"The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens,”“This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, such as those involved in cyberscams, and sextortion.
Immediate family members of individuals engaged in such illicit activities may also be subjected to visa restrictions."
US has announced a new global visa restriction policy.
The latest policy targets individuals involved in cybercrime and cyber-enabled offences.
In a recent advisory, the bureau said Chinese-affiliated actors had targeted telecommunications networks globally and called on organisations to strengthen defences against long-term infiltration attempts.
"The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens,”
“This policy targets individuals responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime, such as those involved in cyberscams, and sextortion. Immediate family members of individuals engaged in such illicit activities may also be subjected to visa restrictions."
US has announced a new global visa restriction policy. The latest policy targets individuals involved in cybercrime and cyber-enabled offences. This includes applicants who will be found involved with online investment scams and sextortion. Announcing the measure, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the policy could also apply to immediate family members of those responsible for or complicit in such activities.he added.The new policy, introduced under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, is part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to combat international cybercrime networks. In a statement, Rubio said,The US State Department's new cybercrime visa policy expands its use of visa restrictions as a deterrent beyond immigration violations.Similar measures this year have targeted individuals accused of supporting political violence, aiding adversaries, cartel networks or undermining regional stability, with family members also facing restrictions.The US State Department's new cybercrime visa policy expands its use of visa restrictions as a deterrent beyond immigration violations. Similar measures this year have targeted individuals accused of supporting political violence, aiding adversaries, cartel networks or undermining regional stability, with family members also facing restrictions.The policy is part of broader efforts to tighten the visa system, both before and after applications are filed.The State Department has expanded online presence vetting for student and exchange visitor applicants, stating that visa adjudications are treated as national security decisions. It has also expanded visa bonds for some business and tourist applicants from countries associated with overstay risk.Public records show that cyber-enabled crime is frequently transnational and that foreign suspects are brought into U.S. courts, but they do not offer a clear public count of cybercriminals who obtained US visas.DOJ records include foreign nationals extradited in cyber-enabled fraud and extortion cases, as well as those arrested at US airports in cryptocurrency fraud prosecutions, but these records generally do not specify visa status. The State Department says thousands of people attempt to illegally obtain U.S. visas each year to commit crimes or evade prosecution, though it does not publish a cybercrime-specific breakdown.US officials have pointed to cyber campaigns called “Salt Typhoon” and “Volt Typhoon” CISA, FBI and NSA assessments have identified Chinese-linked actors associated with these campaigns who have sought to establish long-term access to telecommunications and other critical infrastructure networks to facilitate intelligence collection and possibly position themselves to disrupt systems during a future crisis. The agencies describe this as part of a broader strategy to embed within critical networks rather than conduct short-term intrusions.The FBI has previously said actors linked to "Salt Typhoon" compromised telecommunications providers as part of a cyberespionage operation affecting communications infrastructure. In a recent advisory, the bureau said Chinese-affiliated actors had targeted telecommunications networks globally and called on organisations to strengthen defences against long-term infiltration attempts.
