Overview
- The suspension covers countries including Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and Thailand, while Japan is not included.
- Processing will pause from January 21 and, according to the State Department, will remain halted until assurances are in place that U.S. wealth will not be exploited.
- The State Department says it has canceled more than 100,000 visas since the start of the second Trump administration, a pace more than 150% higher than in 2024.
- Roughly 8,000 student visas and 2,500 skilled‑worker visas were among the cancellations, tied to individuals who engaged with U.S. law enforcement in criminal activity.
- The administration links tougher screening and enforcement to recent security concerns, citing a November shooting by an Afghan national near the White House that wounded two National Guard soldiers.