Thailand and Yemen.
According to Fox News, the pause will begin on January 21 and will remain in place indefinitely while the State Department reevaluates verification procedures.
Aimed at Preventing Foreigners from Using “Public Benefits”
Tommy Pigott, spokesperson for the State Department, stated that the objective of this measure is to prevent the entry into the United States of foreigners who could resort to social assistance and public benefits.
In November 2025, the Trump Government ordered US consulates around the world to apply guidelines instructing them to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to depend on public assistance.
Thus, consular officials could reject visas on the basis of a wide range of factors, such as health, age, command of English, or financial situation.
*With information from EFE.
