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While on the campaign trail last year, Donald Trump said he would take action to stop countries refusing to take back their own nationals, especially in cases where individuals had a history of violence and criminality.

Now a Department of Homeland Security official has confirmed that immigration officials have sent a letter to the US State Department about four countries: Eritrea, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Cambodia.

Once that formal notice has been given, US law requires the suspension of the issuance of visas.

First however, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in consultation with other officials, needs to decide whether to stop all visas or only certain categories from each of the four countries.

There is a high likelihood that other countries will also have their visas suspended, because immigration officials say they have identified 23 countries refusing to take back their citizens.

In the past, visa suspensions have targeted diplomats and government officials. How many people this suspension will affect has not yet been determined.

“We follow a standard process to implement a visa suspension as expeditiously as possible in the manner the secretary determines most appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the desired goal. That process includes internal discussions with, and official notification to, affected countries,” VOA reports a source from the State Department to say.