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US freezes visa processing for 75 countries: Fox News
The U.S. is freezing visa processing for 75 countries - including Somalia, Iran and Russia - starting Jan. 21, Fox News reports. FOX 5 NY's Dan Bowens and Robert Moses break down this developing story
A freeze on visa processings for citizens from 75 countries begins Wednesday, Jan. 21.
The Department of State said earlier this month that the suspension was happening to nationals from countries deemed likely to require public assistance while living in the United States.
Visa freeze
Big picture view:
The countries affected by the suspension are:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.
US set to pause immigrant visa processing for 75 countries. (Photo by Ufuk Celal Guzel/Anadolu via Getty Images)
What they're saying:
"The Trump administration is bringing an end to the abuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people," the department said in a statement. "Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassess immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits."
FILE - The exterior of the State Department complex is seen on March 14, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Dig deeper:
The suspension will not apply to applicants seeking non-immigrant visas, or temporary tourist or business visas, who make up the vast majority of visa seekers.
For context:
Demand for non-immigrant visas is expected to rise dramatically in the coming months and years due to the upcoming 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics both of which the U.S. will host or co-host.
The backstory:
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. Many of those involved are Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.
READ MORE: Fraud in Minnesota: Detailing the nearly $1 billion in schemes
The Source: Information in this article was taken from The Department of State. Background information was taken from The Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.