09/28/2026
US EMBASSY IN BANJUL REVOKES THE VISA OF FORMER INFORMATION MINISTER D.A JAWO
Former Gambian Minister of Information and Communication D.A. Jawo says the United States has revoked his five-year U.S. visa, which he says was due to remain valid until 2029.
In a statement shared on his page, Jawo said he received an email on September 16th, 2026, purportedly from the U.S. Embassy in Banjul informing him that his visa had been revoked.
According to the former minister, the email stated:
“This action is based on the fact that after visa issuance, information has come to light indicating that you may be ineligible for your visa.”
Jawo said he has no idea what prompted the decision.
The former minister did not publicly identify any specific allegation made against him, nor did he indicate whether the U.S. Embassy provided additional details beyond the explanation contained in the email.
The development comes amid a major tightening of U.S. visa policies
Jawo’s reported visa revocation comes at a time when the United States has significantly tightened its visa screening and immigration policies, including measures specifically affecting Gambian nationals.
Since January 1st, 2026, the United States has partially suspended the issuance of certain visas to Gambian nationals. Under Presidential Proclamation 10998, visa issuance for Gambians was partially suspended for B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M and J visas, as well as immigrant visas, subject to specified exceptions.
However, the U.S. State Department has also made clear that this particular proclamation did not revoke visas that were already valid on January 1st, 2026. The department specifically states that visas issued before that date were not revoked pursuant to the proclamation.
That distinction is significant in Jawo's case. If his account is accurate and his visa was issued before 2026, the reported revocation would not, by itself, establish that his visa was cancelled under the January 2026 country-based suspension.
Gambian travelers also face a U.S. visa bond requirement
The Gambia has also been subject to the U.S. B-1/B-2 visa bond program since October 11th, 2025.
Under the program, Gambian nationals who are otherwise eligible for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa may be required to post a bond. The U.S. State Department currently lists The Gambia among the countries subject to the program.
The program applies to people applying for B-1/B-2 visas and should not be confused with the revocation of an already-issued visa.
U.S. expands scrutiny and information gathering
The U.S. has also expanded its approach to visa screening and vetting.
On September 18th, 2026 — two days after Jawo says he received the revocation email — the State Department announced another expansion of its online-presence review.
Beginning October 1st, 2026, the U.S. said applicants for visas in the I, TN and TD categories would also be subject to online-presence review, joining a number of visa categories that were already subject to expanded screening. The department said it relies on available sources of information during visa screening and vetting to identify people who may be inadmissible to the United States.
The State Department has described visa adjudication as involving national-security and public-safety considerations and emphasized that eligibility can depend on information available to U.S. authorities.
A new U.S. visa-fraud reporting system
The policy environment became even more notable on September 18th, when the State Department also published a new Report Visa Fraud system.
The department is encouraging members of the public to submit information about suspected visa fraud or misuse. The form allows people to provide information including an individual's name, nationality, passport or visa information, and social-media profiles. The State Department says reports may be submitted anonymously and can be used to support investigations and immigration-related actions.
The existence of this reporting system does not, however, establish that it played any role in Jawo's case.
Visa services in Banjul have also changed
There has also been an important change in how U.S. visa services are handled in The Gambia.
The State Department announced that, effective August 1st, 2026, routine visa processing in Banjul was being realigned to regional visa hubs. Dakar is among the designated regional hubs. The U.S. Embassy in Banjul continues to operate, but routine immigrant and nonimmigrant visa services were moved as part of the restructuring.
The State Department says the realignment itself does not affect currently valid visas.
What prompted Jawo's revocation?
That remains the central unanswered question.
The language quoted by Jawo — that “information has come to light” indicating that he “may be ineligible” — does not identify the specific ground for the decision.
U.S. immigration law contains numerous possible grounds for visa ineligibility, including issues involving immigration violations, fraud or misrepresentation, certain criminal conduct and other statutory grounds. The State Department says visa cases are evaluated individually and that applicants can be found ineligible when information indicates that they do not meet the requirements of U.S. law.
But none of those possible grounds should be attributed to Jawo without evidence.
At this point, the publicly available information establishes only that Jawo says he received notice that his visa had been revoked and that he says he does not know what prompted the decision.
It is also not clear from his public statement whether the U.S. Embassy has provided him with a more specific legal basis for the revocation or whether he has sought clarification from the embassy.
The U.S. Embassy's explanation, if and when provided, could therefore be important in determining why a visa issued through 2029 was cancelled before its expiration date.
GTTV will try to reach out to the US embassy on this matter
