As Government & U.S. Embassy Collaborate on Joint Messaging on Visa Campaign… Will U.S. Government Lift Visa Restrictions on Sierra Leone?
By Kelvin Jay
On 4th June 2025, President of the United States, Donald Trump, issued a presidential proclamation imposing visa restrictions on Sierra Leone and several other African countries.
According to the U.S. Government, the decision was based on the high overstay rate of Sierra Leonean nationals in the U.S., especially those holding B1/B2 tourist and business visas, as well as student and exchange visitor visas. The restrictions took effect on 9th June 2025, as announced by the U.S. Embassy in Freetown.
In line with the proclamation, the U.S. Embassy suspended the issuance of tourist, business, student, and exchange visitor non-immigrant visas (categories B, F, M, and J) to Sierra Leone nationals. Only certain immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens — such as IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5 — and adoption-related visas (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4) are still being processed.
U.S. Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Bryant David Hunt, explained that Sierra Leone ranks 13th globally for B1/B2 visa overstays and 8th for student and exchange visa overstays.
He emphasized that the restrictions aim to ensure that visitors and students comply with their visa terms. The Ambassador noted that the ban would last for 90 days and encouraged the Sierra Leonean government to create a valid mechanism for the prompt return of nationals who have overstayed in the U.S.
In response, Minister of Foreign Affairs Timothy Kabba assured the public of continued diplomatic engagement with the U.S., urging Sierra Leoneans with relatives overstaying abroad to encourage them to return home.
Minister of Information and Civic Education Chernor Bah echoed this stance, revealing that the government plans to work with the U.S. on a formal repatriation agreement and launch a campaign to raise awareness about the consequences of overstaying visas.
With roughly 60 days of the 90-day period elapsed, the Ministry of Information recently announced a joint meeting between Minister Chernor Bah and Jacqueline Moore, Director of Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy. The meeting focused on joint messaging around visa compliance and broader cooperation. Both parties agreed to launch public awareness campaigns highlighting the personal and national consequences of overstaying U.S. visas.
This development has fueled speculation that Sierra Leone could be removed from the visa restrictions list once the 90-day period expires. For now, all eyes are on the U.S. Government to see whether the restrictions will be lifted or maintained — and whether the recent cooperation will be enough to change Washington’s stance.
