WASHINGTON, United States — The United States has imposed a partial travel ban on Tanzanian nationals, citing deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing by Tanzanian authorities, in a move that widens Washington’s latest immigration restrictions under President Donald Trump.
In a presidential proclamation signed on Tuesday, December 16, the Trump administration added Tanzania to a growing list of countries whose citizens face limits on entry to the U.S., pointing to high visa overstay rates and what it described as persistent weaknesses in cooperation with American immigration and security agencies.
“Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a proclamation expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats,” the White House said in a statement accompanying the proclamation.
According to U.S. government data cited in the order, Tanzanian nationals travelling on B-1/B-2 visas — commonly issued for short-term business, tourism and medical visits — recorded an overstay rate of 8.30pc.
Those on F, M and J visas, which include students, dependents and exchange programme participants, posted a significantly higher overstay rate of 13.97pc.
The administration said the restrictions were necessary because the U.S. “lacks sufficient information to assess the risks” posed by some foreign nationals, and to compel greater cooperation from governments in enforcing immigration laws and advancing counterterrorism and foreign policy objectives.
Under the proclamation, Tanzania joins several African countries facing partial entry restrictions, including Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The measures stop short of a total ban and include exemptions for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, diplomats, athletes and individuals whose entry is deemed to serve U.S. national interests.
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The move comes against the backdrop of strained relations between Washington and Dar es Salaam following Tanzania’s October elections, after which the U.S. raised concerns over alleged human rights violations. American officials had previously warned that bilateral relations could be reviewed if accountability measures were not pursued.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration has rejected those accusations, arguing that international and regional media outlets have misrepresented events in Tanzania and unfairly portrayed the country’s political situation.
At the same time, the Trump administration has imposed full travel bans on nationals of South Sudan, Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, signalling a broader tightening of U.S. immigration policy, particularly toward countries affected by conflict, governance challenges or weak border controls.
While the proclamation frames the restrictions as a national security measure, analysts note that visa overstay rates have increasingly become a central metric in U.S. immigration decisions, shifting focus from traditional terrorism-related justifications to compliance with immigration rules.
For Tanzanian travellers and students, the decision is likely to heighten uncertainty, especially for those seeking new visas, even as diplomatic engagement between the two countries continues amid growing regional and global scrutiny of governance and rights issues.
