Washington Lifts Restrictions on Non-Immigrant Visas for Turkmen Citizens
Official news
On December 16, 2025, the head of the U.S. administration, Donald Trump, approved an order expanding the list of countries whose citizens face entry restrictions to the United States. According to the official White House website, the new provisions will take effect on January 1, 2026, and will affect two dozen additional countries and territories.
However, regarding Turkmenistan, the U.S. leadership has taken the opposite approach, easing existing visa barriers. Restrictions on issuing non-immigrant visas in categories B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J for Turkmen citizens have been lifted. These visa categories cover business trips, tourism, education, and exchange programs.
At the same time, the suspension of immigrant visa issuance for Turkmen citizens remains in effect. The U.S. administration justified this decision by citing constructive cooperation from Turkmenistan and significant achievements in modernizing identity verification systems and information exchange following the previous order.