The Trump administration is weighing a new travel ban that could impact citizens from 43 countries, with significant implications for travel to the United States and visa applications.
According to a report by The New York Times, the US government’s draft list divides the countries into three categories of travel restrictions.
The proposed travel ban includes:
Red List: 11 countries whose citizens would be completely banned from entering the United States, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
Orange List: 10 countries whose citizens would face limited entry, requiring specific visas and in-person interviews. These countries include Belarus, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan.
Yellow List: 22 countries, primarily in Africa, that have 60 days to address alleged “deficiencies” identified by the Trump administration. If these countries fail to meet the requirements, they could be moved to the red or orange lists.
The travel ban, first introduced in 2017, initially targeted seven predominantly Muslim countries. It was later expanded to include Venezuela and North Korea, and in 2020, six additional countries were added to the list.
The expanded travel ban is likely to have significant implications for individuals from the targeted countries, including restrictions on travel to the United States and potential delays or denials of visa applications.
The draft list was developed by the State Department several weeks ago and is expected to undergo changes before reaching the White House.
Security experts and embassy officials are currently evaluating the proposal, assessing the validity of the alleged deficiencies and considering policy reasons to avoid specific categorizations.
