US targets cybercriminals with new global visa restrictions

The United States has announced a new global visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals involved in cybercrime, cyber-enabled fraud, online investment scams, and sextortion.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled the policy, saying it is being implemented under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Immediate family members of those involved in such criminal activities may also face visa restrictions.

The State Department said online investment scams orchestrated by transnational criminal organisations—many of them linked to Chinese criminal networks—defrauded Americans of at least $10 billion in 2024. 

Officials also warned that overseas criminals have increasingly targeted American children through online sextortion schemes.

Rubio said the new visa policy is part of a broader strategy to dismantle global cybercrime operations.

"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 pursue those who prey on its citizens," Rubio said in the State Department's statement.