The United States has imposed visa restrictions on foreign officials from 14 countries that have been identified as failing to cooperate in the resolution of international parental child abduction cases. This move was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on September 28, 2026. The restrictions will apply to foreign government officials, judges, judicial administrators, and law enforcement personnel who deliberately obstruct the return of abducted children to their country of habitual residence.
The list of countries cited for noncompliance includes Argentina, the Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, Honduras, India, Jordan, the Republic of Korea, Peru, Poland, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates. Serbia appears on the list for the first time, while Brazil has featured on the list for 20 consecutive years due to its authorities' failure to enforce return orders, leaving 32% of cases unresolved for more than 12 months.
India recorded the highest volume of outstanding cases, with 90 unresolved matters involving 103 children at the close of 2025, and 71% of those cases open for more than a year. Egypt, the only African nation on the list, does not adhere to any international protocols governing parental child abduction and was previously cited for noncompliance in 2015, 2016, and every year from 2019 through 2025.
In 2025, 59% of abduction cases involving Egypt remained unresolved for more than 12 months, and no cases were resolved through Egyptian judicial authorities during that year. The US Department of State has persistently failed to engage meaningfully with Egyptian authorities, and because Egypt is not a signatory to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, there is no binding legal framework compelling either government to act.
The US Department of State said it would maintain diplomatic engagement with all cited countries and could deploy additional measures under the Goldman Act, including the suspension of foreign assistance, against governments that fail to improve their compliance records. Immediate family members of targeted individuals are also subject to the restrictions, which are aimed at protecting American children abducted across international borders and reuniting them with their parents.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that protecting American children and reuniting them with their parents is a top priority for the US administration. He added that when officials intentionally obstruct the prompt resolution of such cases, they prolong family separations and block the return of children to the United States.
The restrictions follow findings published in the Annual Report to Congress on International Child Abduction, and the US Social Security Administration has also announced that individuals residing in two countries, Cuba and North Korea, are barred from receiving Social Security payments due to federal rules blocking the transfer of Social Security funds to people living in these countries.
Key points
- The US has imposed visa restrictions on officials from 14 countries for obstructing international parental child abduction cases.
- Egypt is the only African nation on the list, with a record of noncompliance in resolving child abduction cases.
- The restrictions aim to protect American children and reunite them with their parents, with the US administration maintaining diplomatic engagement with cited countries to improve compliance records.
