PANews reported on January 14th that, according to Fox News, the U.S. State Department will suspend all visa processing for 75 countries to strengthen scrutiny of applicants deemed potentially "public charge." An internal State Department memo indicates that while the department reassesses its visa vetting and background check procedures, consular officials will deny visa applications in accordance with current laws. Affected countries include Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and Yemen. The suspension will begin on January 21st and will continue indefinitely until the State Department completes its reassessment of the visa processing procedures.