The US State Department has announced that it will immediately stop issuing visas to citizens of South Sudan and will revoke all visas already issued.
The decision, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday, is motivated by the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to cooperate in receiving its expelled citizens.
“It is time for the Transitional Government of South Sudan to stop taking advantage of the United States. Enforcing our nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States. Every country must accept the return of its citizens in a timely manner when another country, including the United States, seeks to remove them”, Rubio wrote in a brief press release, adding
“As South Sudan’s transitional government has failed to fully respect this principle, effective immediately, the United States Department of State is taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and prevent further issuance to prevent entry into the United States by South Sudanese passport holders”.
According to the Secretary of State, the measures may be withdrawn “when South Sudan is in full cooperation”.
I am taking actions to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders and to restrict any further issuance to prevent entry into the United States, effective immediately, due to the failure of South Sudan’s transitional government to accept the return of its repatriated…
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 5, 2025
100,000 illegal migrants deported
The decision comes as the situation in the young East African nation has escalated, with armed conflict, massive internal displacement and severe food shortages putting the country on the brink of civil war. According to the UN, more than half of the population is now dependent on humanitarian aid.
In the past, the US has already restricted consular services in the region. On April 22, 2023, the US Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, suspended visa issuance and passport processing, among other things, due to the current security situation in the country.
The announcement follows a series of restrictive immigration measures by the US administration. For example, in February, the previous Trump administration lifted protection from deportation for more than 300,000 Venezuelan citizens who had been granted temporary protected status in the US under previous administrations.
According to a report by the New York Post, over 100,000 illegal immigrants have been deported since Trump took office, a figure also confirmed by an anonymous source within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The difference between a visa and a residence permit
A visa is a temporary entry permit valid for short stays, such as tourism, study or work for a limited period of time.
A residence permit gives the right to live in a country for a longer period and can be temporary or permanent.
Visas do not automatically give the right to settle or work long-term. In the United States, the equivalent of an EU residence permit is the Green Card.
