WASHINGTON – Major blow to US Visa applicants as State Department suspended processing of immigrant visas in one of most sweeping immigration restrictions in recent times.
US State Department confirmed that immigrant visa applications from 75 nations inluding Pakistan have been put on hold indefinitely, offering no timeline for when, or even if, the freeze will be ended. The suspension does not apply to tourist or business visas, but it effectively shuts down legal pathways to permanent residency for thousands of families.
US Visa Freeze Countries
| No. | Country |
|---|---|
| 1 | Afghanistan |
| 2 | Albania |
| 3 | Algeria |
| 4 | Antigua and Barbuda |
| 5 | Armenia |
| 6 | Azerbaijan |
| 7 | Bahamas |
| 8 | Bangladesh |
| 9 | Barbados |
| 10 | Belarus |
| 11 | Belize |
| 12 | Bhutan |
| 13 | Bosnia |
| 14 | Brazil |
| 15 | Burma |
| 16 | Cambodia |
| 17 | Cameroon |
| 18 | Cape Verde |
| 19 | Colombia |
| 20 | Cote d’Ivoire |
| 21 | Cuba |
| 22 | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| 23 | Dominica |
| 24 | Egypt |
| 25 | Eritrea |
| 26 | Ethiopia |
| 27 | Fiji |
| 28 | Gambia |
| 29 | Georgia |
| 30 | Ghana |
| 31 | Grenada |
| 32 | Guatemala |
| 33 | Guinea |
| 34 | Haiti |
| 35 | Iran |
| 36 | Iraq |
| 37 | Jamaica |
| 38 | Jordan |
| 39 | Kazakhstan |
| 40 | Kosovo |
| 41 | Kuwait |
| 42 | Kyrgyzstan |
| 43 | Laos |
| 44 | Lebanon |
| 45 | Liberia |
| 46 | Libya |
| 47 | Macedonia |
| 48 | Moldova |
| 49 | Mongolia |
| 50 | Montenegro |
| 51 | Morocco |
| 52 | Nepal |
| 53 | Nicaragua |
| 54 | Nigeria |
| 55 | Pakistan |
| 56 | Republic of the Congo |
| 57 | Russia |
| 58 | Rwanda |
| 59 | Saint Kitts and Nevis |
| 60 | Saint Lucia |
| 61 | Saint Vincent and Grenadines |
| 62 | Senegal |
| 63 | Sierra Leone |
| 64 | Somalia |
| 65 | South Sudan |
| 66 | Sudan |
| 67 | Syria |
| 68 | Tanzania |
| 69 | Thailand |
| 70 | Togo |
| 71 | Tunisia |
| 72 | Uganda |
| 73 | Uruguay |
| 74 | Uzbekistan |
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed that the list spans adversaries and allies alike, including Somalia, Russia and Iran, as well as traditionally friendly nations such as Brazil, Egypt and Thailand. She disclosed the details in a post on X, linking to a Fox News report.
US Visa Update
The move fits squarely within Trump’s long-standing hardline stance on immigration, which he has repeatedly framed as a matter of national security and cultural identity. POTUs openly favored European migration while targeting immigrants from Africa and the Middle East, previously using inflammatory language about Somali communities and praising Scandinavian immigration as a preferred model.
The visa freeze comes amid an aggressive, wide-ranging enforcement surge. Earlier this week, the State Department announced it has revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump’s return to the White House — the highest figure recorded in a single year. At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security reported that more than 605,000 people have been deported, while an additional 2.5 million left the country voluntarily.
The policy is said to improve immigration enforcement rather than foreign relations, the sheer scope of the suspension is expected to strain diplomatic ties and further narrow legal routes to permanent residence in the United States. Officials have also signaled expanded surveillance of visa applicants’ social media activity as part of an intensified vetting campaign.
USA stops Visa Processing for 75 countries including Pakistan for indefinite period
