Visa Curbs on Travel Execs Enabling Illegal U.S. Entry

The United States is today expanding its visa restriction policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which restricts visa issuances to individuals who facilitate irregular migration to the United States and profit from exploiting vulnerable migrants. Our expanded policy will now also apply to executives of travel agencies and tour operators who provide travel services designed primarily for irregular migrants to the United States.

As we put in place this expanded policy, we will continue using visa restrictions against unscrupulous transportation executives as part of our broader campaign to eliminate exploitative practices within and beyond the Western Hemisphere, in collaboration with partners in government and in the private sector. No one should profit from vulnerable migrants-not smugglers, private companies, public officials, or anyone else.

This action expands a State Department policy announced in February 2024, which superseded a prior policy announced in November 2023, under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 212(a)(3)(C). The policy previously targeted senior officers of companies providing transportation by land, sea, or charter air and will now also cover senior officials of travel agencies and tour operators.