The US suspends the processing of immigrant visas for people from 75 countries, including Cuba

The Trump Administration suspended the processing of visas as an immigrant for people from 75 countries, including Cuba.

A State Department spokesperson told the agency EFE that the measure will begin to be applied on January 21 and will be maintained indefinitely while the immigration verification procedures are reviewed.

Among the banned countries are several from Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as states from Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Some of them were already part of expanded lists of immigration restrictions previously imposed by the US Government, refers cnn.

In addition to Cuba, citizens of nations such as Brazil, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua and Uruguay will also be affected by America. Venezuela, on the other hand, is not included at the moment.

Other countries affected by the new restriction are Russia, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Egypt, Thailand and Jordan, according to the list made public by US media.

US to suspend immigrant visa processing for 75 countrieshttps://t.co/o9bnS4HU8v

— CNN in Spanish (@CNNEE) January 14, 2026

Only immigrant visas, for now

The suspension currently only affects immigrant visas, that is, those that allow permanent residence in the United States, and does not include non-immigrant visas, such as tourism, study or temporary work visas.

However, Cuba and other countries already had prohibitions and restrictions on the latter, due to other measures of the Trump Administration, although with some exceptions.

As explained by the State Department, the new suspension seeks to guarantee that new immigrants do not depend on social assistance or public benefits. Along these lines, the entity’s spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, pointed out that the Government will use its legal authority to declare ineligible applicants who may become a “public charge” for the country, according to cnn.

The pause in processing is part of Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration. Last November, its Executive ordered US consulates to apply a guide that expands the criteria for denying visas, taking into account factors such as age, health, English language proficiency or the financial situation of the applicant, he recalled. EFE.

The suspension should not affect international events such as the World Cup to be held this summer in the United States, since short-term visas – such as those for students and tourists – are outside the measure, official sources specified.