By: Brandon Thurston & John Pollock
Days ago, U.S. President Donald Trump reinstated a travel ban, which led to TKO issuing an internal memo regarding the potential effect it could have.
It is not known yet how many, if any, UFC fighters or WWE talent will be directly impacted by these restrictions, nor are UFC or WWE planning any events in the affected countries.
Trump signed a proclamation this past Wednesday to restrict the entry of foreign nationals. He wrote in the order: “I stated that it is the policy of the United States to protect its citizens from aliens who intend to commit terrorist attacks, threaten our national security, espouse hateful ideology, or otherwise exploit the immigration laws for malevolent purposes.”
The executive order outlines exceptions, including for permanent legal U.S. residents and those who already have valid visas. But the order fully suspends entry into the U.S. of people currently without visas from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
There will also be “partial suspension” for entry of citizens from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Individuals from this group of countries may still apply for work visas and creative visas. A creative visa allows qualifying people with extraordinary abilities in fields like entertainment or sports to enter the U.S. to legally work in their creative field.
The restrictions will go into effect next Monday, June 9, and visas issued before that date will not be revoked, per the government’s proclamation.
A memo was issued internally on Thursday evening at TKO, which was shared with POST Wrestling. The message addressing the presidential action, which was circulated throughout TKO, was written by UFC staff, suggesting the travel ban is of particular concern for those working for UFC.
TKO had more than 1,300 employees in 12 different countries as of the end of 2024, according to TKO’s recent annual report. UFC had about 650 athletes from more than 70 countries. The filing also noted that WWE has 230 talents from more than 20 countries.
The company noted 20% of WWE’s developmental talent comes from outside the U.S., “including Nigeria, Japan, England, Chile, Australia, Canada, Ukraine, Haiti, Singapore, and Switzerland.” As mentioned above, Haiti is among the countries facing full suspension.
The memo stated the following to TKO personnel:
Our initial analysis is below but we expect further information to become available (and it is also possible that the ban will be challenged in court). We have undertaken a review of visas sponsored by TKO companies and the order will hopefully only impact a small number of athletes and employees. We will be reaching out to those impacted shortly.
President Trump’s executive order fully and partially suspends entry of passport holders from certain countries as of Monday 9 June 2025, with some exceptions. This applies to those who are currently outside of the US and do not already have a valid visa.
- Full suspension of entry for passport holders without existing visas from: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan (not South Sudan), and Yemen.
- Partial suspension of entry for passport holders from these countries who are entering on visitor visas (B1/B2) or student visas (F, M, and J visas): Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Clients from these countries may still apply for creative visas (O-1, P-1) and employees may still apply for work visas (L, H1-B) but the visas may be restricted.
EXCEPTIONS INCLUDE if the passport holder is:
- Already holding a valid US visa (even if outside of the US at this time);
- A lawful permanent resident/green card holder;
- a dual national with a passport from a country not listed above;
- Any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State;
- An individual whose entry to the US is in the national interest as determined by the Secretary of State.
The executive order will be reviewed regularly for possible changes to the list of countries and the above exemptions.
Passport holders from the above countries with existing visas may still travel to the US but may face difficulty at the airport and extensive questioning at the border. In addition, the executive order does not indicate that existing visas will be revoked but this may change. Let us know in advance if you have a client or employee from the list of countries above who is travelling to the US.
POST Wrestling reached out to TKO, UFC, and WWE and will update this story if they opt to respond.