New U.S. Travel Restrictions: What You Need to Know?

Martha Arias — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:34:23 +0000

During my recent interview with Gaby Perozo on “Claro y Directo América,” we discussed the recent presidential proclamation that limits or suspends entry to the United States for citizens from these countries.

Effective June 9, 2025, individuals from Venezuela and Cuba will not be able to enter the United States with an immigrant visa (for example, those seeking U.S. residency). The same restrictions apply to nonimmigrant visas—including tourist (B1/B2), business, and student (F, M, J) visas—even if they have already been issued. There are some exceptions for those who enter before June 9, but anyone applying or waiting for approval outside the U.S. will be affected.

Haitians face an even stricter restriction, with all types of visas—immigrant and nonimmigrant—suspended. This total ban creates added uncertainty for families and students who have made plans to come to the U.S. this year.

For those currently holding visas, I recommend you act swiftly. If you have an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa and have postponed your trip, enter the United States before June 9 if possible. Students, be mindful that many student visas only allow entry 30 days before your program starts. If you cannot enter before the deadline, it may be possible to use a tourist visa and later change your status while in the U.S., but this approach involves legal requirements and costs, so always consult with a qualified immigration attorney before making any decisions.

The government will review these restrictions in 90 days, and possibly modify or continue them based on new developments. As always, I will keep you updated as soon as we have new information.

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SPANISH TRANSCRIPT:

Gaby Perozo:
Ahora quiero profundizar en el tema de estas restricciones de viaje desde el punto de vista legal de los abogados de inmigración porque seguramente usted o conoce o tiene familiares, tiene algún nexo con algún venezolano y algún cubano o incluso algún haitiano que se vea directamente afectado con esta nueva medida de la Casa Blanca. Así que le doy la bienvenida a la abogada de inmigración Martha Arias. Muchísimas gracias por estar aquí, porque queremos que nos ayudes a entender. En primer lugar, yo creo que podríamos empezar con las que tienen una restricción media. En este caso, estaríamos hablando de Venezuela y Cuba. ¿Qué interpretas tú del dicho del presidente y también de lo que se ha venido publicando oficialmente?

Dra. Martha Arias:
Sí, hola. ¿Qué tal? Un saludo para usted y para toda su audiencia. Efectivamente, esta proclamación presidencial que salió hoy, bueno, anoche, 4 de junio del 2025, prohíbe en forma limitada a países como Venezuela, Haití y Cuba entrar a los Estados Unidos. Hay dos cosas que vale la pena mencionar. La primera es que estos países, en este caso hablemos de Cuba y Venezuela, no podrían entrar a los Estados Unidos con visa de inmigrante. ¿Esto qué quiere decir? Las personas que fueron a recibir la residencia, es decir, la visa de inmigrante en los consulados de Estados Unidos, no podrían entrar después del 9 de junio, que es cuando entra en vigencia esta medida.
Las personas que tienen visa de inmigrante, perdón, de no inmigrante, como visa de turista, visa de negocios que es la B1, la visa de estudiante que es la F, la M que es una visa de estudiante pero de estudio práctico y la J, esas personas tampoco les van a permitir entrar a los Estados Unidos aunque tengan esas visas.
Otra cosa que dice la regulación es que pueden ser limitadas esas visas que ya tengan las personas, pueden ser limitadas en cada caso particular. En otras palabras, pueden consultar y hacer una revisión al que ya tenga esa visa. No aplica para los que no tengan la visa antes del 9 de junio, ni para los que ya tengan su visa antes del 9 de junio o los que estén dentro de los Estados Unidos. Es decir, los que vayan ahora a aplicar y estén fuera de los Estados Unidos son los que mayormente van a tener esta limitación.

Gaby Perozo:
Sí, perdona que sea como reiterativa y todo eso porque es difícil de entender. Es decir, si una persona ya tiene su visa aprobada esta semana, que está antes de entrar, ¿esa persona todavía goza del derecho de tener esa visa de turista, venir a Estados Unidos y devolverse?

Dra. Martha Arias:
Si la persona ya tiene la visa aprobada, sea de turista o sea de inmigrante, es decir, de residente, puede ingresar antes del 9 de junio, sería el resumen. Después del 9 de junio, no va a poder ingresar.

Gaby Perozo:
Exacto, puede entrar la persona con la visa antes del 9 de junio, puede entrar hasta el domingo. Pero luego, todos los turistas que ya habían sido aprobados ya lamentablemente no pueden visitar Estados Unidos.

Dra. Martha Arias:
No podrían entrar a los Estados Unidos.

Gaby Perozo:
¿Y qué pasa con las personas que estaban en proceso? Por ejemplo, algunas citas, en el caso de Venezuela no hay embajada ni consulados, viajan a Colombia y a cualquier parte del mundo para hacer este proceso, lo más probable es que reciban una notificación de que esto ya no está vigente o podrían seguir otorgando visas.

Dra. Martha Arias:
Esa es una pregunta importante que vamos a tener que esperar que el Departamento de Estado se pronuncie porque como usted bien lo dice, puede haber citas ya agendadas para julio, para agosto y para visas de residentes, es decir, la visa de inmigrante. Y puede ser que esas citas sean suspendidas. No sé si los consulados vayan a continuar con la cita y les vayan a hacer la entrevista e incluso les vayan a emitir la visa, a sabiendas que no pueden entrar a los Estados Unidos.
Entonces, me parece a mí que de pronto el Departamento de Estado sí irá a pronunciarse informando que esas citas serán canceladas. Eso es lo que pienso que pueda pasar. No veo la razón para que se tengan esas citas si la persona igual no va a poder entrar a los Estados Unidos.
¿Y por cuánto? La pregunta siguiente es ¿por cuánto tiempo dura esto?
El documento dice que el gobierno, en 90 días junto con el Departamento de Estado, el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional y el Departamento de Defensa de los Estados Unidos van a revisar esto en 90 días a partir del 9 de junio para determinar si se para este programa, si se suspende, se modifica o se suplemente.
O sea que vamos a tener tres meses que vamos a ver cómo esto prosigue y de ahí pues el gobierno nos dejará saber si continúa. Y dice el documento que después de allí, después de esos 90 días, va a haber una revisión cada 180 días.

Gaby Perozo:
Sí, ahora en el caso particular de Haití, es decir, para Cuba y Venezuela los residentes permanentes pueden seguir ingresando, entran dentro de las excepciones. En el caso de Haití es mucho más profunda la prohibición, ¿no?

Dra. Martha Arias:
Efectivamente, lo que es Venezuela y Cuba tienen un poquito menos de problemas. Aquí dice que se suspende la entrada de todos los haitianos, sea con visa de inmigrante o no inmigrante, y queda completamente suspendida. ¿La diferencia cuál es? Que en el caso de Cuba y Venezuela, específicamente nombran las visas, dice B1, B2, B1-B2, F, M y J, que son las que mencioné. Esas son las de no inmigrante que no podrían venir. Por ejemplo, si una persona tiene una visa L, por ejemplo un venezolano, puede entrar. Que es una L, no está restringida. Aquí en Haití son todas las visas de no inmigrante, todas, cualquiera que sea la visa, en adición a las visas de inmigrante. Es una prohibición total. Como dice el mismo documento, es full, full y suspendido.

Gaby Perozo:
Sí, ahora también estaba escuchando a algunos abogados asegurar que esta posición particular de la Casa Blanca podría fortalecer algunos casos de asilo, porque por ejemplo hablan de que en Venezuela no hay una autoridad central y que adicionalmente no hay medidas para tener seguridad en esa nación y esto se une con las advertencias de viaje que hacían. ¿Tú crees que esto podría favorecer a los que están dentro del país como parte de los alegatos para que sus casos de asilo prosperen dentro de Estados Unidos?

Dra. Martha Arias:
Sí, efectivamente me parece que el abogado que esté manejando el caso, un venezolano o incluso un cubano que también está presentando asilo, debería hacer ese argumento, que es un argumento válido. Pero acuérdese, también es muy importante que la persona muestre que tuvo persecución. Entonces, muchas de estas peticiones de asilo adolecen de esa prueba de persecución. Entonces, ahí es donde hay el problema, porque ese argumento de la situación del país puede ir a mostrarse dentro de lo que son los cinco grupos de protección, tal vez el motivo, pero lo que la persecución incide, ese requisito de persecución, igual hay que mostrarse. Entonces, son varias cosas. No todo el mundo que vaya a hacer el argumento podría triunfar si no hay una muestra de persecución.

Gaby Perozo:
Finalmente, ¿qué recomendación le hace a las personas, sobre todo las que están más afectadas ahora, las que están fuera de Estados Unidos y tenían planes de viaje? ¿Qué deben hacer, a qué tienen que estar atentos?

Dra. Martha Arias:
Me parece que las personas que tengan visa de inmigrante ya emitida y que han postergado tal vez un viaje de entrada deben hacerlo lo más rápido posible antes del 9 de junio. Las personas que tienen visa de no inmigrante, incluyendo visas de estudiantes que mencionamos, la M y la visa F de estudiante, esas personas también, si tenían para comenzar su estudio ahora en el verano, deben tratar de entrar a los Estados Unidos. Importante, importante lo que voy a decir. Muchas de estas visas de estudiante no les permiten entrar sino un mes antes de que empiece el estudio. Si por ejemplo estaban para empezar el estudio en agosto, estamos en junio, no pueden entrar todavía porque todavía no son 30 días, estamos más de 30 días. Si esas personas tuvieran una visa de estudiante, yo de esas personas entraría con mi visa de turista, perdón, con la visa de turista y aquí hacen cambio de estatus cuando yo vaya a entrar en el estudio para que no pierdan la oportunidad porque entonces quiere decir que después del 9 de junio, aunque tengas ya la visa aprobada, no va a poder entrar. Y si ha pagado matrículas y si ya ha hecho arreglos para su vida, vivir en los Estados Unidos, pues esta sería la forma de salvar. De todos modos, cada caso pienso que son las personas que deben consultar a su abogado.

Gaby Perozo:
¿Es fácil esa transición, pasar de visa de turista a estudiante ya dentro del territorio estadounidense?

Dra. Martha Arias:
No es que sea tan fácil, hay unos requisitos legales que cumplir, unos costos también que pagar, pero pienso que en la circunstancia en que están esas personas esa es la mejor estrategia.

Gaby Perozo:
Sí, también en este documento oficial se dice que hay una tasa, particularmente de los venezolanos, que casi el 10% se queda luego de que se vence su visa de turista. Explíquenos un poco más este punto, ¿qué es lo que pasa con estas personas y por qué estarían violando entonces la ley y se toma entonces esta medida de restricción general?

Dra. Martha Arias:
Bueno, la medida de restricción el gobierno la está tomando porque ellos consideran que las personas no solamente están violando los términos de sus visas de turista o de las otras visas como las de estudiantes, sino también porque el gobierno considera que en los países como Venezuela, Cuba y Haití, en el caso de este continente, son países donde no hay una suficiente investigación de los antecedentes penales de las personas y tampoco una comunicación muy directa y abierta entre el gobierno de los Estados Unidos y el gobierno de esos países.
Por ejemplo, si el gobierno de los Estados Unidos quiere indagar un poco más sobre los antecedentes o la identidad de un venezolano o un cubano, el gobierno considera que no hay esa relación para obtener esa información. Entonces, esto es lo que causa también esta prohibición.
Los dos países, según dice el mismo documento, no tienen unos documentos ordenados o estructurados para determinar los antecedentes penales y para la emisión de documentos de identidad. En este sentido, yo pienso que el gobierno sí tiene mucha razón. Nosotros todos sabemos que en estos países puede haber inconsistencias o procesos equivocados o incluso fraudulentos para la emisión de documentos privados.
Entonces, esta es una medida que también se toma por esa situación que la investigó el Departamento de Estado.

Gaby Perozo:
De verdad, muchísimas gracias por aclararnos todas estas dudas. Vamos a seguir entonces muy pendientes y si surge algo más, si tenemos más detalles de lo que va a suceder en los próximos 90 días, te tendremos aquí. Muchísimas gracias.

Dra. Martha Arias:
Gracias a ustedes.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Gaby Perozo:
Now I want to delve into the topic of these travel restrictions from the legal perspective of immigration attorneys because surely you either know, or have family members, or have some connection with a Venezuelan or a Cuban, or even a Haitian who is directly affected by this new measure from the White House. So I welcome immigration attorney Martha Arias. Thank you very much for being here, because we want you to help us understand. First of all, I think we could start with those who have a medium restriction. In this case, we would be talking about Venezuela and Cuba. What do you interpret from the president’s statement and also what has been officially published?

Attorney Martha Arias:
Yes, hello. How are you? Greetings to you and to your entire audience. Indeed, this presidential proclamation that came out today, well, last night, June 4, 2025, prohibits in a limited way countries like Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba from entering the United States. There are two things worth mentioning. The first is, these countries, in this case let’s talk about Cuba and Venezuela, could not enter the United States with an immigrant visa. What does this mean? The people who were to receive residency, that is, the immigrant visa at U.S. consulates, could not enter after June 9, which is when this measure takes effect.
People who have an immigrant visa—sorry, a nonimmigrant visa, such as a tourist visa, business visa which is the B1, the student visa which is the F, the M which is a student visa but for practical study, and the J, those people will also not be allowed to enter the United States even if they have those visas.
Another thing the regulation says is that those visas that people already have can be limited on a case-by-case basis. In other words, they can consult and do a review for whoever already has that visa. It does not apply to those who do not have the visa before June 9, nor to those who already have their visa before June 9 or those who are within the United States. That is, those who are now going to apply and are outside the United States are the ones who will mostly have this limitation.

Gaby Perozo:
Yes, sorry for being repetitive and all, because it’s difficult to understand. So, if a person already has their visa approved this week, before entering, does that person still have the right to have that tourist visa, come to the United States and return?

Attorney Martha Arias:
If the person already has the visa approved, whether tourist or immigrant, meaning for residency, they can enter before June 9, that would be the summary. After June 9, they will not be able to enter.

Gaby Perozo:
Exactly, the person can enter with the visa before June 9, they can enter until Sunday. But then all tourists who had already been approved unfortunately can no longer visit the United States.

Attorney Martha Arias:
They could not enter the United States.

Gaby Perozo:
And what about people who were in process? For example, some appointments, in the case of Venezuela there is no embassy or consulate, they travel to Colombia or anywhere in the world to do this process, most likely they will receive a notification that this is no longer valid or could they continue to be granted visas?

Attorney Martha Arias:
That is an important question that we will have to wait for the State Department to pronounce on because, as you say, there may be appointments already scheduled for July, August, and for residency visas, that is, the immigrant visa. And it may be that those appointments are suspended. I don’t know if the consulates will continue with the appointment and do the interview or even issue the visa, knowing that they cannot enter the United States.
So, it seems to me that perhaps the State Department will pronounce itself saying that those appointments will be canceled. That is what I think could happen. I don’t see the reason to have those appointments if the person still will not be able to enter the United States.
And for how long? The next question is, how long does this last?
The document says that the government, in 90 days along with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Defense of the United States, will review this in 90 days from June 9 to determine whether this program is stopped, suspended, modified, or supplemented.
So we will have three months to see how this proceeds and then the government will let us know if it continues. And the document says that after those 90 days, there will be a review every 180 days.

Gaby Perozo:
Yes, now in the particular case of Haiti, that is, for Cuba and Venezuela, permanent residents can continue entering, they are within the exceptions. In the case of Haiti, the prohibition is much deeper, right?

Attorney Martha Arias:
Indeed, Venezuela and Cuba have a little less trouble. Here it says the entry of all Haitians is suspended, whether with an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa, and is completely suspended. What’s the difference? That in the case of Cuba and Venezuela, they specifically mention the visas, it says B1, B2, B1-B2, F, M, and J, which are the ones I mentioned. Those are the nonimmigrant visas that could not come. For example, if a person has an L visa, for example a Venezuelan, they can enter. The L is not restricted. In Haiti, it’s all nonimmigrant visas, all, whatever the visa, in addition to immigrant visas. It’s a total ban. As the document itself says, it’s full, full and suspended.

Gaby Perozo:
Yes, now I was also hearing some attorneys say that this particular position of the White House could strengthen some asylum cases, because, for example, they say that in Venezuela there is no central authority and in addition there are no measures for safety in that nation, and this joins with the travel warnings that have been made. Do you think this could benefit those who are inside the country as part of the arguments for their asylum cases to succeed in the United States?

Attorney Martha Arias:
Yes, indeed I think the attorney handling the case, a Venezuelan or even a Cuban who is also applying for asylum, should make that argument, which is a valid argument. But remember, it’s also very important that the person shows that they had persecution. Many of these asylum petitions lack that proof of persecution. That’s where the problem is, because that argument about the country’s situation can go to be shown within what are the five protection groups, maybe the motive, but the persecution element, that requirement of persecution, still has to be shown. So there are several things. Not everyone who makes the argument could succeed if there is no proof of persecution.

Gaby Perozo:
Finally, what is your recommendation for people, especially those most affected now, those who are outside the United States and had travel plans? What should they do, what should they be aware of?

Attorney Martha Arias:
I think that people who already have an immigrant visa issued and who may have postponed their entry trip should do so as soon as possible before June 9. People who have a nonimmigrant visa, including student visas we mentioned, the M and the F student visa, those people as well, if they were supposed to start their studies now in the summer, should try to enter the United States. Important, important what I am going to say. Many of these student visas do not allow them to enter except a month before studies begin. For example, if they were to start studies in August, we’re in June, they can’t enter yet because it’s not 30 days, it’s more than 30 days. If those people had a student visa, if it were me, I would enter with my tourist visa—sorry, with the tourist visa—and here do a change of status when I’m going to start studies so as not to lose the opportunity, because it means that after June 9, even if you already have the visa approved, you will not be able to enter. And if you have paid tuition and have already made arrangements for your life, to live in the United States, this would be the way to save it. In any case, I think each case is different and people should consult their attorney.

Gaby Perozo:
Is that transition easy, from tourist visa to student visa already within U.S. territory?

Attorney Martha Arias:
It’s not that it’s so easy, there are legal requirements to fulfill, some costs to pay too, but I think that in the circumstances those people are in, it’s the best strategy.

Gaby Perozo:
Yes, also in this official document it says there is a rate, particularly among Venezuelans, that almost 10% stay after their tourist visa expires. Can you explain this a bit more, what happens with these people and why they would be violating the law and thus this general restriction measure is taken?

Attorney Martha Arias:
Well, the restriction measure is being taken by the government because they consider that people are not only violating the terms of their tourist visas or other visas such as student visas, but also because the government considers that in countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and Haiti, in this continent, they are countries where there is not enough investigation of criminal records of people and also not a very direct and open communication between the government of the United States and the government of those countries.
For example, if the U.S. government wants to inquire more about the background or identity of a Venezuelan or Cuban, the government considers there is no such relationship to obtain that information. So, this is what also causes this ban.
Both countries, according to the same document, do not have orderly or structured documents to determine criminal records and for the issuance of identity documents. In this sense, I think the government is right. We all know that in these countries there may be inconsistencies or wrong processes or even fraudulent ones for issuing private documents.
So, this is a measure also taken for that situation which was investigated by the State Department.

Gaby Perozo:
Thank you very much for clarifying all these doubts. We will stay very alert, and if anything else comes up, if we have more details about what will happen in the next 90 days, we will have you here. Thank you very much.

Attorney Martha Arias:
Thank you.

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Proposed Travel Ban: What It Means and What Could Happen Next

Martha Arias — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 16:39:56 +0000

Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss on Univision a critical topic that has raised many questions and concerns within our community: the possible implementation of a new travel ban affecting several Latin American countries, including Venezuela and Cuba, with rumors also suggesting Nicaragua might soon be included. Given the seriousness of this issue, I’d like to share some key points from that conversation and provide clarity about what this could mean for those impacted.

Background of the Proposed Travel Ban

As I shared during the interview, what we’re witnessing today closely resembles what occurred during the initial administration of President Trump, who issued travel bans restricting entry to the United States for citizens from certain countries. Initially, the previous bans primarily affected predominantly Muslim countries. Now, the proposed travel ban would directly affect Latin American nations experiencing significant internal turmoil—specifically, Venezuela and Cuba.

Presidential Authority for Implementing Travel Bans

A common question I addressed was regarding the authority required to implement such measures. It’s important to clarify that a travel ban does not require prior approval from Congress. Instead, it can be implemented directly by the President of the United States through executive action, citing reasons related to national security, foreign policy, or national defense.

Historically, as we saw during the previous administration, these executive orders were issued independently by the president. Nevertheless, such executive orders can face legal challenges. In the past, travel bans were contested in federal courts, and certain portions of these bans were temporarily blocked, allowing affected individuals to regain entry.

Potential Scope of the New Restrictions

The initial travel bans under the Trump administration primarily restricted immigrant visas rather than non-immigrant visas—such as tourist and investor visas. However, current reports suggest the scope of any new restrictions could be broader, potentially including both immigrant and non-immigrant categories. This remains uncertain, and we await official confirmation on the exact nature and extent of the final measures.

Insights on Political Reactions

During the discussion, we also addressed recent statements from Senator Marco Rubio regarding these potential restrictions. Senator Rubio, himself Cuban-American, has openly condemned the governments of Cuba and Venezuela. However, it’s important to recognize the complexity of his position—though he opposes these regimes, restricting entry to the United States for people legally seeking visas may not align fully with his efforts to assist these communities. It remains to be seen how political dynamics will influence the final decision.

Could the Travel Ban Be Challenged in Court?

Finally, the constitutional validity of travel bans was a critical part of our discussion. While travel bans can be constitutional if supported by substantial evidence demonstrating genuine national security threats, previous bans faced significant legal challenges. The courts closely examine the justifications provided by the government. If documentation supporting the national security claims is weak or inadequate—as it was perceived in some previous instances—such restrictions could be successfully contested in court again.

For more official and up-to-date information on travel restrictions and immigration policies, I encourage you to visit:

Stay Informed and Prepared

As developments continue to unfold, I remain committed to keeping our community informed clearly and accurately. If you have questions about how potential changes could affect your immigration situation, or if you’d like to discuss your specific case, please do not hesitate to reach out. Your concerns are important, and I’m here to guide you through these uncertain times.

The post Proposed Travel Ban: What It Means and What Could Happen Next appeared first on Miami Immigration Lawyer - Attorney Martha L. Arias, Esq..

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