Tightening Borders: US Bans Risky Foreign Visitors for Safety
Published Date: 6/10/2025
Presidential Document
Summary
The U.S. is tightening rules to keep out foreign visitors who might threaten our safety or national security. This affects people from certain countries with poor background checks, slowing or stopping their entry until better screening is in place. These changes start soon and aim to protect Americans without wasting taxpayer money.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 2 costs, 0 mixed.
Full Entry Ban for 12 Countries
The proclamation fully suspends immigrant and nonimmigrant entry for nationals of 12 named countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. The restriction takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern daylight time on June 9, 2025, and applies to nationals who are outside the United States on that date and who do not have a valid visa.
Partial Entry Suspensions for Seven Countries
The proclamation partially suspends entry for nationals of seven named countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. For those countries, immigrant entry and entry as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is suspended, and consular officers are directed to reduce the validity of other nonimmigrant visas to the extent permitted by law.
Exceptions, Waivers, and Protected Categories
The proclamation lists categorical exceptions and allows case-by-case waivers. Exceptions include lawful permanent residents, dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-designated country, specified diplomatic and certain official visa classes (A, G, C-2, C-3, NATO categories), athletes for major events, immediate-family immigrant visas with clear identity evidence (e.g., DNA), adoptions, Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, Special Immigrant Visas for U.S. Government employees, and immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities from Iran. The Attorney General and the Secretary of State may also grant additional discretionary exceptions or waivers in coordination with DHS for national-interest or DOJ-critical-interest reasons; asylum, refugee, withholding of removal, and Convention Against Torture protections remain available.
Who Is Not Affected and Visa Non-Revocation Rule
The suspensions apply only to nationals of the designated countries who are outside the United States on June 9, 2025 and who do not have a valid visa on that date; nationals inside the United States or with a valid visa on that date are not covered by the suspensions. The proclamation also states that no immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before the applicable effective date shall be revoked pursuant to the proclamation.
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