Somalia has been in the spotlight as there has been welfare fraud in Minneapolis that has been mainly committed by the Somali community.
WASHINGTON—The United States is pausing visa processing for 75 countries, the State Department told The Epoch Times.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the development in a post on X on Wednesday and linked to a report from Fox News, which first reported the move.
US freezes all visa processing for 75 countries, including Somalia, Russia, Iranhttps://t.co/EAFsAcsATz
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 14, 2026
The countries include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, 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.
Somalia has been in the spotlight as there has been welfare fraud in Minneapolis that has allegedly been mainly committed by the Somali community, which has set up daycares that are not occupied by children—as seen in a viral video by YouTuber Nick Shirley.
In November, the Trump administration ordered a crackdown on visas under a revised “public charge” rule of immigration law. It instructs immigration officers to deny visas to applicants who would likely need to rely on public assistance. Other factors weighed include English proficiency, health, finances, and age.
The Trump administration has said it has revoked 100,000 visas so far.
