The decision, announced by the U.S. Embassy in Bujumbura, follows broader immigration restrictions signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year, targeting immigrants and non-immigrants holding tourist, student, and business visas.
According to the Trump administration, the move followed repeated warnings about high visa overstay rates and individual noncompliance with the conditions of legal entry into the United States.
In a public advisory on Monday, August 4, the U.S. Embassy in Burundi emphasised that each Burundian traveller carries not only their personal ambitions but also the hopes of their families and communities.
The embassy urged Burundians to uphold U.S. immigration laws and protect future opportunities by ensuring full compliance with visa terms.
"Respecting visa rules isn't just a personal matter, it's national," the statement shared on social media platform X reads. "Let us uphold the rules, because one person's actions can close doors for an entire nation."
Trump has, in recent months, maintained that the visa bans are part of wider efforts to tighten immigration controls. In Executive Order 14161, titled 'Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,' the United States imposed full travel bans on seven African countries and partial restrictions on three others, including Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
President Trump defended the policy in a televised address, stating that the bans were not blanket prohibitions but targeted measures designed to encourage foreign governments to improve screening systems and immigration cooperation.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/burundians-urged-to-uphold-visa-rules-as-u-s-imposes-temporary-ban
