Cybersecurity Policy Report, Foreign Cyber Criminals Face New U.S. Visa Restrictions, (Jul 24, 2026)
Organizations Mentioned:Secretary of State
The State Department will deny U.S. visas to foreigners with connections to cyber crime under a new policy announced yesterday by Secretary Marco Rubio.
“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,” Secretary Rubio said in a news release.
“By restricting visa issuance to those who are responsible for or complicit in these criminal enterprises, we are sending a clear message: The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens,” he added.
The policy aligns with an executive order signed by President Trump in March that targets “transnational criminal organizations” (TCOs) that engage in ransomware attacks and cyber-enabled financial fraud on U.S. targets (CPR, March 9).
“The Secretary of State shall take all necessary and appropriate steps to ensure that nations that tolerate such predatory activity shall face consequences consistent with United States law and policy, such as the limitation of foreign assistance, the application of targeted sanctions, visa restrictions, trade penalties, and, where appropriate, the immediate expulsion from the United States of foreign officials and diplomats complicit in these schemes,” the EO says.
Sen. Jim Risch (R., Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised the new policy in a social media post. “Americans lost $20B to cybercrime last year,” Sen. Risch said. “Foreign criminals who steal from us, exploit trafficking victims and fuel cyber scams have no place in the U.S. I applaud @SecRubio for using targeted visa restrictions to hold them accountable. A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right.”
News: FederalLegislation DataSecurity