‘Trump’s America’ is getting harder to visit: “Even senior UK business figures can’t get visas,” says FT

[Financial News]

The U.S. Embassy in London is blocking visits to the United States by senior business figures on the grounds of minor criminal records, the Financial Times (FT) reported on the 9th (local time).
As President Donald Trump tightens immigration rules, it is becoming difficult to visit the United States even with only a trivial criminal record.
Citing immigration lawyers and visa consultants, FT reported that people seeking to travel to the United States for tourism or business are increasingly being denied visas. Even a warning from the police or a minor criminal record can be enough to block approval, it noted. In some cases, visa applications have been rejected because of records dating back to the 1970s.
Lawyers said that executives at technology firms and other business leaders are no exception, explaining that relatively minor offenses such as past marijuana use, bar fights, or drunk driving are leading to visa denials.
In effect, as the United States tightens its borders, the bar for visa issuance is being raised.
In some cases, applicants are refused visas not because they have a criminal conviction, but simply because they have been arrested in the past.
Consular officers also do not disclose the reasons for denying visas. Some applicants were initially told there would be no problem obtaining a visa, only to be rejected later.
According to lawyers, visa screening began to tighten last summer. Some say it was triggered when Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked that visas for foreigners who break the law should be invalidated.
Since the launch of Trump’s second-term administration in January last year, visa issuance practices have changed completely.
According to the United States Department of State (DOS), London handles more visa work than any other post in Europe. In 2024, the U.S. Embassy in London issued more than 150,000 non-immigrant visas.
British citizens can normally visit the United States under the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), which automatically grants them a 90-day travel permit. However, if they have ever been arrested for certain offenses such as drug-related crimes, the situation changes: they are no longer eligible for ESTA and must apply for a visa at the consulate.
An immigration lawyer in London said that now, no matter how minor it may be, any criminal record can prevent a visa from being issued. He added that he is advising clients who already hold U.S. visitor visas that it is essential to keep their criminal record clean for life.
As the United States intensifies immigration enforcement, two civilians have been shot dead by ICE officers, borders are being further closed, and the number of foreign visitors to the country is on the decline.
The number of visitors to the United States last year fell 4.2% from the previous year, marking the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. By contrast, global tourist numbers rose 4% over the same period.
Paul Samatin, a U.S. immigration lawyer based in London, warned, “The United States is a major global financial hub, and there are people who need to travel there for business,” adding, “This (wave of visa refusals) is a problem.”


dympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter