Liberia Avoids New U.S. Travel Restrictions Amid Previous Concerns

By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com | Monrovia, Liberia

Monrovia, June 15, 2025 — Liberia has been identified as one of 36 countries under review for potential new U.S. travel restrictions, according to a classified U.S. State Department memo first reported by The Washington Post and subsequently confirmed by Reuters .

The memo, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and circulated to U.S. embassies worldwide, gives flagged nations a 60-day window to correct deficiencies in areas like identity-document systems, visa overstay rates, deportation cooperation, and passport security.

For Liberia, inclusion stems largely from alarming visa overstay rates. According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security data, nearly half of Liberian visitors overstayed their B‑1/B‑2 visas, and 30% of student visa holders remained beyond their authorized stays, producing an overall overstay rate of around 80%.

Additional concerns noted in the memo include unreliable civil documentation and insufficient mechanisms for repatriating nationals.

This latest development builds on a June 4 presidential proclamation reinstating travel bans on 12 countries and partial restrictions on another seven, part of former President Trump’s immigration agenda. The current memo reflects a potential significant scale-up, pending whether the 36 flagged countries meet the new criteria.

U.S. missions have reportedly been instructed to submit action plans within 60 days. Failure to meet the standards could lead to visa suspensions or entry bans.

Criticism has arisen over the policy’s criteria. Many analysts question whether visa overstays alone justify inclusion, particularly as some countries with similar rates were not listed.

Liberia’s government has yet to issue an official response. With the deadline looming in mid-August, thousands of Liberians planning to travel to the U.S. may face hurdles if benchmarks are not met before then.

Earlier reports, stemming from a confidential memo, indicated that Liberia was placed on a “yellow list,” signaling a 60-day period to address specific security and governance deficiencies or risk inclusion in an expanded Trump-era travel ban.