US Bans Entry From 12 & Adds Restrictions On 7 Nations; Which Countries & Visas Are Banned & Allowed?

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump imposed a full-entry travel ban on citizens of 12 countries. He also added restrictions on nationals from seven countries. According to a statement issued by the White House, nationals from these 19 countries pose ‘very high risk’ due to inadequate screening or lack of cooperation with US immigration enforcement.

USA Imposes Full-Entry Travel Ban On 12 Nations

US President Trump has reintroduced travel bans on people from 12 countries and partial restrictions on seven. In the official statement released by the White House, they stated, “The Proclamation fully restricts and limits the entry of nationals from 12 countries found to be deficient with regard to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States.”

Citizens of the following 12 counties face full-entry travel ban –

1. Afghanistan
2. Myanmar (Burma)
3. Chad
4. Republic of the Congo
5. Equatorial Guinea
6. Eritrea
7. Haiti
8. Iran
9. Libya
10. Somalia
11. Sudan
12. Yemen

Justifying these travel bans, the USA cited concerns like Taliban’s control in Afghanistan, state-sponsored terrorism in Iran and Cuba, and a surge in illegal migration from Haiti over the last few years. The authorities also flagged several countries for non-compliance with immigration laws. Some of the notable ones being Chad, which recorded a 49.54% overstay rate for B1/B2 visas, and Eritrea, which saw a 55.43% overstay rate for F, M, and J visa categories.

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Which Counties Face Partial Restrictions?

Besides the new travel bans, the US also imposed partial restrictions on visitors from seven countries. According to the US, these nations pose a “high level of risk,” though the proclamation stops short of imposing a complete entry ban.

These seven countries now face partial restrictions in the USA –

1. Burundi
2. Cuba
3. Laos
4. Sierra Leone
5. Togo
6. Turkmenistan
7. Venezuela

As per the data shared by the White House, Burundi had a B1/B2 visa overstay rate of 15.35% and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 17.52%. According to the Times of India report, Cuba had a B1/B2 visa overstay rate of 7.69% and a F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 18.75%.

Commenting on Venezuela, the US authorities mentioned a lack of competent or cooperative central authority for issuing passports or civil documents. Furthermore, there are no “appropriate screening and vetting measures” put in place by them. The country also has a history of refusing to accept back its removable nationals.

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What are your thoughts about these new travel bans by the US? Let us know in the comments.

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