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Trump admin tightens visa rules for some South Africans: Who could face restrictions and what the new policy says
The US has implemented a visa restriction policy for foreign nationals linked to land seizures and racial discrimination in South Africa.
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The United States has announced a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals whom Washington says are responsible for or complicit in policies involving uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination or the incitement of imminent violence against minority racial or ethnic groups in South Africa.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the policy on September 15, which allows the Secretary of State to make a foreign national inadmissible when their entry into the US could have potentially serious adverse foreign-policy consequences. The State Department said certain family members could also be covered by the restrictions.
Who could face US visa restrictions?
The new policy does not name specific individuals. Instead, it targets foreign nationals who Washington determines are responsible for, or complicit in, the enactment or implementation of laws or policies that meet the criteria outlined by the State Department.
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The restrictions cover three broad areas: policies enabling uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination and incitement of imminent violence against minority ethnic or racial groups in South Africa.
Rubio said the South African government had not adequately addressed concerns previously raised by the Trump administration and urged Pretoria to take action.
The announcement follows President Donald Trump's February 2025 executive order on South Africa. That order accused the country's government of discriminatory policies and cited the Expropriation Act 13 of 2024, while directing US agencies to halt aid to South Africa, subject to certain exceptions. It also called for steps to prioritize humanitarian relief and resettlement for Afrikaners facing what the order described as racial discrimination.
South Africa disputes US claims
The new restrictions come amid growing tensions between Washington and Pretoria over land reform, racial policy and other foreign-policy disagreements.
South Africa has rejected allegations that white South Africans are being subjected to systematic discrimination or persecution. According to Reuters, Pretoria has said there is no evidence of such persecution and has argued that ideas of white racial superiority threaten the country's post-apartheid unity and sovereignty. President Cyril Ramaphosa has also called for efforts to counter what he described as false claims of white persecution.
Reuters reported that the South African embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest visa policy.
What the visa restriction means
The policy gives the Secretary of State another mechanism to restrict entry to the US based on foreign-policy considerations. It is distinct from a blanket visa ban on all South African nationals.
The State Department's announcement specifically focuses on people whom the US determines are involved in the policies or actions identified in the new restriction. It also says certain family members may fall within the restrictions.
The latest move marks another escalation in the Trump administration's approach to South Africa. Washington has previously taken steps involving US assistance to the country and Trump's administration has offered refugee resettlement to Afrikaners, while continuing to criticise Pretoria's land and racial policies.
