US Suspends Visa Processing For Nigeria And 74 Other Countries

The United States has suspended visa processing for Nigeria and 74 other countries as part of a review aimed at tightening immigration screening and blocking applicants deemed likely to become a public charge.

A U.S. State Department memo obtained by Fox News Digital instructs consular officers to refuse visas under existing law while the department reassesses its vetting and screening procedures.

The countries affected include Nigeria, Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Thailand, Yemen, and several others.

The suspension, which takes effect on January 21, will remain in place indefinitely until the review of visa processing is complete.

Somalia has received particular attention following a large-scale fraud case in Minnesota, where prosecutors uncovered extensive abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programs. Federal officials noted that many of those implicated were Somali nationals or Somali-Americans.