The US State Department has classified further international sports competitions as major events for which exemptions from the current entry bans apply. The AP news agency reports this, citing a letter it has to all US embassies and consulates.
However, the exceptions only apply to athletes, coaches and supervisors from the participating nations. Foreign spectators, media representatives and sponsors from countries subject to entry bans will continue to be barred from entering the United States. “Only a small proportion of travelers to the World Cup, the Olympic and Paralympic Games and other major sporting events will benefit from this exemption,” the letter said.
The competitions with special regulations include: Football World Cup in the summer and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, including Formula 1 races, games from the professional leagues NBA, NFL and NHL as well as golf tournaments. This also includes qualifying competitions, the Pan American Games and events organized by US sports associations.
Restrictive immigration policy
Fans of World Cup participants Iran and Haiti are affected by the complete entry bans in the 39 countries. There are also partial entry bans for nationals of other countries such as Senegal and Ivory Coast, which will face the German national team in the preliminary round.
The decision fits into the Trump administration’s overall restrictive immigration and visa policies. The US State Department announced this week that it would indefinitely stop issuing immigrant visas to nationals from 75 countries this month, including Russia, Iran, Yemen, Afghanistan, Brazil, Thailand, Nigeria, Egypt and Somalia. According to government information, tourist and business visas are not affected by this stop.
