US President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration has been clarified, with the State Department saying New Zealanders who hold other passports can travel to the country.
People protest against the executive order at New York's JFK Airport. Photo: AFP
Mr Trump issued an executive order which prevents people from seven majority-Muslim countries - Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen - from entering the US.
The State Department has now said that order does not restrict the travel of dual nationals, so long as they hold the passport of an unrestricted country and possess a valid US visa.
It said dual nationals of Iraq, Iran, Syria and Sudan must have a visa for travel as they were not eligble for the visa waiver programme.
It said its embassies and consulates around the world would process visa applications.
"Dual nationals of Yemen, Libya, and Somalia and a Visa Waiver Program country (such as New Zealand) may continue to travel under the VWP unless they have travelled to any of the seven countries on or after March 2011, in which case they must first apply for a US visa," the State Department said.
Top officials for the US President Donald Trump were today also backing away from calling his controversial immigration restrictions a ban.
Instead, they said Mr Trump's order to close America's borders to citizens from seven countries was a temporary pause - not a ban.
Department of Homeland Security head John Kelly said people from the seven targeted nations who held dual citizenship would be allowed to enter the US on the passport of a non-restricted nation.
"This is not a travel ban, it is a temporary pause that allows us to better review the existing refugee and visa vetting system."
New immigration procedures were being determined and countries worldwide would have 60 days to comply, he said.
Mr Kelly was reported to be furious that Mr Trump gave him no advance notice of the immigration decision.
New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English said yesterday that while he disagreed with the policy, he did not view it as racist.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has argued the government needs to use New Zealand's humanitarian reputation to condemn the travel ban.
Labour leader Andrew Little said Mr English's stance was not good enough, and that New Zealand should never hesitate to call out allies over bad policy.
"Certainly some of the commentary suggests that, you know, you have to be careful in the diplomatic world, but actually, if it's wrong it's wrong.
"Thirty years ago we were happy to stand up and say 'we're going to go nuclear free' and we knew that would upset the US administration. It did for a wee while, but hasn't ruined our relationship in the long run, not at all."
Mr Little said he would never hesitate to call out the US on such a policy.
US violating international law - Refugee Council
Mr Trump has also put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into America and an indefinite ban on taking refugees from Syria.
New Zealand's Refugee Council labelled the move to suspend the United States' refugee programme unlawful.
The council said the US is a party to the Refugee Convention, which requires countries to accept refugees.
The purpose of the Convention was to provide immediate protection to people in danger of suffering serious harm, and by not doing so the US was in flagrant violation of international law, the council said.
