State Department carves out visa exceptions for athletes, coaches and officials

The U.S. State Department has broadened exemptions to President Donald Trump's December visa proclamation to permit certain athletes, coaches, support staff and officials to enter the United States for major international and domestic sporting events. A cable circulated to U.S. embassies and consulates on Jan. 15–16, 2026, identifies additional competitions and organizations whose participants will be spared the travel restrictions that otherwise apply to the Palestinian Authority and citizens of 39 countries.

The guidance explicitly names the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, the Pan‑American and Para Pan‑American Games, the Special Olympics, and the FIFA World Cup, including qualifying events and official competitions endorsed by FIFA or its confederations. It also covers events hosted by or sanctioned by a U.S. National Governing Body, competitions organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and U.S. professional leagues, and contests run by the International Military Sports Council (CISM) and the International University Sports Federation (FISU). The cable cites the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games as examples of covered events.

Eligibility is narrowly drawn. The exemption applies only to athletes, coaches, support staff and certain officials who are participating in the named competitions. The cable warns that “only a small subset of travelers for the World Cup, Olympics and Paralympics and other major sporting events will qualify for the exception,” signaling tight adjudication. Foreign spectators, members of the media, corporate sponsors and other noncompeting personnel from the 39 listed countries and the Palestinian Authority will generally remain subject to the travel ban unless they qualify under a separate exemption.

The action implements a Dec. 16 proclamation that delegated authority to determine qualifying events to the Secretary of State, identified in the guidance as Marco Rubio. The Jan. 15–16 cable translates that delegation into operational instruction for consular officers worldwide, consistent with routine practice for visa-issuance policy changes.

Policy and market implications are immediate. By preserving the ability of competing delegations to travel, the administration reduces the risk that high‑profile competitions will be disrupted by absentee athletes or depleted rosters, protecting broadcast schedules, sponsorship contracts and team preparations. At the same time, keeping spectators, foreign media and corporate staff largely barred undercuts the broader economic gains host cities typically expect from such events. International spectator travel and media presence commonly drive hotel bookings, air travel, local transportation and hospitality spending; limiting those flows will reduce visitor-driven revenues and complicate planning for organizing committees and local governments that budget on anticipated international demand.

Operational questions remain unresolved and will determine practical impact: what documentation consular officers will require, how narrowly “support staff” will be interpreted, and how many entrants will ultimately qualify. The move fits a broader U.S. strategy of maintaining strict entry controls while carving targeted exceptions to protect commercial and diplomatic interests tied to major events. Longer term, the selective approach signals that future lists of covered events may expand only if political and operational priorities shift, leaving the balance between national security restrictions and economic and soft‑power objectives subject to ongoing adjustment.