A PRIEST IN ANAMBRA STATE WEDDED A COUPLE YESTERDAY, DESPITE DISPUTES WITH THE BRIDE’S FATHER. (PHOTOS).
Starting Thursday, individuals from seven countries will be barred from traveling to the United States under new restrictions, according to updated guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The travel limits, signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump, affect citizens of Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria. The restrictions apply to both immigrant and non-immigrant travelers. Officials cite national security and public safety as the reasons for the ban, while critics say it disproportionately targets African and Muslim-majority countries.
The new measures continue existing travel restrictions on individuals from Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial restrictions remain in place for travelers from Venezuela and Cuba.
The announcement comes as the administration also implemented changes to the H-1B visa program earlier this week. The program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers with specialized skills, previously used a random lottery system for applicants. The new rules prioritize registrations based on potential wages, giving preference to higher-paid positions.
“The existing random selection process of H-1B registrations was exploited and abused by U.S. employers who were primarily seeking to import foreign workers at lower wages than they would pay American workers,” a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson said. The agency said the weighted system will encourage higher-skilled, higher-paid workers and help American businesses compete globally.
Immigration attorneys warn the change will reduce the number of eligible applicants and make it harder for international students to remain in the U.S. after graduation, potentially worsening the “brain drain.” Currently, there are about 85,000 H-1B visa applications, according to USCIS.
The move reflects the administration’s broader focus on tightening visa and travel restrictions across multiple countries.
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