Daijiworld Media Network – Washington

Washington, Aug 5: In a controversial move, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on Monday announced a policy update that could restrict visa eligibility for transgender women seeking to compete in women’s sports in the United States.

Under the revised guidelines, USCIS will treat the participation of “male athletes competing against women” as a negative factor when reviewing certain visa petitions — including the O-1A visa for individuals with extraordinary ability, EB-1 and EB-2 green cards for highly skilled professionals, and national interest waivers.

“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 USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser. “It’s a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the US to participate in women’s sports.”

The move is part of a broader push by President Donald Trump’s administration to restrict transgender participation in athletics, following several state-level initiatives and a high-profile executive order.

In February, Trump signed the “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” order, banning transgender women from competing in women’s sports categories at the federal level — a directive that has drawn strong support from conservative groups and sharp criticism from LGBTQ+ advocacy organisations.

Critics argue the policy unfairly targets a small and marginalized group of athletes, while supporters claim it upholds fairness in competitive sports.

The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) also updated its eligibility guidelines last month in compliance with the executive order, aligning U.S. athletic policy more closely with the Trump administration’s stance.

The updated immigration policy is expected to face legal challenges from civil rights and transgender advocacy groups in the coming weeks.