Section 7031(c) designations explained
- Legal basis
- Section 7031(c) of the annual State Department appropriations act 1. For fiscal year 2026 this is Division F of P.L. 119-75 2,4
- Decision maker
- Secretary of State 1
- Standard
- Credible information of involvement, directly or indirectly, in significant corruption or a gross violation of human rights 1
- Who is covered
- Officials of foreign governments and their immediate family members 1
- Waiver
- Available for a compelling national interest or sufficiently changed circumstances 1
The statutory text
The State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual quotes the provision at 9 FAM 302.14-5(A). Officials of foreign governments and their immediate family members "about whom the Secretary of State has credible information have been involved, directly or indirectly, in significant corruption, including corruption related to the extraction of natural resources, or a gross violation of human rights, including the wrongful detention of locally employed staff of a United States diplomatic mission or a United States citizen or national, shall be ineligible for entry into the United States." 1
The manual says the Secretary must designate people who meet this standard "publicly or privately, regardless of whether they have applied for a U.S. visa" 1. The manual cites the version in the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2023 1.
The provision is renewed in each year's act. The 2026 act carries a new name, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026. It is Division F of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, P.L. 119-75, enacted on 3 February 2026 2,3. The State Department cited this act for designations on 28 September 2026 and 7 October 2026 4,6.
Grounds, family members and exceptions
- Gross violations of human rights: the manual says the term covers conduct defined at sections 116(a) and 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act 1.
- Immediate family: the manual says the term "includes spouses and children" and a child may be "a person of any age" 1.
- Death of the official removes the ineligibility of family members, according to the manual 1.
- Divorced spouses are not ineligible solely for past marital ties 1.
- Exceptions cover entry that would further important United States law enforcement objectives or that is needed to meet obligations under the United Nations Headquarters Agreement 1.
- The Secretary may waive the bar if a waiver would serve a compelling national interest or if the circumstances have changed sufficiently 1.
Public and private designations
INA section 222(f), 8 U.S.C. 1202(f), keeps visa records confidential as a rule. CRS wrote in April 2020 that 7031(c) designations "may be issued publicly" even so 8. A designation can stay private. CRS noted in May 2020 that designations "may be made without public notice" 9.
Public designations come in State Department press statements. The State Department posts public listing reports to Congress for fiscal years 2018 to 2023 7. CRS counted more than 150 individuals from more than 30 countries publicly identified by April 2020, including family members 8.
Recent public designations
| Date | Country | Who was designated | Act cited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 September 2025 5 | Montenegro 5 | Milo Božović, former Budva mayor, and Vesna Medenica, former Supreme Court president, for significant corruption, plus five family members 5 | Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2024, as carried forward 5 |
| 28 September 2026 6 | Bolivia 6 | Attorney General Roger Mariaca and his immediate family 6 | National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026 6 |
| 7 October 2026 4 | Fiji 4 | Zhao Fugang, director of the Overseas Chinese Service Center in Fiji, for significant corruption, with his immediate family 4 | National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026, Div. F, P.L. 119-75 4 |
How it differs from 212(a)(3)(C) and OFAC sanctions
INA section 212(a)(3)(C), 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(C), is a permanent part of immigration law. It covers any foreign national whose entry the Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences 10. Section 7031(c) is in an appropriations act. It reaches foreign officials on corruption and human rights grounds and names immediate family in the text 1. The manual says no waiver exists for 212(a)(3)(C) but sets out a waiver for 7031(c) 1.
OFAC sanctions work differently. CRS wrote in April 2020 that, unlike 7031(c), E.O. 13818 freezes assets of and "blocks transactions with targeted individuals (but not of immediate family members)" 8. The same person can be on both lists. CRS counted 41 public 7031(c) designees, including six family members, who were designated under OFAC programs as of May 2020 9.
| Feature | Section 7031(c) | INA 212(a)(3)(C) |
|---|---|---|
| Source of law 1 | Annual appropriations act 1 | Immigration and Nationality Act 10 |
| Standard 1 | Credible information 1 | Reasonable ground to believe 10 |
| Grounds 1 | Significant corruption or gross violation of human rights 1 | Potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences 10 |
| Family members 1 | Immediate family named in the text 1 | Not named in clause (C) 10 |
| Waiver 1 | Available on stated grounds 1 | None, per the manual 1 |
Common questions
Does a 7031(c) designation freeze assets?
No asset freeze is part of the provision. It makes people ineligible for entry 1. CRS contrasts it with E.O. 13818, which freezes assets and blocks transactions 8.
Are all 7031(c) designations made public?
No. The Secretary may designate publicly or privately 1. CRS noted that designations may be made without public notice 9.
Does a 7031(c) designation cover family members?
Yes. The text covers immediate family members, which the manual says includes spouses and children of any age 1.
Can a 7031(c) bar be waived?
Yes. The Secretary may waive it to serve a compelling national interest or when circumstances have changed sufficiently 1.
Where are public 7031(c) designations listed?
In State Department press statements and in public listing reports to Congress for fiscal years 2018 to 2023 4,7.
Rules and fees change. Check the official site linked above before you apply or pay. Spotted an error? Email hello@sanctionsexplained.org with the official link.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State: 9 FAM 302.14, Ineligibility based on sanctioned activities, INA 212(a)(3)(C), INA 212(f), 7031(c) and Global Magnitsky (Foreign Affairs Manual, accessed 20 October 2026)
- U.S. Government Publishing Office: Public Law 119-75, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, text and table of contents
- U.S. Government Publishing Office: Public Law 119-75 details (enacted 3 February 2026)
- U.S. Department of State: Designation of Fijian Resident for Involvement in Significant Corruption on Behalf of China-Based Actors (7 October 2026)
- U.S. Department of State: Designation of Two Montenegro Public Officials for Significant Corruption (10 September 2025)
- U.S. Department of State: Visa Restrictions for Foreign Nationals Undermining Democratically-Elected Governments in Western Hemisphere Countries (28 September 2026)
- U.S. Department of State: Report to Congress on Anti-Kleptocracy and Human Rights Visa Restrictions, Public Listing (page updated 3 January 2025)
- Congressional Research Service: IF10905, FY2020 Foreign Operations Appropriations, Targeting Foreign Corruption and Human Rights Violations (17 April 2020, text via EveryCRSReport)
- Congressional Research Service: R46362, Foreign Officials Publicly Designated by the U.S. Department of State on Corruption or Human Rights Grounds, A Chronology (18 May 2020, text via EveryCRSReport)
- U.S. Government Publishing Office: 8 U.S.C. 1182, Inadmissible aliens (United States Code, 2023 edition)
Related
- US visa restrictions under INA section 212(a)(3)(C)
How the foreign policy visa ground in 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(3)(C) works, who decides, how visa records are kept confidential and what it covers.
- Global Magnitsky sanctions explained
The Global Magnitsky Act of 2016 and Executive Order 13818: who can be designated, what designation does, and examples from Treasury releases.
- OFAC sanctions explained
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- How to check a name against US, UK, EU and UN sanctions lists
Where to search OFAC, UK, EU and UN sanctions lists, how fuzzy matching works, what a match means, and why visa records cannot be searched.
- US government measures concerning South Sudan: a dated record
Dated record of US visa restrictions and OFAC sanctions concerning South Sudan, with the 12 May 2026 State Department release and how to check a name.