New US immigration rule could see trans people's visas revoked

"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 fraudulent. Worryingly, the same can be said for immigrants already living in the US, who could face deportation."

"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."

Starting April 10, the US immigration system will implement amendments to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program requiring applicants to provide their biological sex at birth on visa applications. The rule replaces the term gender with sex and mandates that visa documentation match biological sex at birth, regardless of current identification documents. Applicants must submit passport documentation and biographic pages. Non-compliance could result in visa revocation for new applicants or deportation for those already holding green cards. The policy stems from a Trump administration executive order focused on biological sex definitions in federal government operations.

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