The United States has placed Uganda among 26 African countries and a total of 75 nations worldwide facing a new suspension of immigrant visa processing, in the latest escalation of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The U.S. State Department said on Wednesday that it would halt the processing of immigrant visas for citizens of the affected countries, citing concerns that their nationals are more likely to rely on public assistance once admitted into the United States.
The decision was announced by the State Department under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said consular officers worldwide had been instructed to stop processing immigrant visa applications from the listed countries in line with a broader directive issued in November.
According to the department, the policy targets countries whose migrants have been deemed likely to become “public charges,” a term used by U.S. authorities to describe individuals who may depend on government welfare programs.
Uganda joins several countries from the region affected by the suspension, including Somalia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Sudan, Libya, Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Cameroon, Ethiopia, DRC, and Eritrea, among others from the region, both of which were specifically named by the State Department as part of the latest measures.
Other countries mentioned in the announcement include Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, and several nations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, totaling 75.
The move builds on earlier immigration and travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration on nearly 40 countries and forms part of a broader effort to tighten U.S. entry standards for foreign nationals, according to the Associated Press.
“The Trump administration is bringing an end to the misuse of America’s immigration system by those who would extract wealth from the American people,” the State Department said in a statement.
“Immigrant visa processing from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would take welfare and public benefits,” the statement added.
The suspension, set to take effect on January 21, will not apply to non-immigrant visas, including tourist and business visas, which account for the majority of visa applications.
U.S. officials expect demand for non-immigrant visas to increase sharply in the coming years due to the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games, both of which the United States will host or co-host.
In a separate statement sent to U.S. embassies and consulates, the State Department directed officers to intensify screening of non-immigrant visa applicants to assess the likelihood that they may seek public benefits while in the United States.
“The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates,” the department said, adding that the freeze will remain in place until safeguards are put in place to prevent misuse of public benefits.
