DILI, 15 March 2025 (TATOLI) – The U.S. administration, under President Trump’s leadership, is considering imposing restrictions on citizens from 41 countries—including Timor-Leste and three ASEAN nations—as part of a new ban plan, Reuters reported on Saturday, citing an internal memo.
This travel restriction is part of the Trump administration’s continuous immigration crackdown, which he launched at the start of his second term in January.
According to the memo, the 41 countries are divided into three separate groups. The first group consists of 10 nations that would be subjected to a complete visa suspension, including Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen.
In the second group, in addition to Eritrea, Haiti, and South Sudan, there are two ASEAN countries, Laos and Myanmar, which would be subjected to a partial visa suspension.
Meanwhile, Timor-Leste and Cambodia are placed in the third group, along with 24 other countries, which would be considered for a partial visa suspension if their governments do not address issues highlighted by the U.S. government within 60 days.
In addition to Timor-Leste, four other CPLP countries—Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Equatorial Guinea are also placed in the same group to be considered for partial visa suspension.
However, according to the list published by The New York Times, Timor-Leste is not included in Trump’s new travel ban.
An unnamed U.S. official said that the restrictions plan is not yet final and could undergo changes before approval by the U.S administration.
It is recalled that, on January 20, Trump’s administration issued an executive order to intensify the security vetting of any foreign nationals seeking admission to the U.S.
TATOLI
