United States: CDC Suspends Entry Into United States of Foreign Nationals Who Were Recently in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan
May 18, 2026
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At a glance
- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has ordered a 30-day suspension of entry into the United States by foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days.
- The order does not apply to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.
The issue
Due to the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today issued an order suspending the entry into the United States for a 30-day period of foreign nationals who have been in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, or South Sudan in the past 21 days.
The order applies to foreign nationals who depart from, or have otherwise been present within, the DRC, Uganda, or South Sudan during the last 21 days, regardless of their country of origin.
The order does not apply to:
- U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals;
- U.S. lawful permanent residents (green card holders);
- Members of the U.S. military, overseas U.S. government personnel, and their families, subject to certain limitations;
- Individuals determined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to merit an exception from the order based on the totality of the circumstances, including consideration of significant law enforcement, officer, and public safety, humanitarian, and public health interests; and
- Other individuals excepted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in consultation with CDC.
The order was issued pursuant to certain federal public health laws that allow the CDC Director to suspend the entry of persons into the United States if the Director determines that the existence of a quarantinable communicable disease in a foreign country creates a serious danger of the introduction of the disease into the United States and a temporary suspension of entry is deemed necessary to protect U.S. public health.
At the end of the 30-day suspension period, the CDC will consider whether continued restrictions are necessary.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
