France has asked its citizens traveling to the United States to be careful while filling out visa or ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) applications. A new section now requires applicants to state their “gender assigned at birth.”
The French foreign ministry issued the advisory between Monday and Tuesday. It strongly recommended travelers check the US Embassy’s website in Paris for any updates or new rules. However, the advisory was not a direct warning, like the one issued by Denmark.
Denmark recently warned its citizens, especially transgender people, that they could be barred from entering the US. This follows an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20, right after he took office for the second time. The order states that the US government will only recognize the gender assigned at birth, preventing people from marking “X” for a non-binary status or selecting a different gender.
Although no French citizens have been denied entry so far, authorities do not want to take any risks. ESTA allows travelers from many countries, including France, to visit the US without a visa for up to 90 days, but border officials have the final say on entry.
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