The United States government has introduced new restrictions on sports visas for transgender women, marking a significant move in its ongoing effort to regulate transgender participation in athletics. The policy update, announced on Monday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), will affect foreign athletes seeking to compete in women’s sports at elite levels in the country.
Under the revised immigration guidelines, USCIS will now consider “the fact that a male athlete has been competing against women” as a negative factor when reviewing visa petitions. This policy will impact categories such as O-1A visas for individuals with extraordinary ability, EB-1 and EB-2 green cards for highly skilled workers, and national interest waivers, which are often used by athletes to live and compete in the United States.
“USCIS is closing the loophole for foreign male athletes whose only chance at winning elite sports is to change their gender identity and leverage their biological advantages against women,” said Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for USCIS.
“It’s a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the U.S. to participate in women’s sports.”
The policy change aligns with broader efforts by the administration of US President Donald Trump to limit transgender inclusion in women’s athletics. Several states have already passed laws banning or restricting transgender women from competing in female categories, and the federal government is now extending similar principles to immigration and sports visas.
Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports”, which formally barred transgender women from competing in women’s sports at the national level. Supporters of the move argue that it restores fairness and protects the integrity of women’s competitions, while critics claim it unfairly targets a small minority of athletes and undermines LGBTQ+ rights.
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) recently updated its own policies to align with the administration’s directives, further restricting eligibility for transgender athletes. The committee’s new rules reflect the February executive order and apply to athletes participating in U.S.-based qualifying events and competitions governed by national federations.
By implementing these immigration-related measures, USCIS has expanded the reach of the federal government’s stance on the issue to include international athletes seeking to enter the U.S. for professional or competitive purposes. The policy is expected to particularly affect high-profile competitions and leagues that regularly attract elite athletes from around the world.
While the administration frames the change as a move to uphold fairness in women’s sports, advocacy groups are likely to challenge the decision, arguing that the restrictions violate principles of equal opportunity and could have broader implications for the participation of transgender athletes in global events.
The new rules mark one of the most comprehensive steps yet in the Trump administration’s campaign to define the boundaries of transgender participation in competitive sports, both domestically and for international competitors seeking U.S. visas.
Pic Credit (Instagram: President Donald J. Trump)
