Emmanuel Victor Smith, Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, has clarified that the United States is only halting immigrant visas.
Ghana’s Ambassador to the US clarified that business or tourism visas, known as B1-B2 visas, remain unaffected by the temporary suspension.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, January 15, 2026, Ghana’s Ambassador to US Victor Smith explained that the directive applies strictly to immigrant visas.
Emmanuel Victor Smith wrote, “The US State Department confirms that B1-B2 visas will continue. Only immigrant visas are being paused”.
His clarification follows, the Trump administration announcing that the United States is temporarily halting immigrant visa processing for Ghana, Nigeria and 73 other countries.
According to the U.S. State Department, the move takes effect January 21 and will remain in place indefinitely.
They highlighted that consular officers will reassess how visa applicants are evaluated to determine whether they may become overly dependent on U.S. public welfare systems.
Tommy Piggott, a spokesperson for the State Department, stated the move is intended to protect U.S. public resources.
“The State Department will 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,” Piggott told Fox News.
“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 take welfare and public benefits.”
See the list of countries below:
1. Afghanistan
2. Albania
3. Algeria
4. Antigua and Barbuda
5. Armenia
6. Azerbaijan
7. The Bahamas
8. Bangladesh
9. Barbados
10. Belarus
11. Belize
12. Bhutan
13. Bosnia and Herzegovina
14. Brazil
15. Myanmar (Burma)
16. Cambodia
17. Cameroon
18. Cape Verde
19. Colombia
20. Côte d’Ivoire
21. Cuba
22. Democratic Republic of the Congo
23. Dominica
24. Egypt
25. Eritrea
26. Ethiopia
27. Fiji
28. The Gambia
29. Georgia
30. Ghana
31. Grenada
32. Guatemala
33. Guinea
34. Haiti
35. Iran
36. Iraq
37. Jamaica
38. Jordan
39. Kazakhstan
40. Kosovo
41. Kuwait
42. Kyrgyzstan
43. Laos
44. Lebanon
45. Liberia
46. Libya
47. North Macedonia
48. Moldova
49. Mongolia
50. Montenegro
51. Morocco
52. Nepal
53. Nicaragua
54. Nigeria
55. Pakistan
56. Republic of the Congo
57. Russia
58. Rwanda
59. Saint Kitts and Nevis
60. Saint Lucia
61. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
62. Senegal
63. Sierra Leone
64. Somalia
65. South Sudan
66. Sudan
67. Syria
68. Tanzania
69. Thailand
70. Togo
71. Tunisia
72. Uganda
73. Uruguay
74. Uzbekistan
75. Yemen
See the post below: