The United States government announced a worldwide visa restriction policy on July 24, 2026, targeting individuals involved in cybercrime and related offenses. The policy extends visa bans to immediate family members of those responsible for or complicit in activities such as online investment scams and sextortion.
Implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the new policy was announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on his last day at ASEAN meetings in the Philippines. Rubio emphasized that restricting visa issuance to those engaged in cyber-enabled crimes sends a message that “the United States will go after
those who prey on our citizens.” This policy is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to disrupt international cybercrime networks and follows President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14390 issued in March 2026 to intensify efforts against global scam operations.
The US government reported that American citizens lost at least $10 billion in online investment scams in 2024. The new visa restrictions target a broad range of cyber-enabled offenses, including cyberscams and sextortion. It also expands vetting and visa bond requirements, affecting student, exchange visitor, business, and tourist applicants from countries with known overstay risks. Visa restrictions now apply not
only to the perpetrators but also to their immediate family members as a deterrent against transnational criminal networks.
US officials have flagged cyber espionage campaigns named “Salt Typhoon” and “Volt Typhoon” linked to China. These campaigns target telecommunications and critical infrastructure networks globally to collect intelligence and establish footholds for potential future disruptions. According to FBI assessments, actors associated with “Salt Typhoon” have compromised global telecommunications providers. FBI Director Kash Patel engaged with Southeast Asian leaders, including in Cambodia, to strengthen regional cooperation on cybercrime and combat cyber-enabled fraud and scam centers.
Marco Rubio stated, “By restricting visa issuance to
those who are responsible for or complicit in these criminal enterprises, we are sending a clear message: The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens.” The US State Department affirmed that visa adjudications are treated as national security decisions, with policy extensions targeting cybercrime beyond traditional immigration violations. UN reports have noted that cybercriminal networks often integrate operations such as drug production, fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering within shared infrastructure, making these visa policies a critical component of disrupting such networks.
