The Portuguese communities portal has updated its “travel warnings” for Portuguese citizens who plan to visit the United States. These changes, which are more a reinforcement of what was already advised than a complete review, are related to the tougher attitude of the American administration with regard to the entry and residence of foreigners. They reiterate that an ESTA – Electronic Travel Authorisation does not guarantee the immediate right of entry into the country.
“Possession of an ESTA or visa does not constitute an automatic right of entry into the United States. The final decision is always made by the border agent upon arrival on US territory. To avoid misunderstandings in communication, it is recommended that travellers provide proof of return travel and that they avoid making false statements about the purposes of their stay (e.g., ESTA holders claiming to be travelling for tourism, when they are actually working, clarified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an email responding to media outlet Expresso’s questions.
There is also a new warning about the borders of the United States with its neighbours. “It is also recommended that those entering through ports or airports in the US avoid crossing the land borders with Canada and Mexico, if they intend to then leave the US, as their re-entry may be questioned,” reads the update.
The Ministry recalls that entry into the United States by land does not exempt a visa and that “the existence of a criminal history in the United States, or violation of the maximum time of stay in US territory in a previous trip, may be grounds for denying entry into the country.”
Finally, a warning to non-binary citizens. The indication of the American authorities, sent to embassies around the world, is for people who do not identify themselves as male or female (the only two genders recognised in the United States) to fill out the forms with the gender with which they were identified at birth.
Asked by Expresso, the spokeswoman for the United States embassy, Marie Blanchard, said that “each visa applicant has to prove their credibility, identity, and purpose of the trip satisfactorily to the consular officer.” She adds that “in any visa case, the consular officer has the authority to request any information or documents necessary to establish the applicant’s identity and visa qualifications.”
This includes dispelling any discrepancy in the identification documents provided by the applicant. In order to verify the sex of an applicant at birth, the consular officer may accept documents provided by the applicant, including passport or birth certificate and any other necessary documents.”
Regarding the procedures to be adopted to apply for each of the visas, the embassy refers to the page where the requirements for each visa are listed, which have not undergone significant changes. At the moment, the Ministry also says, there is no record of cases of detention or interdiction of Portuguese with valid visas at the border of the United States.
Warnings about illegal entries and “promotion of terrorism”
The Trump Administration is asking American embassies in several countries to reinforce, on their social networks or other news channels, the “new” rules of stay in the United States, even for those who have visas. The representations of at least 17 countries published on social networks, such as Instagram, Facebook, and X, messages with images of American leaders, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio or Interior Minister Kristi Noem, warning visa applicants that behaviour considered harmful by the new Administration could lead to deportation.
“When you apply to enter the United States and get a visa, you are a guest. Now, if you are in this country to promote Hamas, to promote terrorist organizations, participate in acts of vandalism, and to participate in acts of rebellion and riots in universities, we would never have let you in if we had known. You lied to us. You have to leave,” reads a post from the U.S. embassy in Sweden, on X.
Another post, from the U.S. embassy in Budapest, shows Rubio’s image, with the caption: “We don’t want criminals in our country or people who come to undermine our national security or public safety.” The messages comes at a time when the Trump administration is threatening to expel students who demonstrate in favour of the Palestinian cause, even those who have valid student visas or even the green card, a permanent residence permit.
Rubio said on Thursday that the State Department has already revoked at least 300 student visas. “There could be more than 300. We do it every day. Whenever I meet one of these lunatics, I withdraw his visa,” he said at a press conference in Guyana.
On Monday, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce called the warnings arriving at embassies “normal.” “Follow the law, behave, be good visitors and there will be no problem,” she said. “It’s a visa. It is not a right. A visa and a green card are not birthrights. These are privileges that are granted to you,” she warned.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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