The Donald Trump administration has frozen all visa issuance procedures for citizens of 75 countries, including Egypt, effective Jan. 21 and until further notice, according to a US State Department memo.
US embassies, the memo said, have received instructions to reject visa applications while the State Department reviews its procedures, without setting a time frame for when the freeze might be lifted.
The list includes, in addition to Egypt, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, Brazil, Nigeria and Thailand, among others according to the State Department memo.
The halt does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as tourism and business visas, but is limited to immigrant visa processing.
The State Department intends to "use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people," according to its spokesperson Tommy Piggott.
The suspension comes amid a sweeping immigration crackdown continued by the Trump administration since taking office in January 2025 following Joe Biden. December 2025 was a record-breaking year for immigrant detentions, with 68,440 people held in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, 35 of whom have died in custody.
In November, Trump had pledged to “permanently pause immigration” from what he described as “all third world countries” following a shooting near the White House carried out by an Afghan national, which resulted in the death of a National Guard member.
At the time, Trump had threatened to revoke millions of “illegal” entry visas issued during Biden's term. He also vowed to halt all federal benefits and assistance for “non-citizens,” and to deport any foreign national he deems “a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western civilization.”
During Trump’s first term, courts blocked or reined in parts of his immigration agenda, including attempts to limit asylum to people who crossed at official border points, and rules to bar asylum for people who transited through third countries.
