“The United States is considering restricting entry to citizens of 36 more countries in the significant expansion of the travel ban announced earlier this month by the Trump administration,” the Washington Post reported.
The report of the post is based on a State Department memo obtained by the State Department, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and sent to US diplomats posted to listed countries on June 14th.
The governments of countries listed in the memo have been given 60 days to meet the new benchmarks and requirements set by the State Department. The memo also set a deadline for June 18th (just a few days later). Countries are offering the US a preliminary plan for these new benchmark meetings. Countries that do not respond or satisfy the State Department may be subject to a full or partial ban on entry into the United States.
The issues raised in the memo are varied and vary from country to country. These include concerns about the country's ability to produce authentic identity documents for “government fraud,” or “anti-Semitism and anti-American activities,” or for the majority of citizens of countries that go beyond US visas.
Countries aimed at further scrutiny of the memos include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Gana, Ghana, Lively, Kiriz Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, St. Kitz and Nevis, St. Lucia, San Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tubal, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Approximately two-thirds of that list were found in Africa. This is because in recent years it has become an increasingly important source of students in foreign institutions due to the extremely large, youthful population and sustained issues surrounding the supply of higher education.
A recent brief from the Institute for International Education (IIE) stated, “The higher education system in some sub-Saharan Africa struggles to cope with the growth of student populations during university. In Nigeria, the youth population is growing rapidly, and universities in the country can only recognize one-third of the two 1 million students applied annually.”
The latest Sevis by the Numbers Report highlights that Africa was the fastest growing transmission region for higher education in the United States in 2024.
Two countries listed in the memo – Nigeria and Ghana were one of the top 20 international student markets in the US in 2024. Nigeria was America's ninth largest transmitting market last year, and Ghana was the fastest growing African market for US educators.
“Entreating global talent is important to fostering growth in the US economy and maintaining national leadership in research and development,” adds IIE Brief. “International students play an important role in ensuring the major STEM industries have access to top talent in areas such as health, technology and manufacturing. The American economy is also profiting. International students contribute to the US economy over $50 billion each year, and the US continues to promote the development of new industries.
For additional background, see:
