Original article (in Montenegrin) was published on 15/1/2026; Author: Jovana Đurišić
On the day when news arrived from the Montenegrin Parliament that its speaker, Andrija Mandic, proposed that U.S. President Donald Trump be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, media across the ocean appeared to “return the favor.” The Republican-aligned media outlet Fox News published an “exclusive” claiming that the U.S. was suspending visas for 75 countries, including Montenegro.
Local media, led by tabloids, reported the news sensationally, claiming that visas for Montenegrin citizens had been suspended.
Thus, the portal aloonline.me (archived here) stated that the “leader in EU integration is on the ban list,” claiming that the U.S. had suspended visas for Montenegro, while Serbia was exempt.
“The administration of President Donald Trump has decided to suspend visa processing for visitors from as many as 75 countries starting on January 21, Fox News reported, citing an internal State Department memorandum.
Among the countries whose citizens will have visa issuance suspended are Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, so-called Kosovo, North Macedonia, Albania, and numerous others – while Serbia is not on the list,” the AloOnline article states.
The portal Danas.rs (archived here) similarly reported that the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had suspended visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, with the decision taking effect on January 21.
The post and similar claims also went viral on Facebook. (1, 2, 3, 4,)
And for those who panicked last night that they would never again be able to go to America, buy a $24 burger, take photos in front of Times Square, and post a story with “NY state of mind,” there is relatively good news: you can still travel to the U.S. as a tourist, student, or on business.
Here is who will not be able to go to the U.S. – and what this is really about.
The Donald Trump administration has indefinitely suspended the processing of immigrant visas for individuals from 75 countries.
This suspension, which takes effect on January 21, targets applicants whom officials believe are likely to become a “public charge” – that is, individuals who may depend on government assistance for basic living needs.
The State Department wrote on social media that it would “pause the processing of immigrant visas from 75 countries whose migrants use US taxpayer-funded social assistance at an unacceptably high rate.”
The Guardian published a State Department dispatch with the full list of affected countries, which includes Balkan states – except Serbia.
Although some media outlets published (or relayed) headlines such as “America suspends visas,” official sources show that this is not accurate in the way most people automatically assume. This is not a ban on entry to the U.S., nor the abolition of tourist visas.
On the U.S. State Department website (Travel.State.Gov), in the notice on visa processing updates, it is clearly stated that this concerns a pause in the processing of immigrant (settlement) visas for certain nationalities – i.e., procedures related to relocating to the U.S., obtaining permanent residence, and similar categories.
In the FAQ section, the State Department answers the key question of interest to citizens: Does this apply to tourist visas? The answer is short and clear: no. The pause applies exclusively to immigrant visas, while tourist and other short-term categories fall under the system of so-called nonimmigrant visas. In other words, if you planned to travel to the U.S. as a tourist, for a conference, business, studies, or to visit relatives, this measure is not the same as a travel ban.
The same document also states that existing valid visas are not being revoked: the State Department notes that no immigrant visas have been revoked under this update; rather, the measure concerns a pause in new processing and issuance – a “freezing” of part of the process.
Therefore, the visa suspension affects only those in the process of relocating and obtaining permanent residence, not citizens traveling for short-term purposes. For this reason, the posts by the mentioned portals are rated as clickbait and manipulation of facts.
The rating “Clickbait” is given to media reports whose headlines are not supported by the content that follows. Such texts aim to attract attention with sensationalist headlines, promising content that does not actually exist, and are generally created for financial gain or increased readership.
The “Manipulation of Facts” rating is given to a media report that uses known and accurate facts but interprets them in a deceptive manner. These reports generally employ accurate information to draw incorrect conclusions or claims, leading media consumers to draw conclusions that differ from the actual meaning of the presented facts.
