South Sudan Among Nations Facing American Visa Review

(Juba) – The United States government has named South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania among countries that may face new travel restrictions unless they address a set of security and documentation issues within 60 days. This was revealed in a recent memo signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio under the Trump administration.

The State Department identified a total of 36 countries that could be subjected to full or partial suspension of entry into the United States. Twenty-five of these are in Africa. Alongside South Sudan, other African nations on the list include the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Outside Africa, countries on the list include Bhutan, Cambodia, Kyrgyzstan, and Syria in Asia; Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Lucia in the Caribbean; and Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu in Oceania.

According to the memo, some of the key concerns raised by the State Department include the inability or unwillingness of some governments to issue reliable identity documents or to verify the authenticity of passports. The United States also raised concerns about certain countries not cooperating in deporting their nationals who are ordered to leave the U.S., or whose nationals overstay their visas.

Additional grounds for potential travel bans include links to terrorist activity, as well as individuals involved in antisemitic or anti-American actions. The memo clarified that not every issue applies to every country on the list, but that all have been flagged as areas of concern.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump issued a separate proclamation barring citizens from 12 other countries from entering the U.S., citing the need to safeguard national security from foreign terrorist threats. Among those 12 were seven African countries: Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Somalia and Sudan. The others were Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti, Iran and Yemen.

In addition to the possible full bans, the U.S. has already partially restricted entry from several countries including Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

The potential restrictions come at a time when countries like South Sudan continue to rely on the United States for diplomatic and humanitarian support. Any visa limitations or travel bans could affect South Sudanese students, officials, and business people who travel to the U.S. for various engagements.

The Trump administration has tightened U.S. immigration and visa rules since taking office, and this latest move reflects a continued focus on linking immigration policy to national security.

The situation remains fluid, as the 60-day deadline gives the affected countries an opportunity to address the U.S. government’s concerns and avoid restrictions. However, if measures are not taken to resolve the listed issues, citizens from countries like South Sudan could find it harder to access the United States in the near future.