A 1947 agreement that governs the United Nations’ presence in the U.S. grants relatively open access to the country for its employees and their families.
Amid heightened national security concerns and stricter immigration policies under the Trump administration, experts are calling for a review of the agreement. They are focusing on the broad immunity given to U.N. staff and the limited screening of those entering the U.S. with U.N. visas.
Anne Bayefsky, director of the Touro Institute on Human Rights and the Holocaust and president of Human Rights Voices, told Digital that the U.S. seems to have a lenient approach to those entering the country in connection with the U.N., whether as employees or representatives of country missions. She added that U.N. employees have had, and continue to have, close ties with terrorist organizations.
Bayefsky stated that there is a disconnect between the welcoming process and the potential harm to American interests, arguing that hosting the U.N. should not require the U.S. to facilitate or tolerate threats to its national security.
The U.S. government issues G visas to employees, spouses, and children of international organizations like the U.N. who live in or visit the U.S. The State Department’s website states that those eligible for a G visa are required to obtain one, with very few exceptions. The State Department also notes that embassies and consulates generally do not conduct interviews for G-1 through G-4 and NATO-1 through NATO-6 visa applicants, although a consular officer can request one.
Hugh Dugan, a senior advisor to 11 former U.S. ambassadors to the U.N., told Digital that the issuance of G visas for U.N. employees appears to be a routine process. While foregoing interviews has become a matter of convenience, he believes the U.S. should always be able to assess potential threats to the country.
Dugan, a former National Security Council special assistant to the president and senior director for international organization affairs, noted that countries like Russia and China are restricted in how far they can travel from U.N. headquarters. He said that while the U.S. is mindful of its adversaries’ activities, the host country agreement allows participation in the U.N. without barring any country due to political tensions.
Digital asked the State Department if it requires interviews for staff from countries such as Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and China, but did not receive a response. A State Department spokesperson reiterated that consular officers have the authority to require in-person interviews for any reason.
Peter Gallo, a former investigator with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), told Digital that he is particularly concerned about the functional immunity granted to U.N. staff for activities related to their employment. Gallo explained that the U.S. legal system has largely accepted this as blanket coverage, and that immunity can lead to impunity.
Gallo claimed that there is a culture of cover-up and misconduct among U.N. staff. He cited an instance where a U.N. employee sexually harassed a young woman in his department outside the U.S. He said that it took two years for the investigation to be completed, resulting in the demotion of the employee, while both the employee and the victim remained in the same organization.
Gallo suggested that if employees engage in misconduct while based at U.N. headquarters, the U.S. government should be able to review cases and decide whether they should keep their G visas.
Dugan stated that if U.N. personnel knew that their immunity could be revoked by the U.S. at any time, they might behave differently.
In response to inquiries about accusations of sexual misconduct against U.N. staff in the U.S., or whether U.N. staff who engaged in misconduct have had their G visas revoked, a State Department spokesperson said that the department generally does not provide revocation statistics. They added that all visa applicants, regardless of visa type or location, are continuously vetted from the time of application through the visa adjudication process and during the validity period of the visa to ensure they remain eligible to travel to the U.S.
The spokesperson stated that U.N. officials are expected to respect U.S. laws, including criminal laws, and that failure to do so may constitute an abuse of privileges of residence. This also applies to those who hold diplomatic immunity.
Among those who have raised internal concerns is U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories , who was allowed to the U.S. in 2024 to present a report before the Third Committee of the General Assembly. Albanese, whose antisemitism has been widely condemned, was allowed to tour multiple U.S. college campuses while in the U.S.
In addition to qualifying for G visas, staff of international organizations like the United Nations can qualify for green cards if they have spent half of at least seven years of employment inside the U.S., or have been in the U.S. for a combined total of 15 years prior to retirement.