The United States has announced a tougher immigration response to international cybercrime, warning that individuals involved in online scams and other cyber-enabled criminal activities could face visa restrictions.
The new policy forms part of measures introduced under President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14390, which targets cybercrime, fraud and predatory schemes against American citizens.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision was prompted by the growing scale of online investment scams, which he said cost US citizens at least $10 billion in 2024.
In a statement dated July 23, 2026, Mr Rubio said many of the scams were allegedly organised by Chinese transnational criminal organisations and were contributing to other forms of criminality, including corruption, money laundering and human trafficking.
He also raised concerns about the targeting of American children in overseas “sextortion scams”, describing the consequences for families and young people as devastating.
Under the new policy, the United States will restrict visa issuance to individuals responsible for or complicit in cybercrime and cyber-enabled offences, including cyberscams and sextortion, under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
Immediate family members of those targeted may also face visa restrictions.
Mr Rubio said the US administration would use a combination of sanctions, criminal prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests and international law enforcement cooperation to dismantle scam networks.
He said the visa restrictions were intended to send a strong warning to individuals and networks involved in exploiting American citizens.
“The United States will go after those who prey on our citizens,” he said.
The policy represents a broader effort by Washington to target not only individuals directly involved in cybercrime but also those who support or facilitate international scam operations.
