Visa applications from Nigeria, Russia and at least 73 other countries will no longer be processed by United States embassies and consulates as Washington moves to tighten immigration screening over concerns about welfare dependence.
The US Department of State has directed consular officers to pause visa processing for the affected countries from January 21, pending a broad reassessment of screening and vetting procedures.
The directive was contained in an internal memo first reported by Fox News.
Under the instruction, visa officers are to refuse applications using existing provisions of US immigration law while the review is ongoing.
The pause applies across multiple visa categories and will remain in force indefinitely until the reassessment is completed.
The countries affected span Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America, and include Nigeria, Somalia, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, Russia, Brazil and Thailand.
The policy shift is linked to the “public charge” rule, a long-standing element of US immigration law that allows authorities to deny visas to individuals considered likely to rely on public benefits.
In November 2025, the State Department issued guidance to embassies worldwide directing stricter enforcement of the rule.
That guidance expanded the factors consular officers must consider when assessing applicants, including age, health status, English proficiency, financial capacity, employment prospects and the potential need for long-term medical care.
Applicants deemed at risk of becoming dependent on public assistance can be denied entry.
Somalia has attracted particular attention from US authorities following a major fraud investigation in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded welfare programmes.
Federal officials said many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali-Americans, a development that heightened scrutiny of visa applications linked to the country.
While Nigeria was not singled out in the memo, its inclusion places it among countries now subject to tougher migration controls at a time when many Nigerians apply annually for student, work, tourist and family-based visas to the US.
The State Department has not provided a timeline for the completion of the review or clarified whether humanitarian exemptions will apply.
The move is expected to deepen uncertainty for prospective travellers, students and families, particularly from developing countries, and could further strain diplomatic and people-to-people ties with affected nations.
