New US immigration rule could see trans people’s visas revoked for ‘misrepresentation’
Trans immigrants are facing new rules in the US (Getty Images)
Trans immigrants in the US could find themselves barred due to a new rule coming into play on April 10.
The rule would mean immigration officers could revoke the visas of those with green cards or who are applying if they do not share their “biological sex at birth”.
According to an update to the Federal Register, the amendments to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, is an attempt to “improve the integrity of, and combat fraud in, the program”.
When the new rule comes into force, applicants will be made to provide passport documentation and upload a scan of the biographic and signature page.
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The word “gender” has been replaced with “sex”, with applicants made to state their “biological sex at birth” regardless of whether it differs from current documentation they may hold.
As per GCN, the new rule comes after an executive order from the Trump administration, as part of the “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” order.
It states: “The term ‘sex’ shall refer to an individual’s sex at birth. Only male and female sex options are available for entrants completing the Diversity Visa entry form.
“The marker reflected in the ‘sex’ field on any visa application, including the entry form, should match the applicant’s biological sex at birth, even if that differs from the sex listed on the applicant’s foreign passport or other identifying documentation.”
It’s feared that if a trans applicant does not provide their “biological sex at birth” on the forms, they’ll have their visas revoked as it may be deemed fraudelent.
Worryingly, the same can be said for immigrants already living in the US, who could face deportation.
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