US to refuse visa applications from four countries [See list]

The US State Department will from Wednesday, stop issuing certain kinds of visas to selected citizens of Cambodia, Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leonem due to the affected nations refusal to take back US deportees.

Reuters reports that the new policy sent out in cables by Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, to consular officials around the world, said the four countries were “denying or unreasonably delaying” the return of their citizens from the United States.

According to Tillerson, the new decision will be lifted in a country, if it accepted its deportees.

1. The provision for Eritrea: The cable stated that any Eritrean who applies in their own country for most U.S. business or tourist visas to the United States, will be rejected.

2. In Guinea: For Guinea, the US will no longer issue a range of tourist, business and student visas to government officials and their immediate family members who apply from inside the country.

3. In Cambodia: Only Foreign Ministry employees at or above the rank of director general, and their families, who apply inside Cambodia, will be barred from getting some visas for personal travel, the third cable said.

4. Sierra Leone sanction: According to the fourth cable, Sierra Leone sanctions will see only Foreign Ministry and immigration officials denied tourist and business visas at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown.

However, there are exceptions which will honour application from citizens of the four nations who apply for visas from outside their countries, as well as exceptions on humanitarian grounds or for travel “deemed in the interest of the United States”.
The new policy does not affect visas already granted.