Sierra Leone Telegraph: 9 June 2025:
“In accordance with the presidential proclamation, the U.S. Embassy has suspended issuance of tourist, business, student, and exchange visitor non-immigrant visas (categories B, F, M, and J) to nationals of Sierra Leone and can only issue immigrant visas for immediate family members of U.S. Citizens (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) or adoption (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4) to nationals of Sierra Leone.”
That’s part of a stack warning to Sierra Leoneans intending to apply for travel visa to the United States, published today by the country’s Embassy in Freetown.
Today marks that start of U.S. visa restrictions to Sierra Leone, a policy introduced by President Donald Trump last week, according to the President; “to curb illegal immigration and tackle terrorism.”
Sierra Leone is among a list of seven countries that are facing partial U.S. government visa restrictions that come into effect today.
A total of twelve countries whose nationals are fully restricted from travelling to the US under Trump’s travel ban are Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Seven other countries including Sierra Leone are subjected to partial restrictions: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
According to a statement published today by the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, these restrictions imposed on Sierra Leoneans do “not revoke existing visas”.
“If you already have a valid visa and use it lawfully, you may still travel to the United States and apply for entry at immigration.
“We strongly encourage all travellers to use their visa as intended and to avoid possible penalties and deportation for overstays”.
Citizens from the seven countries including Sierra Leone that are facing partial restrictions will no longer be able to apply for immigrant visas or non-immigrant temporary visas covering permanent immigration, student visas and tourism visas including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J. However, they will still be able to apply for some temporary visas.
These restrictions apply only to people outside the U. S at the time of the proclamation and who did not yet hold a valid visa at the time of the proclamation.
Travel visa restrictions do not apply to lawful permanent residents of the U.S, also known as green card holders; existing visa holders; foreign diplomats travelling under certain non-immigrant visa categories; dual nationals of the 19 countries included in the ban, if they are travelling on a passport of a country that is not subject to the ban; athletes or members of an athletic team, such as coaches, people performing a support role and immediate relatives, travelling for a major sporting event such as the World Cup or Olympics; immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) “with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (eg DNA)”.
The African Union, which includes seven of the 12 nations on the full travel ban list, said the ban would harm “people-to-people ties, educational exchange, commercial engagement, and broader diplomatic relations” that were built with the US over past decades.
“The African Union Commission respectfully calls upon the US administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned,” the bloc said in a statement.
Chad responded by suspending visas for US citizens. In a Facebook post last Thursday, President Idriss Deby said: “I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to US citizens.”
“The high visa overstay rate for 2022 and 2023 is unacceptable and indicates a blatant disregard for United States immigration laws,” Trump’s proclamation stated.
Other African nations were more conciliatory, however. Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the US, said in a statement that Somalia is ready to work with the US. “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised,” he said.
Sierra Leone’s information minister, Chernor Bah, said: “Our attitude to this is what more can we do? How can we collaborate with our U.S partners with whom we have and believe will maintain a very good relationship.”
Trump’s proclamation said Sierra Leone, which is now subject to partial restrictions, “has historically failed to accept back its removable nationals”.
You can read the full proclamation below:
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