In the eight months that have passed since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, the new administration has taken multiple steps to limit travel into the United States from specific countries.
In early June, President Trump brought back a new version of a travel ban he put in place during his first term.
Citizens of 12 countries primarily in the Middle East and Africa are now fully unable to enter the U.S. for any reason, while those from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela are restricted from applying for certain types of student and business visas.
In August, the State Department has also singled out citizens from Zambia and Malawi with a bond of up to $15,000, in addition to pausing all visa applications from Zimbabwe.
DHS to roll back electronic travel authorization limits placed on Hungarians in 2021 and 2023
While targeting travel from the above countries, the Trump administration on September 16 lifted travel restrictions put in place on Hungarian citizens during former President Joe Biden’s time in the White House.
Amid concerns over the Hungarian government’s vetting of new passport applications, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) limited Hungarian citizens born outside of the country from applying for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), typically used by countries that have visa-free agreements with the U.S.
Related: This country is introducing a new visa for Americans
In 2023, the government placed further restrictions, limiting ESTA validity for all Hungarians to a single entry and to one instead of two years in an effort to sanction Prime Minister Victor Orbán over his targeting of democratic institutions in the country.
As first revealed by the U.S. Embassy in Budapest, these changes are being reversed to the same conditions of the other countries included in the Visa Waiver Program: two-year validity and an unlimited number of entries, so long as the total visit does not exceed 90 days.
The changes take effect on September 30.
Image source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images
“Hungary has taken important steps to address security vulnerabilities”
The move has been interpreted by many as a sign of the Trump administration’s choice to ally itself with Orbán.
President Trump previously praised the Hungarian prime minister as a “fantastic leader,” while the Hungarian government’s stances against immigration are frequently referenced by far-right allies of the administration.
Biden, in contrast, called Orbán a leader who was “looking for a dictatorship” in 2024.
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“Hungary has taken important steps to address security vulnerabilities and has reaffirmed its commitment to our shared security partnership,” Robert Palladino, the chargé d’affaires heading the United States embassy in Budapest, said in a video address on the restrictions rollback.
As part of other changes to ESTA made in the last few weeks, U.S Customs and Border Protection officials confirmed that the fee will increase by almost 100% from $21 to $40 before the start of October.
This comes at a time when, both out of protest of the Trump administration’s politics and fear of getting caught up in the anti-immigrant crackdowns, travel to the U.S. from multiple countries in the European Union has dropped by as much as 50% during the first half of 2025.
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