The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has announced that the US has decided to cancel all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders.
Through an official statement, Rubio explained that this decision had been taken due to the failure of South Sudan to cooperate in the repatriation of its citizens in a timely manner, VisaGuide.World reports.
In addition to revoking the valid visas, the US has also decided to restrict any further issuance of visas in an attempt to prevent the entry of South Sudanese into the country.
The United States Department of State is taking action to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and to restrict any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States, effective immediately, due to the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated citizens in a timely manner.
While the restrictive measures for South Sudan nationals are already in place, Rubio noted that the authorities will be prepared to review the measure when South Sudan is in full cooperation.
South Sudan is the first country that has been hit with such a measure by the US since Donald Trump took office.
South Sudanese in the US Who Were Previously Granted Temporary Protected Status Also Affected
Nationals of South Sudan in the US were previously granted Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by the Biden administration. This measure was set to expire on May 3, 2025.
However, now that the Trump administration has decided to revoke the visas for this nationality, TPS designations will also be affected.
TPS protects people from being deported. This type of protection is granted to foreign nationals who are not able to safely return to their home countries due to war, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions.
According to data provided by the Department of Homeland Security, around 133 nationals of South Sudan were under the TPS program in the US in 2023. Moreover, the same disclosed that during the same year, 140 of them were eligible to apply.
While a large number of foreign nationals held and were eligible to apply under the TPS program, the case is not the same now. The Trump administration began to rescind TPS designations, with many being affected so far.
The Trump administration has also tightened measures for international students. The US authorities previously announced that the country would deport migrants on student visas, with several cases occurring until now.