Africa-Press – Liberia. Liberia is among 36 countries that could soon face sweeping travel restrictions to the United States, as the Trump administration moves to enforce tougher immigration and vetting policies.
An internal memo from the U.S. State Department — signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and obtained by The Washington Post — outlines a 60-day ultimatum for affected nations, including 25 in Africa, to meet new American benchmarks on civil documentation, governance, and cooperation on deportation matters.
Liberia’s inclusion on the list has already triggered widespread anxiety among her citizens who frequently travel to the United States for education, business, family reunification, or medical reasons.
The memo, dated Saturday, June 14, 2025, accuses the listed nations of failing to meet key U.S. standards for travel security. It notes that some countries are unable to produce reliable national ID or passport documents due to inadequate civil registry systems. Others reportedly have a high rate of U.S. visa overstays by their citizens.
In addition, the document cites widespread government fraud and weak institutional capacity as reasons for concern. It further points to countries that offer passports through financial investment without residency requirements, and flags claims of anti-Semitic and anti-American activity by nationals from some of the listed nations.
The State Department has given each government until 8 a.m. Wednesday to present an initial action plan to address these concerns. The full 60-day window ends in mid-August. If progress is not made, the United States could implement partial or full visa bans on nationals of these countries.
Bigger than ever before
The potential expansion of the travel ban aligns with President Donald Trump’s campaign promises to reinstate and enlarge restrictions imposed during his first term, which the Biden administration rescinded.
“This will be bigger than before,” Trump declared during a recent campaign stop, referencing his original 2017 travel ban that targeted Muslim-majority countries and several African states.
That earlier policy faced legal challenges and was eventually upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2018. Former U.S. President Biden lifted the ban upon taking office in 2021, but a January 2025 executive order has revived the vetting review process.
Under a June 4 presidential proclamation, Trump has already imposed full travel bans on 13 countries including Iran, Libya, and Afghanistan, and partial restrictions on seven others.
In addition to Liberia, the African countries named in the memo include Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Angola, among others. The list also includes U.S. allies like Egypt and Djibouti, raising diplomatic questions about Washington’s broader strategy in Africa.
Other countries on the list include Caribbean states such as Saint Lucia and Dominica, and Pacific Island nations such as Tonga and Tuvalu.
Democrats and human rights organizations in the U.S. have already condemned the move.
“This is a thinly veiled return to discriminatory and xenophobic policy,” said a U.S. civil rights attorney quoted in The Post. “It targets African, Caribbean, and Muslim-majority nations disproportionately, just as it did during Trump’s first term.”
Liberia on ‘Yellow List’
The new measures are tiered based on the severity of the security concerns flagged in each country. The levels range from yellow and orange to red. The Trump administration has warned that the affected countries must improve security measures, tighten border controls, and enhance cooperation with U.S. authorities on immigration and counterterrorism within 60 days to avoid being moved to a stricter category.
According to sources familiar with the deliberations, Liberia is on the “yellow list.” That gives the country a 60-day timeframe to address certain security concerns or face more stringent travel restrictions.
It is still unclear what that list of security concerns might include. And efforts to reach Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment were unsuccessful, by press time.
However, past U.S. travel restrictions have often cited concerns such as weak passport security, ineffective passport verification systems, and the risk of identity fraud. The lack of traveler information sharing has also been a key factor in previous restrictions, as the U.S. has imposed travel bans on countries that do not sufficiently share intelligence on travelers. Corruption and governance concerns are another issue, with nations that have weak governance structures often viewed as potential risks for illegal migration or security threats.
If these challenges go unaddressed, the potential US visa restrictions could have far-reaching implications for Liberian students and families seeking U.S. visas, diaspora engagements, government officials with diplomatic travel needs, and business travelers and Liberians with dual citizenship.
And if Liberia fails to meet the U.S. requirements within the 60-day period, Liberian citizens could face longer visa processing times as the U.S. imposes additional screening procedures. There could be an increase in visa denials, with stricter policies leading to a higher rejection rate for Liberian travelers, including students and business professionals. The U.S. may also suspend certain visa categories, restricting work, student, or tourist visas for Liberians if concerns are not resolved.
These tighter measures could signal Liberia’s move to the “orange” list, where visas would be sharply restricted, or even the “red” list, which would result in a full travel ban.
Countries on the “orange list”, including Russia, Pakistan, Haiti, Myanmar, and Sierra Leone, would see visas heavily restricted, with only business travelers allowed limited entry. The “red list” includes Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Venezuela. These face an outright travel ban.
The proposal to formally establish this tiered system is currently under review by diplomatic and security officials in the U.S. State Department, with final recommendations expected to be sent to the White House soon.
What to do?
Liberia has a long-standing diplomatic relationship with the United States, and past travel restrictions have not significantly impacted Liberian citizens. However, the inclusion on this list suggests that U.S. authorities believe there are security or immigration issues that need to be addressed.
For Liberia, a country still recovering from decades of civil conflict and working to improve its international image, the threat of a visa ban could undermine diplomatic and people-to-people ties with the United States.
With the clock ticking, Liberia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice may need to quickly engage the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia and outline steps to address the State Department’s concerns. Civil society organizations are also urging the government to prioritize this issue as a matter of national urgency. But the onus is on the Government of Liberia to act, including tightening security measures to an adequate degree that would curb the visa rejection rate.
Indeed, Liberia’s visa rejection rate for 2023/2024 stood at 78.19 percent — the fourth highest globally, according to a U.S. Department of State report — further reflecting the growing distrust in compliance by Liberian travelers. Following Liberia on that list are Mauritania (76.43%), Rwanda (71.09%), Senegal (70.47%) and Djibouti (68.37%) and Burundi (66.29%).
U.S. Ambassador Mark Toner during a public address in October 2024, noted the staggering number of Liberian applicants are found ineligible under U.S. immigration law. He pointed out that many applicants fail to meet the threshold of demonstrating strong ties to their home country — a key criterion for most nonimmigrant visas, especially the B1/B2 (visitor) category.
“Visa decisions are not made lightly,” Ambassador Toner said. “Our consular officers are trained to evaluate each application on a case-by-case basis, based on U.S. immigration law. The burden of proof is on the applicant to show they are eligible and that they will return to Liberia after their trip.”
While the Ambassador stressed that visa denials are not political, he made it clear that sincerity and adherence to visa terms are critical in maintaining travel privileges. “Liberians, when you travel to the United States, please come back within the period because that’s the only way the calculation can drop,” he urged.
Meanwhile, Liberians already in the United States — particularly on temporary visas — may also face complications if their home country is subjected to sanctions.
The lowest hanging fruit
The government’s ability to issue reliable national identification has also come under the spotlight, in this visa restriction saga. The State Department highlighted the lack of a robust biometric identification regime as an important risk factor.
This has put into fresh perspective the seemingly out-of-blue Executive Order #147, by which President Joseph N. Boakai mandated all citizens to enroll in the National Biometric Identification System (NBIS) and obtain a national identification card. The mandate, issued on April 30th, furthermore restricts citizens from receiving services unless they show their National ID. Affected services include phone registration, SIM retrieval, and access to financial services.
The mandate, which took effect on June 1st, has sent Liberians in their thousands rushing to the National Identification Registry and its satellite offices to obtain a card — often under heavy rains.
This mad rush has created severe bottlenecks at some registry cites, raising questions about whether the NIR is adequately resourced to meet such sudden and overwhelming demand.
While the deadline for obtaining the biometric ID has apparently been set at August 1st, the visa related pressure will only exacerbate the registry’s challenges.
On the upside, the latest developments have added some much-needed political capital to a forgotten agency. It has also pushed Liberians to obtain the documentation required to obtain a wide range of financial services. If fully implemented, the NIR’s mandate could be a boon for financial inclusion.
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