Overview
- Henley’s October index places the U.S. in 12th place, tied with Malaysia, granting visa‑free entry to 180 of 227 destinations while allowing comparable access to only 46 nationalities.
- Recent losses and exclusions drove the slide, including Brazil’s April reinstatement of visas for Americans, U.S. omission from China and Vietnam’s expanding visa‑free lists, status changes in Papua New Guinea and Myanmar, and Somalia’s new eVisa.
- Asian passports lead the rankings with Singapore first (193 destinations), followed by South Korea (190) and Japan (189), while China has expanded visa‑free entry to 76 nations and climbed sharply over the past decade.
- Canada now ranks ninth with visa‑free access to 183 destinations, outpacing the United States, which last held the top spot in 2014 and slid from 10th in July.
- Analysts also cite U.S. policy moves—such as the ESTA fee increase to $40 on Sept. 30, a proposed $250 visa integrity fee, and recent visa suspensions and restrictions under President Trump—as factors that weaken reciprocity; Henley’s rankings cover 199 passports using IATA Timatic data.