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Section 212(a)(3)(B)

US immigration inadmissibility provision; the legal bar named as blocking Mehdi Taremi from entering the United States.

Last refreshed: 5 June 2026

Key Question

Does compulsory IRGC service automatically trigger Section 212(a)(3)(B) inadmissibility?

Timeline for Section 212(a)(3)(B)

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Background

Section 212(a)(3)(B) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is the provision governing inadmissibility on grounds of terrorism or membership in a designated foreign terrorist organisation. It is the cited legal bar preventing Mehdi Taremi — Iran's forward who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) between 2010 and 2012 — from receiving a US visa to play in the 2026 World Cup. The IRGC was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US in 2019.

Section 212(a)(3)(B) covers individuals who have engaged in terrorist activity, are members of a designated organisation, or who the Secretary of State believes are likely to engage in such activity. Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited IRGC-linked individuals as inadmissible under this provision in April 2026, distinguishing Iran's athletes (cleared) from its support staff (barred). The specific application to Taremi — a professional footballer who completed compulsory military service — is the contested ground in the visa saga.

Common Questions
What is Section 212(a)(3)(B) and why does it affect Iran's World Cup players?
Section 212(a)(3)(B) of the US INA bars individuals linked to designated terrorist organisations. It is the cited ground for refusing visas to Mehdi Taremi and Iran's IRGC-linked support staff, as the IRGC was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US in 2019.Source:
Can Mehdi Taremi get a visa waiver to play at the 2026 World Cup?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said IRGC-linked individuals would not be allowed to enter. No waiver or exception had been granted as of 5 June 2026, when Iran's squad departed without US visas.Source:
Does compulsory Iranian military service count as IRGC membership under US immigration law?
The US State Department has not publicly clarified whether compulsory IRGC service triggers Section 212(a)(3)(B) inadmissibility. The determination is made case-by-case by the Secretary of State.
Source Material
8 USC 1182 — Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 5 June 2026. Editorial standards.