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USCIS Bars Transgender Women From Elite Sports Visas

It closes a loophole for male-born athletes seeking to compete in U.S. women's sports on extraordinary ability or national interest visas.

Overview

  • USCIS guidance effective August 4 treats prior competition against women by male-born athletes as a negative factor in O-1A, EB-1, EB-2 and NIW visa assessments.
  • The policy enforces President Trump’s February executive order by embedding the transgender sports ban into federal immigration rules.
  • Guidance takes effect immediately for all pending and new applications, overriding any previous USCIS policy manual provisions.
  • The visa restrictions mirror recent USOPC and NCAA rulings that prohibit transgender women from competing in female sports divisions.
  • Advocates are preparing constitutional and human-rights legal challenges and warn the move could sideline transgender athletes targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.