Trump adds countries to visa restrictions

The Trump administration announced Friday it was curbing immigration from six countries that failed to meet minimum security standards. Immigrants from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar (also known as Burma), Nigeria, Sudan, and Tanzania will face restrictions in obtaining some types of visas, effective Feb. 21.

How strict is the ban? The United States is not blocking all travel from the countries. U.S. authorities will suspend immigration visas for applicants seeking permanent residence from Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and Nigeria. The ban covers diversity visas, which are given to select recipients from countries with low rates of immigration, and people sponsored by family members or employers. Sudan and Tanzania will only have diversity visas suspended. The change does not affect travel for tourism, business, medical treatment, or other nonimmigrant visas.

Dig deeper: Read Evan Wilt’s report about President Donald Trump’s revisions to his administration’s first travel ban in 2017.