U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced new guidance and updates to its policy manual on Monday regarding transgender athletes seeking visas to enter the U.S.
The updates were in accordance with President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14201, Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.
“USCIS will affirmatively protect all-female athletic opportunities by granting certain athlete-related petitions and applications, that had previously been abused and offered to men, only to women, ensuring that male aliens seeking immigration benefits aren’t coming to the U.S. to participate in women’s sports,” according to a news release from the federal agency, which “oversees lawful immigration to the United States.”
“Men do not belong in women’s sports. USCIS is closing the loophole for foreign male athletes whose only chance at winning elite sports is to change their gender identity and leverage their biological advantages against women,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said.
What to know about the USCIS transgender updates
The updates applied to Volume 2 and 6 of the policy manual and went into effect immediately.
Under Volume 6, Chapter 2 of the manual, an individual seeking extraordinary ability classification, which includes athletes, is eligible if the individual’s extraordinary ability “sustained national or international acclaim,” is coming to the U.S. “to continue work in the area of extraordinary ability” and the U.S. “will substantially benefit” from the individual’s entry to the country.
The new policy update clarified that transgender athletes entering the U.S. to compete in women’s sports do not meet the aforementioned eligibility factors.
When considering if a male athlete “is among the small percentage at the very top of the field,” it is now a “negative factor” if the athlete competed against women, per the release.
If the athlete gained national and international acclaim while competing against men but wants to compete in women’s sports while in the U.S., USCIS will not consider that athlete “to be seeking to continue work in his area of extraordinary ability.”
The new guidance also stated that it does “not substantially benefit” the U.S. if a biological male athlete wants to enter the U.S. to compete in women’s sports.
“It’s a matter of safety, fairness, respect, and truth that only female athletes receive a visa to come to the U.S. to participate in women’s sports. The Trump Administration is standing up for the silent majority who’ve long been victims of leftist policies that defy common sense,” Tragesser said.