US Suspends Visas for Citizens of Laos

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US Restriction on Laos Visas

The United States Government has discontinued issuance of certain visas for citizens of Laos and nationals applying in Laos after a disagreement regarding the deportation of Lao nationals.

According to a notice posted on the US Embassy in Laos website, as of 1 April 2020, the US Government has discontinued issuance of all immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for Lao citizens and nationals applying in Laos, except for certain types [listed in the notice] and others whose travel is covered by Section 11 of the UN Headquarters Agreement, subject to limited exceptions.

The action was taken pursuant to section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

The notice states that the Secretary of Homeland Security has notified the Secretary of State that Laos denies or unreasonably delays accepting the return of its citizens, subjects, nationals or residents subject to final orders of removal from the United States, and the Secretary of State has ordered consular officers in Laos to discontinue granting all nonimmigrant visas for Lao citizens and nationals applying in Vientiane, with limited exceptions.

The notice continues, however, that should an individual submit a visa application after 1 April 2020, the consular section will proceed with an interview.  However, a consular officer will not be able to issue a visa to applicants subject to the Secretary’s order until visa issuance is resumed.

Once these sanctions have been lifted, the Embassy may issue nonimmigrant visas to eligible visa applicants.

Consular operations at the US Embassy in Vientiane will continue. These visa restrictions do not affect other consular services provided, including adjudication of applications from individuals not covered by the suspension.

Countries that refuse or unreasonably delay accepting the return of their nationals who have been ordered removed from the United States are labeled “recalcitrant.”

According to a Memorandum on Visa Sanctions issued by the White House:

“The Secretary of Homeland Security shall notify the Secretary of State, pursuant to section 243(d) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1253(d), if any government of a foreign country denies or unreasonably delays the acceptance of aliens who are citizens, subjects, nationals, or residents of that country after being asked to accept those aliens, and if such denial or delay is impeding operations of the Department of Homeland Security necessary to respond to the ongoing pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2.”

In July 2018, the Trump administration ordered the suspension of the issuance of visas to certain citizens of Laos after the country refused to take back its persons deported from the United States.

The US Department of Homeland Security said it had ordered the State Department to sanction visas for Laos and Myanmar because the two countries “denied or unreasonably delayed accepting their nationals ordered removed.”

During the Obama administration, the Lao government accepted several deported nationals, however, President Trump has taken a tougher stance on immigration, leading to increased pressure on many countries to accept deportees.

9 COMMENTS

  1. Great, Laos is a communist country which never follow international rules and laws. Laotian government persecuted the Hmong people including ladies and children. It’s great to stop them coming to US for any reason.

  2. Thank you to the Laos government who refused USA imperialist bully. These peoples may made some wrong choice during they young age and stupidity but they had served their time already. It’s is a double punishment for these peoples. Laos is not hmong country and been kicked out long time ago. These peoples are not recognized by the Laos government and not Laos citizenship.

  3. June 25, 2020 Post: Freedom of Speech: The Hmong/ Laotion residents HAVE SERVED HIS/HER SENTENCES. These means, the paidoff of what they wrong did then, and when they done “served” the wrong doing has then fix or paid for, they should be release from their penalties conditions. Those that keep repeatedly re wrong doing so why did this gov just punish them instead of deported thread against their rights. The fact and the matter were “THE VIETNAM WAR OR CIA WAR” WAS THE REASON THAT Hmong and Laos put their lives “THROUGH” the dangers crossing border to Thailand to had having a sufficient suffering with physical, psychological, mental, emotional, and financially condition that had been destroyed all their lives and nothing in this earth CANNOT ABLE TO HEAL THEIR SCRATCHES LIVES before the World allowing or accepting each group OR FAMILIES to their countries. The Hmong or laos people did not JUST want to lives or just come or immigrated to lives in US alone. The facts that the CIA WAR was the CAUSED AND CAUSED THESE ENTIRE Hmong DROPPED INTO THESE BLACK HOLES of THESE FAR SUFFERING CONDITION LIVES AND STILL HAVE TO deports them back into the country that they had been INVOLVED WITH CIA WAR AND CAUSED THAT communist to tortures and killed them by caused them running to the forest of laos then and now for these long periods of times and now some Hmong still hanging their lives at jungles of laos. This problem should have been solves as responsibility, but never and still. IF Hmong people Just Immigrated themselves into US, than sure they can be deports because they in fact have their own country that they choose to came to US. BUT NOT Hmong people. Remember: The Vietnam War was the cause everything being destroyed for life and that experience will never be recovered or be the same until death due upon.
    Lao gov denies accepting Hmong and laos people and caused unreasonably delays accepting THE RETURN OF ITS CITIZENS, subjects, nationals, or residents subject to final ORDERS of REMOVAL from US. Note: Hmong people come to US due to the cia war cause and 2018,2029 and 2020 these Hmong peoples already became US residency and already in US up to 10, 25, 30 and 45- Years and they still fall into the category of deportation conditions. These are not fair to any one or people in this continent.

  4. June 25, 2020 Post: Freedom of Speech: The Hmong/ Laotion residents HAVE SERVED HIS/HER SENTENCES. These means, the paidoff of what they wrong did then, and when they done “served” the wrong doing has then fix or paid for, they should be release from their penalties conditions. Those that keep repeatedly re wrong doing so why did this gov just punish them instead of deported thread against their rights. The fact and the matter were “THE VIETNAM WAR OR CIA WAR” WAS THE REASON THAT Hmong and Laos put their lives “THROUGH” the dangers crossing border to Thailand to had having a sufficient suffering with physical, psychological, mental, emotional, and financially condition that had been destroyed all their lives and nothing in this earth CANNOT ABLE TO HEAL THEIR SCRATCHES LIVES before the World allowing or accepting each group OR FAMILIES to their countries. The Hmong or laos people did not JUST want to lives or just come or immigrated to lives in US alone. The facts that the CIA WAR was the CAUSED AND CAUSED THESE ENTIRE Hmong DROPPED INTO THESE BLACK HOLES of THESE FAR SUFFERING CONDITION LIVES AND STILL HAVE TO deports them back into the country that they had been INVOLVED WITH CIA WAR AND CAUSED THAT communist to tortures and killed them by caused them running to the forest of laos then and now for these long periods of times and now some Hmong still hanging their lives at jungles of laos. This problem should have been solves as responsibility, but never and still. IF Hmong people Just Immigrated themselves into US, than sure they can be deports because they in fact have their own country that they choose to came to US. BUT NOT Hmong people. Remember: The Vietnam War was the cause everything being destroyed for life and that experience will never be recovered or be the same until death due upon.
    Note: Hmong people come to US due to the cia war cause and 2018,2029 and 2020 these Hmong peoples already became US residency and already in US up to 10, 25, 30 and 45- Years and they still fall into the category of deportation conditions. These are not fair to any one or people in this continent.