US curbs South Africa visas over land policies and 'race-based discrimination'

What are the new US visa restrictions on South Africa?

The US government has launched a targeted visa restriction policy against South African nationals accused of pushing forward uncompensated land seizures, race-based discrimination, and violence against minority groups.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the new rules on Tuesday, 15 September 2026, declaring that the South African government had failed to address previous warnings from Washington. The restrictions will target any foreign nationals deemed responsible for, or complicit in, laws and policies that enable these actions or incite imminent violence against ethnic and racial minorities in the country.

Why has the US targeted South Africa?

The move marks a significant escalation in the increasingly frosty relationship between Washington and Pretoria under President Donald Trump’s second term.

Historically, the Trump administration has taken a highly critical stance towards South Africa's post-apartheid initiatives. Trump has previously cut aid to the nation, criticised its land reform policies, and accused Pretoria of policies that discriminate against the country's white minority. Washington has also been angered by South Africa’s decision to bring a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice over the conflict in Gaza.

South Africa has consistently rejected allegations of state-sanctioned discrimination against white citizens. Pretoria maintains that claims of 'white genocide' are baseless and that fringe narratives of white racial superiority pose a direct threat to the country's post-apartheid unity. President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously called for a global effort to dismantle these narratives. While South Africa suffers from exceptionally high murder rates, police statistics show that the vast majority of victims are Black.

Rubio’s statement did not name any specific individuals currently blocked under the new policy. The South African embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Why did a US court block the new student and journalist visa rules?

As the administration squeezed Pretoria abroad, its efforts to tighten visa rules at home hit a major legal roadblock.

On Monday, just a day before they were set to take effect, a US federal judge blocked a separate set of rules that would have drastically shortened how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the country.

US District Judge F. Dennis Saylor, sitting in Massachusetts, issued a preliminary injunction against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Saylor warned that the proposed changes could cause 'catastrophic' damage to the American economy and its higher education system.

Under current rules, foreign academic students on F visas, exchange visitors on J visas, and media representatives on I visas are admitted for the 'duration of status'. This means they can legally remain in the US for as long as they are enrolled in their programme or working their job.

The blocked DHS policy aimed to replace this with a strict four-year cap for students and a 240-day limit for journalists, with even tighter 90-day limits for reporters from China. To stay longer, visa holders would have had to apply for a formal extension of stay or temporarily leave the country.

How does the court ruling affect international students and journalists?

The court's pause offers immediate relief to international students and reporters. India remains the largest source of international students in the US, with 363,019 Indian students enrolled during the 2024-25 academic year. Had the rule gone ahead, many enrolled in doctoral or multi-year programmes would have faced immediate bureaucratic hurdles.

For now, both students and journalists can continue to operate under the existing duration of status framework while the legal battle plays out. The DHS is widely expected to appeal the injunction.