The United States government is considering a new travel ban that could affect citizens from 43 countries in different ways, according to a report by the New York Times.
The report, published on Friday, said the list of affected countries is divided into three categories: red, orange, and yellow.
Countries in the red category include Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen. Citizens from these nations would be completely banned from entering the US.
The orange category consists of 10 countries, including Belgium, Eritrea, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Turkmenistan. For these countries, visa restrictions would be stricter, with only wealthy business travelers allowed entry. Those applying for immigrant or tourist visas would be denied. Additionally, citizens from these nations would have to attend in-person interviews before receiving a visa.
The remaining 22 countries fall under the yellow category, meaning they have 60 days to address US concerns or risk moving to a stricter category.
According to anonymous officials cited in the report, the draft list was created by the State Department weeks ago, and changes may still be made before it reaches the White House.
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has taken strong measures on immigration. He previously imposed a travel ban in 2017 on citizens of Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, which led to global criticism and legal battles in the US.
Although Iraq and Sudan were later removed from that list, the US Supreme Court upheld a modified version of the ban in 2018, which also included North Korea and Venezuela.
The new travel restrictions, if approved, could significantly impact people from the affected countries seeking to enter the United States.
