During his first administration, Donald Trump tried to stop the issuing of American visas to citizens from certain countries. This project was blocked by several judicial bodies in the United States. Now he plans to introduce entry restrictions again.
The red list
Insiders have informed the New York Times that the Trump administration is working on an entry ban. A series of countries will be included on a red list. Citizens of countries included in this red-listed will not be able to enter the United States.
First attempt in 2017
On 27 January 2017, President Trump signed a presidential decree whereby citizens from a series of countries could no longer travel to America. Trump's entry (or travel) ban, should have lasted 90 days, and 120 days for refugees. It concerned seven countries: Iran, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Iraq. This first attempt was stopped by judges after only a few days.
Second and third attempts
The second version of the presidential decree was also blocked by the judges after a short time. Donald Trump finally obtained a victory the third time, and citizens from Libya, Syria, North Korea, Iran, Somalia, Yemen, Chad and Venezuela were permanently banned from the United States. In some cases, the entry ban applied only to certain population group. In other cases, there was no full entry ban, and citizens with these nationalities were only excluded from specific visa types.
The red list will be expanded and two new lists will be created
By 2025, several countries are likely to be included in the red-list. In the future, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen and Afghanistan may appear on this list. Most countries were already included in Trump's first and second presidential decrees for an entry ban.
Orange and yellow list
Additionally, an orange list and a yellow list will be introduced. Nationals of countries included in the orange list will have to face with a much stricter entry procedure. Pakistan will probably be included on the orange list. Countries on the yellow list will soon be obliged to amend their travel requirements. The American authorities want other countries to inform them if arriving travellers do not meet US security requirements. Countries that do not cooperate will be included on the yellow list. This is also the case for countries that sell their citizenship to citizens of countries included in the red-list.
Afghanistan veterans unhappy about possible entry ban
Many Afghanistan veterans think Trump's projets are unfair. After the US military left Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban quickly regained power. Many Afghans who had collaborated with the Americans during the 20-year war had to flee the country. Veterans feel they would be betraying and abandoning their allies. Currently, many Afghan refugees are waiting in other countries for their visas to travel to the United States.
ESTA USA
Many European countries are part of the ESTA programme. Travellers from ESTA-eligible countries often do not need to apply for a visa if they meet certain requirements. You can easily make an ESTA application online via this website.