The flow of tourists from Russia to the US is practically stopping for an indefinite period, the Russian Tourism Industry Union reported to RIA Novosti, commenting on the US's plans to suspend the issuance of visas to citizens of 75 countries, including Russia.
On January 14, Fox News reported that the United States would suspend visa issuance to citizens of 75 countries, including Russia, as of January 21, as part of tightening applicant controls. The suspension will be in effect indefinitely until the State Department revises its vetting and candidate selection procedures.
The list of countries includes Somalia, Russia, Afghanistan, Brazil, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, Yemen. The TV channel did not name other states. One of the reasons for reviewing the policy is the discovery of widespread abuse of taxpayer-funded social assistance programs. Many of the people involved in the case are Somali citizens or Somali Americans.
In the first nine months of 2025, about 162 thousand Russian citizens visited the United States, 10% more than in the same period in 2024.