The 2025 NBA Draft was full of high-stakes decisions, but few stories were as compelling—on and of the court—as that of Khaman Maluach.
On June 25, 2025, the 7-foot-2 South Sudanese center was selected 10th overall by the Houston Rockets, and was then traded to Phoenix Suns. For fans, it's an exciting basketball transaction. For immigration attorneys and international athletes, it’s also an example of how the Trump administration's clampdown on legal immigration has impacted foreign nationals in all walks of life, including professional athletes.
Just months before the draft, on April 5, 2025, the U.S. State Department revoked all existing visas held by South Sudanese citizens, including students and professionals legally residing in the U.S. This decision created significant uncertainty for South Sudanese nationals—even those, like Maluach, who were already present legally under valid student visas.
While those in the U.S. are not required to leave immediately, any future travel or reentry now requires a National Interest Exception, which is difficult to get.
Maluach initially entered the United States on an F-1 visa, the standard visa for international students, to attend Duke University. After a standout season, he declared for the draft and temporarily shifted to a B-2 (tourist) visa to attend the NBA Draft.
While playing for the Suns, he will work on a P-1A visa, the primary visa classification for internationally recognized professional athletes competing in major U.S. leagues. The P-1A visa allows professional athletes to train, compete, and live in the U.S. It’s commonly used by NBA players, often serving as their primary immigration status for the duration of their careers. While P visas are generally issued based on the length of a specific event, season, or tour—typically up to one year—P-1 athletes can be granted an initial stay of up to five years, with the option to extend for an additional five years, allowing for a maximum stay of ten years in total. Maluach will be changing his status from B-2 to P-1 from within the US, based on a filing with USCIS.
With the April 2025 travel ban for South Sudanese nationals (among other nationals) still in effect, Maluach’s ability to travel internationally will be complicated even after he acquires new P-1 status. Further, when the Suns travel to play the Toronto Raptors, Malauch would need a National Interest Waiver and a new visa with each return trip, in order to overcome the default ban on South Sudanese entries. It might make more sense for him to skip the Raptors games altogether.
Maluach’s case underscores the importance of strategic immigration planning—especially for high-profile athletes moving between visa classifications.
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