The U.S. State Department has announced a suspension of immigrant visa processing for Albania starting Jan. 21, following the halt of the U.S. diversity visa lottery.

According to a State Department memorandum first obtained by Fox News Digital, consular officers have been instructed to deny visas under existing law while the department reviews its screening and vetting procedures.

The suspension will take effect on Jan. 21 and will remain in place indefinitely, pending a reassessment of immigrant visa processing by the department.

In November 2025, the State Department issued guidance to diplomatic missions worldwide directing consular officers to apply new, comprehensive screening rules under the so-called “public charge” provision of U.S. immigration law.

The guidance requires consular officers to deny visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits, based on a broad range of factors, including health, age, English-language proficiency, financial status and the potential need for long-term medical care.

Older or overweight applicants may be denied visas, as well as those with a history of receiving government financial assistance or prior institutionalization.

“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to declare inadmissible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” State Department spokesman Tommy Piggott said in a statement.

According to Fox News, Albania is among 75 countries whose citizens will face a suspension of immigrant visa processing beginning Jan. 21.

The full list of affected countries includes Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Ivory Coast, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, North Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Republic of Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan and Yemen.