WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump has signed yet another executive order restricting travel to the United States from seven countries around the world. The latest travel ban is different from the two previous as it is an indefinite ban. It’s also structured around the type of information foreign governments provide the United States about their citizens.
According to the text of the latest executive order, the United States evaluated 200 countries for how well they share information about foreign nationals seeking entry in to the United States. Out of those 200 countries, seven were identified to face travel restrictions because they fail to provide adequate information, have ties to terrorist organizations and may refuse to cooperate with the United States.
The latest travel ban impacts the countries of Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. The travel restrictions of each country vary depending on what type of security information the countries share with the United States Government.
The chart below explains what restrictions will be set in place for each country.
The business and tourist visas affected by this latest travel ban are the business (B-1), tourist (B-2), and business/tourist (B-1/B-2) visa.
Exceptions
The latest travel ban does not apply to:
- Lawful permanent residents of the United States.
- Any foreign national who is admitted to or paroled into the United States on or after the travel ban goes in to effect.
- Foreign nationals with a transportation letter, appropriate boarding foil, or an advance parole document. Documents must be valid on the day the ban goes in to effect and any date after.
- Dual national of one of the banned countries if traveling with the passport issued by a country not on the banned list.
- Foreign nationals traveling on diplomatic or diplomatic-type visa, North Atlantic Treaty Organization visa, C-2 visa for travel to the United Nations, or G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-4 visas.
- Foreign nationals granted asylum by the United States; any refugee who has already been admitted to the United States; or any individual who has been granted withholding of removal, advance parole, or protection under the Convention Against Torture.
Waivers
Waivers of the travel ban can be granted on a case-by-case basis. In order to be granted a waiver of the travel ban a foreign national would have to prove:
- Denying entry would case the foreign national undue hardship.
- Entry would not pose a national security or public safety risk.
- Entry would be in the national interest.
It would be up to immigration officers to make a final determination on the eligibility of the foreign nationals entry in to the United States.
Adjustments to Restrictions
According to the executive order, the president will consistently get updated reports about changes in protocols and procedures for the countries impacted as well as those countries that are not. Depending on those reports the president can add or remove restrictions on the countries being evaluated.
Enforcement
The latest travel ban went in to effect immediately for those people who were already banned by the previous executive order. Those who were not banned by the previous order can expect these latest travel restrictions to go in to effect October 18, 2017.