The State Department is finally slamming the brakes on mass immigration from high-risk countries, moving to halt immigrant visa processing for 75 nations as officials crack down on applicants likely to drain U.S. welfare systems.
According to an internal State Department memo obtained first by Fox News Digital, consular officers worldwide have been instructed to deny visas under existing law while the department overhauls how it screens immigrants for so-called “public charge” risks — a legal standard meant to keep taxpayers from footing the bill for newcomers who can’t support themselves.
The pause, set to begin January 21, will remain in place indefinitely until a full reassessment of visa vetting procedures is completed.
Among the countries affected are Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and Yemen, along with dozens more that have raised concerns among immigration officials.
Somalia, in particular, has drawn renewed scrutiny after a massive fraud scheme in Minnesota exposed widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Federal prosecutors revealed that many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali Americans, fueling alarm about systemic exploitation of U.S. generosity.
The visa freeze follows a November 2025 State Department cable sent to embassies and consulates worldwide, directing officers to aggressively enforce the long-standing “public charge” provision of immigration law. That guidance significantly tightens standards for approving immigrant visas.
Under the updated screening rules, consular officers must evaluate whether an applicant is likely to rely on public benefits — weighing factors such as age, health, English proficiency, financial resources, and even the potential need for long-term medical care. Applicants who are older, overweight, previously institutionalized, or who have used government cash assistance in the past could face denial.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said in a statement.
He added, “Immigration 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.”
While the public charge rule has been part of U.S. immigration law for decades, enforcement has fluctuated wildly depending on who occupies the White House. Historically, consular officers have been granted wide latitude, leading to inconsistent application and lax oversight.
The Biden administration rolled back enforcement in 2022, narrowing the definition of public charge to exclude popular benefit programs such as SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and housing vouchers, a move critics said opened the floodgates to welfare dependency.
President Donald Trump, by contrast, expanded the definition in 2019 to include a broader array of public benefits — an effort that was partially blocked in court before being rescinded under Biden.
Under the new pause, exceptions will be “very limited”, and only applicants who fully clear public-charge scrutiny will be considered for entry.
Supporters say the move is a long-overdue step toward restoring common-sense immigration enforcement, protecting American workers, and ensuring that those who come to the United States do so to contribute — not collect.
