State Department outlines visa-review criteria tied to potential expansion of country restrictions

A State Department spokesperson said the department is assessing other countries' security capabilities, information sharing and identity-management practices as part of a review that could expand visa restrictions under the framework of Executive Order 14161.

That matters because the department said any expansion of restrictions would be based on whether the United States can trust partner countries to provide information used in U.S. visa adjudication, and because affected countries will be asked to improve systems rather than be automatically barred.

The spokesperson cited Executive Order 14161 when explaining the visa-adjudication standards and said the “visa adjudication process has got to ensure that U.S.-bound foreign travelers do not pose a threat to the national security and public safety of the United States.” The spokesperson listed factors considered in the reviews: countries’ security capabilities, information-sharing, identity management, exploitation of the U.S. visa system (including overstay rates) and failure to facilitate repatriation of removable nationals.

When pressed about a reported deadline for 36 countries to submit action plans, the spokesperson said that report was incorrect and that countries would be given “a considerable amount of time” to rectify identified shortcomings. The spokesperson added that the secretary will have discretion to determine which countries are included on any list and that the department will continuously vet conditions.

Less critical detail: the spokesperson framed the exercise as an effort to protect U.S. national security while enabling travel when partners meet information-sharing standards.