Chicago – May 05, 2026
The United States is preparing to impose visa sanctions on China if Beijing does not speed up efforts to take back Chinese nationals living illegally in the country, a senior Trump administration official said. The warning comes as Washington says China has slowed cooperation on repatriation after initially accepting about 3,000 deportees earlier in 2025.
The official said the U.S. could respond with tougher visa rules, including higher cash bonds for applicants, more visa denials and tighter border entry restrictions. The move would target Beijing’s failure to fully cooperate on returning its citizens, which Washington says violates international obligations.
The issue has taken on added significance ahead of President Donald Trump’s planned May 14-15 visit to Beijing, where deportation and migration are expected to be raised alongside other bilateral tensions. U.S. officials want China to provide travel documents and approve charter flights carrying deportees, while Beijing has previously said it opposes illegal migration and sees the matter as one requiring international cooperation.
If implemented, the sanctions would mark a fresh pressure point in already strained U.S.-China relations.
