WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has directed U.S. embassies and consulates around the world to prioritize visa applications from foreigners who want to travel to the United States to invest or attend the 2026 World Cup, 2028 Olympics and other major sporting events.
At the same time, the government added new criteria for highly skilled foreign workers seeking specific visas. The new rules will deny entry to those deemed to be directing or participating in the censorship of U.S. citizens on social media through content moderation initiatives emerging in Europe and elsewhere. Such initiatives have emerged in Europe and elsewhere to combat extremist rhetoric.
A series of cables sent to all U.S. diplomatic missions this week and obtained by The Associated Press said visa applications for businessmen considering “significant investments” in the U.S. should be prioritized along with those seeking to “participate in major sporting events that showcase American excellence.”
It’s the latest move by President Donald Trump’s administration to crack down on immigrants and tourists entering the United States, but as the country plans to host major sporting events, it wants to ensure fans can attend those games. The policies are under intense scrutiny ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw.
Focus on foreign sports fans
As part of a broader effort to control foreigners entering the United States, the State Department said all people requiring visas to enter the United States will need to undergo in-person interviews and screening to review them for potential national security risks.
This has resulted in many embassies and consulates experiencing long wait times for interviews for “B1” and “B2” visa applications despite a surge in consular staff.
Last month, Trump announced a new initiative called “FIFA Pass” for foreigners traveling to the United States to watch the World Cup, which would allow them to get visa interviews more quickly. Still, he encouraged them to apply for visas “immediately.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the U.S. government has deployed more than 400 additional consular officials around the world to handle visa needs for the World Cup, and that in about 80% of the world, travelers to the United States can obtain visa appointments within 60 days – this was reflected in the cable.
The new initiative in Telegraph this week goes beyond the FIFA Pass scheme and aims to speed up applications for those looking to travel to the United States to watch the Olympics and other major sporting events.
One of two cables sent on Tuesday said the post “should ensure sufficient reservation capacity to accommodate spectators and other fans traveling to events surrounding the (World Cup) event”. “These applications shall take precedence over all other B1/B2 applications, except those related to the reindustrialization of the United States.”
Other priority groups include foreign diplomats, government officials traveling on official business, temporary agricultural workers, religious workers, doctors and nurses, and students attending academic institutions with foreign enrollment rates below 15%.
“Positions should ensure that applicants from higher-ranked groups receive priority over applicants from lower-ranked groups, regardless of the needs of the lower-ranked applicants,” the cable said. “Positions may significantly reduce the number of appointment vacancies available for lower-ranked groups to accommodate demand from higher-ranked groups.”
A guide to new visas for highly skilled workers
A second cable sent to all embassies and consulates on Tuesday laid out new criteria for considering H-1B visa applications, instructing diplomats to be “vigilant” to those who may have been or are “responsible for or complicit in cyber and other censorship of Americans.”
The visas allow American companies to bring in technical talent that is hard to find in the United States, and President Donald Trump has said he will charge them an annual fee of $100,000.
The department said such evidence could result in a visa being denied. It defines such information as “adopting a global content moderation policy that is inconsistent with free speech, complying with global content moderation or censorship requirements from foreign entities, and providing access to private data of U.S. citizens related to content moderation.”
Evidence of this can be obtained from applicants’ resumes, work history, social media profiles and posts, and public statements or writings, the cable said, adding that the State Department was developing tools to make these screenings easier and faster.
It noted that all visa applicants must comply with these standards, but H-1B applicants should receive the closest attention “because many work or have worked in the technology industry, including at social media or financial services companies that are involved in suppressing protected speech.”
“You must thoroughly investigate their employment history to ensure that they did not engage in such activity,” the cable said, adding that “if you find evidence that the applicant was responsible for or complicit in the censorship of protected speech in the United States, or attempted to censor protected speech, you should seek a determination that the applicant is ineligible” to receive a visa.
