Several of the countries on the proposed list do not currently require visas for U.S. citizens.
The U.S. State Department is considering new travel bans for citizens of 43 countries, notes a list obtained by The New York Times.
The list, which is not yet final and could change as officials continue internal discussions, represents an expansion in the number of countries whose citizens could face restrictions entering the United States, compared to President Trump’s first term.
The tiered list proposes a moratorium on all U.S. visits by citizens of 11 “red tier” countries, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. After taking office on January 20, the president issued an executive order requiring the State Department to produce a list identifying countries that could be subject to entry restrictions. The list is due to the White House on March 22.
Two additional tiers are identified on the list. “Orange Tier” countries are those that would have visas to visit the United States significantly restricted, while “Yellow Tier” countries would be informed they could face visa restrictions within 60 days unless they move to address the State Department’s concerns.
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Many of the countries on the orange and yellow tiers–including Haiti, Belarus, South Sudan, Russia, and Myanmar–have already been given the State Department’s highest travel warning rating, Level 4: Do Not Travel.
But some other countries on the list, including Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and Zimbabwe, are popular with U.S. leisure travelers. Countries typically shape their entry requirements for foreign nationals based on reciprocity: if the U.S. requires a visa for their citizens to enter, they’ll require visas for U.S. citizens; if the U.S. bans their citizens from entering, they’ll likely ban Americans from visiting.
In particular, the inclusion of Bhutan on the red tier left some tourism officials scratching their heads. Bhutan is a small, peaceful country in southcentral Asia, sandwiched between China and India. It has also been growing in interest among U.S. travelers, who visit for natural beauty and emphasis on personal happiness. Bhutan’s government even measures itself by Gross National Happiness Index, as required by its constitution.
The tiny nation, however, has also been the source of some difficulty for U.S. immigration officials. In 2023, a group of Nepalese nationals posted as refugees from Bhutan in order to gain entry to the United States. Bhutan expelled tens of thousands of Nepalese-speaking citizens to refugee camps in Nepal in the early 1990s. The country has refused to allow the exiled citizens to return, drawing ire from human rights groups.
Bhutan was also flagged for a high percentage of its citizens overstaying their visas and illegally entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. During President Trump’s first administration, Bhutanese citizens were required to post bonds to be granted visas because of overstay concerns.
It was unclear from the New York Times reporting whether the State Department planned any carve-outs for citizens from countries on the list, such as those who had already been approved for visas or for citizens who already held permanent residency in the United States.
Also unclear were the deficiencies that countries on the yellow tier would need to address. Issues could include failing to share sufficient information with the U.S. government about travelers, inadequate security procedures for issuing travel documents like passports, or the selling of citizenship to citizens from countries proposed for stricter travel bans.
Several of the countries on the proposed list do not currently require visas for U.S. citizens. If the countries are ultimately moved to tighter entry restrictions for U.S. citizens, they could introduce reciprocal visa requirements for Americans. The visa-free countries on the proposed list include:
– Antigua and Barbuda
– Dominica
– Equatorial Guinea
– Haiti
– Malawi
– St. Kitts and Nevis
– St. Lucia
– Vanuatu
