The United States has announced the suspension of immigrant visa processing for 75 countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, in the latest move by President Donald Trump’s administration to tighten immigration controls.

A spokesperson for the US Department of State confirmed the development, saying the department had paused immigrant visa processing for the affected countries.

According to a memorandum cited by Fox News Digital, consular officers have been instructed to refuse immigrant visa applications under existing US law while the government reviews its screening and vetting procedures.

The suspension is scheduled to take effect on January 21 and will remain in place indefinitely until the review is completed.

The affected countries include 27 African nations, 22 Asian countries, eight European nations, 13 countries in North America and the Caribbean, three South American countries, and one country in Oceania.

In Africa, the countries affected include Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and others.

The policy is expected to affect thousands of people seeking to relocate permanently to the United States and comes amid the Trump administration’s broader efforts to strengthen immigration screening, national security measures and entry requirements.