Press release

Presidential executive order on inbound migration to US

Foreign Office statement on what the Presidential executive order on inbound migration to the US means to British nationals and dual nationals.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson
• Published: 29 January 2017
• Last updated: 1 February 2017 — See all updates

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has today held conversations with the US government and as a result we can clarify that:

• the Presidential executive order only applies to individuals travelling from one of the 7 named countries
• if you are travelling to the US from anywhere other than one of those countries (for instance, the UK) the executive order does not apply to you and you will experience no extra checks regardless of your nationality or your place of birth
• if you are a UK national who happens to be travelling from one of those countries to the US, then the order does not apply to you – even if you were born in one of those countries
• if you are a dual citizen of one of those countries travelling to the US from OUTSIDE those countries then the order does not apply to you

The only dual nationals who might have extra checks are those coming from one of the 7 countries themselves – for example a UK-Libya dual national coming from Libya to the US.

The US has reaffirmed its strong commitment to the expeditious processing of all travellers from the United Kingdom.

Further information

Update (01/02/17)

Since issuing this advice we have received further confirmation from the US government that British passport holders (regardless of country of birth or whether they hold another passport/nationality) are not affected by the executive order.

Read the FCO’s travel advice for the USA for the latest information on entry requirements for the USA including temporary immigration measures.

If you’re a non-British passport holder and are unsure whether you’re affected by these new measures, you should contact the nearest US embassy or consulate for advice.

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Published 29 January 2017
Last updated 1 February 2017 + show all updates

1. 1 February 2017

   Clarification of advice: no UK or dual nationals will be affected.

2. 29 January 2017

   First published.