What each sanction and restriction actually does
Visa restrictions, 7031(c) designations, OFAC sanctions, Global Magnitsky, UK and EU listings: the legal basis, what each one does and how to check a name, from official texts. Updated 20 October 2026.
Measures explained
- 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
What OFAC sanctions are, the legal basis under IEEPA, the SDN List, blocking, the 50 percent rule, licenses and how delisting works.
- Section 7031(c) designations explained
How Section 7031(c) of the annual State Department appropriations act bars officials and their families from US entry and how it differs from OFAC.
- 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.
How to check
- 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.
Country records
- 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.
Sanctions Explained is published by Onward Africa, a communications firm. It is not a government website or legal advice. Our methodology page explains who we work for and how we check every statement. Always confirm a name against the official list.