The Trump administration is weighing new travel restrictions for citizens of dozens of countries, according to sources seen by Reuters and internal memos.
The proposal imposed different levels of visa suspensions on 41 countries, Tasnim reported.
The internal memo divides 41 countries into three different groups.
In the first group, 10 countries will face full visa suspensions, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Cuba and North Korea.
The second group consists of five countries: Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar and South Sudan, who encounter partial suspensions affecting tourists, students and certain immigrant visas.
The third group lists 26 countries including Belarus, Pakistan and Turkmenistan. This could result in a partial suspension of US visa issuance if the government “does not make an effort to address the defect within 60 days.”
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, warned that the list could be changed, noting that it has not yet been approved by the administration, including the US Secretary of State.
The New York Times first reported on the list of countries.
The move reflects President Donald Trump’s first-term travel ban on seven majority nations that evolved through several iterations before being upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018.
On January 20th, Trump issued an executive order requiring an intensive security review for those seeking foreigners seeking entry into the United States to identify potential national security threats.
The order directed several cabinet members to submit a list of countries by March 21, when travel must be partially or completely suspended due to the very insufficient “examination and screening information.”
The directive is part of a wider immigration crackdown that began at the start of Trump’s second term.
In his October 2023 speech, he previewed his plans and pledged to limit people from the Gaza Strip, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen and “where else that threatens our safety.”
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.