Without official notice, the Department of State (DOS) updated its visa reciprocity agreements with select countries and reduced the period of time for which a temporary visa in the following categories can be issued: B, F, H, J, M, and O. Foreign nationals from numerous countries will now only receive a 3-month single-entry visa from the US Consulate. This means that only one entry to the US with that visa is permitted. For any future travel to the U.S., a new visa will be required.

NAFSA, the Association of International Educators has compiled an initial list of affected countries. The list of countries impacted includes Nigeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Ghana among others and is subject to change. Foreign nationals should carefully check the reciprocity tables by country on the DOS website at before applying for a visa abroad.

Please note that the current administration has also enacted travel bans for certain countries which are independent of these reciprocity changes. It is possible that the administration will announce additional countries subject to these travel bans.

If you have any questions or require legal advice regarding travel risks, please contact your Van Der Hout representative.