Trump bans trans women athletes from 'extraordinary ability’ visas

The Trump Administration has banned transgender women athletes from receiving "extraordinary ability" visas, preventing them from traveling to the U.S. and competing.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a new visa policy Monday that prevents trans women from receiving O-1A, E11, and E21 visas, which are designated for individuals "who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics." The guidance did not use the word transgender, but incorrectly referred to trans women as "men compet[ing] in women’s sports."

There are no known trans athletes who have traveled to the U.S. under the "extraordinary ability" visas. USCIS has not said how many people the policy will affect, nor if there are any trans women who have recently received the visas.

The policy is another way for the administration to impose Trump's executive order banning trans athletes from competing in sports that align with their identities. Both the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee have already agreed to comply with the order, despite the vanishingly few number of out trans athletes competing.

When President Charlie Baker was asked by a Senate panel in December how many trans athletes were competing in the organization, he replied, "fewer than ten." That's out of over 500,000 athletes who compete in the NCAA, about 25,000 of whom are international.

While the visa policy could impact athletes coming to the U.S. for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, even fewer out trans athletes have participated in the Olympics. New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard was the first — and so far only — trans woman to compete in a woman's category during the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo. She did not win a medal.

A comprehensive review of several studies on trans participation in sports under their gender identity found that trans athletes, post transition, are "more similar to their gender identity." It noted that both transgender and cisgender athletes show great variations in ability.