As 90-Day Visa Restriction Expires… Will U.S. Government Lift or Extend the Ban on Sierra Leone?

By Kelvin Jay

It has now been 90 days since the U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on June 4, imposing visa restrictions on Sierra Leone. The ban, which targets B1/B2 (business and tourist) and student visa categories, was enacted due to high overstay rates among Sierra Leonean nationals—particularly those holding visitor and student visas.

In his proclamation, President Trump directed that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, establish a review process. Within 90 days—and every 180 days thereafter—a report must be submitted to the President via the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security. This report is to assess whether the restrictions outlined in Sections 2 and 3 of the proclamation should be continued, modified, lifted, or supplemented.
Following the imposition of the visa ban, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Timothy Kabba, stated that the government would pursue diplomatic engagement with the United States to seek the removal of Sierra Leone from the visa restriction list.
Similarly, the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, affirmed that the restriction was set for 90 days and expressed the government’s intent to work collaboratively with U.S. authorities during that period to address the root causes of the visa overstay issue.

In line with this commitment, Minister Bah and his team were photographed in August meeting with Jacqueline Moore, Public Affairs Director at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown. The meeting focused on launching a joint public awareness campaign to educate citizens on visa compliance and the personal and national consequences of overstaying visas. The initiative also aims to strengthen people-to-people ties between the two countries.

However, as the 90-day period has now lapsed, there has been no official update from the U.S. Government regarding whether the restrictions will be lifted, extended, or modified. This silence has left many Sierra Leoneans anxious to know if any progress has been made and whether the country will be removed from the visa restriction list.

With diplomatic efforts underway and engagement from both governments, there is cautious optimism that progress may have been made behind the scenes. The nation now awaits an official announcement from the U.S. State Department.