The Trump administration has made a significant announcement regarding travel exemptions for athletes and coaches participating in major sporting events, despite a broad visa ban on nearly 40 countries. In a cable sent to all US embassies and consulates, the State Department outlined a list of athletic competitions that will be exempt from the travel restrictions. These events include the World Cup, the Olympics, and a wide range of other major sporting events endorsed or organized by various collegiate and professional leagues and associations.
The cable specifies that athletes, coaches, and support staff for these events will be exempt from the full and partial travel bans that apply to citizens of 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority. However, it's important to note that foreign spectators, media, and corporate sponsors planning to attend these events will still be banned unless they qualify for another exemption.
The administration's decision comes as part of ongoing efforts to tighten US entry standards for foreigners, while also ensuring that athletes, coaches, and fans can attend major sporting events in the country. The proclamation issued by Donald Trump on December 16, which banned the issuance of visas to the 39 countries and the Palestinian Authority, initially carved out an exception for athletes and staff competing in the World Cup, the Olympics, and other major sporting events. The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was tasked with deciding which other sporting events would be covered by this exemption.
The cable released on Wednesday lists the specific events that are included in the exemption, covering a wide range of competitions and events. These include all competitions and qualifying events for the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan-American Games, and Para Pan-American Games, as well as events hosted, sanctioned, or recognized by US National Governing Bodies. It also includes all competitions and qualifying events for the Special Olympics and official events and competitions hosted or endorsed by FIFA, the governing body of soccer, or its confederations.
The exemption further extends to official events and competitions hosted by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as well as those hosted or endorsed by US professional sports leagues such as the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, Little League, NHL, PWHL, NASCAR, Formula 1, PGA, LPGA, LIV Golf, Major League Rugby, Major League Soccer, WWE, UFC, and All Elite Wrestling. The cable also mentions that other events and leagues could be added to the list.
It's worth noting that a full travel ban applies to citizens of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and people with Palestinian Authority-issued passports. A partial ban is in place for citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Togo, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
