According to RBC, the U.S. State Department has announced a suspension of processing immigration visas for migrants from 75 countries, including Russia. This decision is motivated by the fact that migrants from these countries receive excessively high social benefits funded by U.S. taxpayers.
The department noted that the restrictions will remain in place until it is determined that new migrants will not depend on American social programs.
Several hours ago, Fox News reported on a broader ban but later clarified that it pertains solely to immigration visas. The updated information confirmed that the changes only affect this category of visas.
According to the data, this decision will take effect on January 21, and in addition to Russia, it will also affect Iran, Iraq, Brazil, Egypt, Thailand, and several other countries.
In 2025, the U.S. State Department revoked more than 100,000 visas for foreign nationals, among which about 8,000 were student visas. This number is more than double the number of visas revoked in 2024 under President Joe Biden's administration.
