New US Visa Restrictions Target Europeans with ISIS Ties
The Obama administration will announce a plan as early as Thursday to introduce new visa requirements for European travelers who are dual citizens of Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Syria or have visited to those countries in the last five years.
Officials want to make it harder for Europeans who have ties to the Islamic State to enter the country.
The law, passed by Congress in December, only affects a minority of Europeans, but it has prompted concern by some countries about their citizens who generally enjoy visa-free travel to the United States.
Iran is also claiming the United States is violating last summer's nuclear accord by penalizing legitimate business travel to the Islamic Republic.
Iraq and Syria were specifically targeted because the Islamic State occupies significant territory in each of those countries. Iran, Sudan, and Syria are also included because the United States sees them as state sponsors of terrorism.
Homeland Security will outline how they will phase in the new rule. According to a congressional aide, the administration will create exceptions for those who traveled to any of the four countries for government or United Nations work, or for humanitarian or journalistic reasons.
