The United States government has announced an indefinite freeze on immigrant visa processing for Ghana and 74 other countries, citing the need for tighter immigration controls and stricter enforcement of laws aimed at preventing applicants deemed likely to become a public charge from entering the country.
According to a US State Department memo seen by Fox News Digital, consular officers were directed to pause immigrant visa processing for the affected countries from 21 January, pending a comprehensive reassessment of screening and vetting procedures. During the review period, visa applications are to be refused where applicable under existing US immigration law.
The directive affects countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America, bringing the total number of impacted nations to 75. Among them are Ghana, Nigeria, Somalia, Egypt, Brazil, Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Thailand, and Yemen.
The policy is anchored in the enforcement of the “public charge” provision of US immigration law, which allows authorities to deny visas to individuals considered likely to rely on government welfare or public benefits.
In November 2025, the State Department issued a global cable instructing consular officers to apply stricter screening under the public charge rule. Under the updated guidance, visa officers are required to assess a range of factors, including an applicant’s health, age, financial resources, English language proficiency, and potential need for long-term medical care.
Applicants with a history of reliance on government cash assistance or institutionalisation may face heightened scrutiny. Reports also indicate that older or overweight applicants could be denied visas if deemed at risk of becoming a public charge.
Explaining the decision, State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott said the US was exercising long-standing legal authority to protect public resources.
“Immigration from these 75 countries will be paused while the State Department reassesses immigration processing procedures to prevent the entry of foreign nationals who would exploit the generosity of the American people,” he said.
Somalia has reportedly drawn particular scrutiny following a major fraud investigation in Minnesota, where prosecutors linked abuse of taxpayer-funded benefit programmes to individuals connected to the Somali community.
Although the public charge provision has existed for decades, its enforcement has varied under different US administrations. The State Department says exceptions to the current pause will be extremely limited and granted only after applicants fully clear public charge considerations.
The freeze is expected to have significant implications for prospective immigrants from Ghana and other affected countries, including family-based applicants, with no clear timeline announced for the resumption of normal visa processing.
The affected countries include Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Côte 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, North 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.
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