Cybercrime visa restrictions target overseas scam networks, Rubio says
Marco Rubio said the US will deny visas to foreign nationals tied to cybercrime, citing more than $10 billion in 2024 scam losses.
By Renata Fuchs · Policy Reporter
· 3 min read
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced new cybercrime visa restrictions on Thursday, saying the US will deny visas to foreign nationals involved in cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime. Rubio tied the move to overseas scam operations that he said defrauded US citizens of more than $10 billion in 2024 and have also used sextortion schemes against children.
The policy is aimed primarily at people the State Department considers responsible for, or complicit in, cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime. Rubio said the restrictions may also cover immediate family members, a common pressure tactic in visa policy that can raise the cost for operators, facilitators and enablers who remain outside the reach of US courts.
Rubio cited a rise in overseas investment scams, which he said are often run by Chinese transnational criminal organizations. For technology companies, the announcement is another sign that Washington is treating online fraud networks as a foreign policy and law enforcement problem, rather than only a platform abuse or consumer protection issue.
What are the cybercrime visa restrictions?
The restrictions use Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the US to deny visas when a person’s entry or planned activity could create serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the country. Under Rubio’s announcement, that authority will be applied to foreign nationals tied to cybercrime, with possible spillover to their immediate families.
Rubio said the Trump administration is using sanctions, prosecutions, asset seizures, extradition requests and international law enforcement cooperation to break up criminal scam networks. He said restricting visa issuance is meant to impose costs on people who prey on US citizens. The announcement did not disclose how many people may be affected.
The visa move sits alongside existing US immigration tools. Section 212(a)(2) of the same law can already make some foreign nationals ineligible for visas based on convictions for crimes involving moral turpitude, a category that can include fraud. The new policy appears to give the State Department another route to act against alleged cybercrime participants even where a US criminal conviction is not described.
How has this visa authority been used before?
Rubio has used Section 212(a)(3)(C) several times in 2025. In May, he announced visa restrictions for foreign officials accused of limiting the free expression rights of US citizens, including through threats of arrest over social media posts or pressure on US platforms to change content moderation policies.
In March, Rubio announced a policy targeting private sector workers accused of facilitating illegal immigration. In September, he used the same provision against Central Americans accused of helping the Chinese Communist Party weaken the rule of law in the region.
The authority also predates the current administration. In 2021, the Biden administration used it to create the policy known as the Khashoggi Ban, which targets people acting for foreign governments to suppress or harm dissidents. That policy followed the Saudi government’s murder of journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi.
The practical impact of the new cybercrime policy will depend on how broadly the State Department applies it and how much evidence it requires before denying a visa. Rubio’s announcement frames visa access as one more enforcement lever against cross-border fraud operations that are difficult to prosecute when suspects, infrastructure and victims sit in different jurisdictions.
This story draws on original reporting from The Register.
