WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Most U.S. visa applicants denied because of former President Donald Trump’s travel ban on 13 countries that have mostly Muslims and African countries can make new decisions or submit new applications, the State Department said Monday.
President Joe Biden overthrew Trump’s so-called Muslim ban on January 20, his first day in office, calling it a “stain on our national conscience” in his proclamation.
Department of State spokesman Ned Price said applicants who refused visas before January 20, 2020, should submit new applications and pay a new application fee. Those who are denied January 20, 2020 or later can request reconsideration without resubmitting their applications and do not have to pay additional fees, Price said.
Applicants selected in the diversity visa lottery prior to the current financial year are prohibited by U.S. law from issuing visas if they have not yet received them, he said. The diversity lottery is aimed at accepting immigrants from countries that do not normally get many visas.
Since December 2017, after a revised version of the original travel ban was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, according to State Department data, entry into the United States has been banned under the ban.
During the Trump administration, some countries were added and others off the list. At the end of Trump’s presidency, it consists of Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela and Yemen.
Reporting by Eric Beech; Edited by Christopher Cushing