United States: Travel Ban Expanded and Revised, Effective January 1, 2026

The proclamation adds seven countries to the existing 12 countries whose nationals are barred from both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance. The initial 12 countries with continued full visa restrictions are:

• Afghanistan
• Burma
• Chad
• Republic of Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen

 

Today’s proclamation adds the following seven countries to the full restriction list:

• Burkina Faso
• Laos (previously on the June travel ban “partially restricted” list)
• Mali
• Niger
• Sierra Leone (previously on the June travel ban “partially restricted” list)
• South Sudan
• Syria

 

In addition, foreign nationals who seek to travel to the United States using Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents will not be issued a U.S. nonimmigrant or immigrant visa under the new proclamation, unless eligible for an exception.

For nationals of the following 19 countries, the new proclamation suspends immigrant visa issuance, as well as nonimmigrant visa issuance in only the B, F, M, and J visa classifications for temporary visitors, students, and exchange visitors:

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Burundi (remains on the partial restriction list from the June travel ban)
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Cuba (remains on the partial restriction list from the June travel ban)
• Dominica
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Togo (remains on the partial restriction list from the June travel ban)
• Tonga
• Venezuela (remains on the partial restriction list from the June travel ban)
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The proclamation also directs consular officers to reduce the validity of any visa issued to nationals of the above countries in a non-suspended nonimmigrant classification (such as H-1B or L-1). The State Department has already reduced the permissible validity of nonimmigrant visas for many of the above countries to a maximum of three months and a single entry to the United States; other countries in the list are likely to follow.

Turkmenistan is the only country to have some restrictions lifted under the new travel ban. While the June proclamation suspended immigrant visa issuance as well as nonimmigrant visa issuance in the B, F, M, and J categories for the country, under the new proclamation, nationals of Turkmenistan may be issued any type of nonimmigrant visa, including in the B, F, M or J categories. Immigrant visa issuance will continue to be suspended for nationals of Turkmenistan, unless nationals are eligible for a travel ban exception.

By its terms, and subject to certain exceptions listed below, the revised travel ban proclamation applies only to nationals of the above countries who:

• Are outside of the United States on January 1, 2026; and
• Do not have a valid visa on January 1, 2026.

Individuals currently holding valid visas may continue to use those visas for travel to the United States; the proclamation explicitly states that existing visas will not be revoked as a result of the proclamation. However, such individuals may be subject to enhanced screening at ports of entry, and possible confusion regarding the scope of the exemption for travelers with currently valid visas.

The exemption for foreign nationals who have a valid visa as of January 1, 2026 also would suggest that such individuals should be able to apply for new visas in the same or a different category after January 1 and be admitted on the new visa(s). In addition, based on the language of the proclamation and how similar bans were interpreted during the first Trump Administration, it is possible that foreign nationals physically in the United States on January 1 should be exempt from the ban and therefore able to apply for a new visa in the same or a different category after that date. However, it is not known whether foreign nationals in either of these scenarios would be able to obtain new visas, and caution is advised in planning international travel.

Foreign nationals subject to the June 2025 travel ban continue to be subject to the travel restrictions set forth in that proclamation up until the new, broader proclamation takes effect on January 1, 2026.

The following categories of foreign nationals are exempt from the revised travel ban’s restrictions:

• Foreign nationals who are in the United States on January 1, 2026;
• Foreign nationals who have a valid visa in any category as of January 1, 2026;
• U.S. lawful permanent residents (green card holders);
• Dual nationals of a country designated in the proclamation when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a non-designated country;
• Any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, those performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State;
• Any foreign national traveling with a valid nonimmigrant visa in the following classifications for foreign diplomats and certain officials of foreign governments and international organizations: A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO‑2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6;
• Those applying for Special Immigrant Visas for certain U.S. government employees;
• Immigrant visa applicants who are ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran;
• Those whose travel is deemed to advance a critical U.S. national interest involving the Department of Justice; and
• Those whose travel is deemed to serve the U.S. national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their designee.

National interest exceptions under the proclamation are expected to be extremely rare.

As with the June travel ban, the new proclamation does not apply to anyone who has been granted asylum or to refugees already admitted to the United States. The order also states that the new restrictions do not limit the ability of an individual to seek these types of relief or to seek protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT).

Overall, however, this proclamation contains fewer exceptions than the June travel ban – the new order removes exceptions for those applying for Immediate Relative immigrant visas as well as for adoption-related immigrant visas (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4) and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas. Exceptions will no longer exist for foreign nationals seeking these types of immigrant visas starting January 1.

Finally, it is unclear whether the exceptions would be available in practice to Afghan nationals. Though the proclamation makes no distinction between Afghan nationals and other impacted foreign nationals with respect to eligibility for the list of exceptions, the State Department recently announced that it has paused all visa issuance to holders of Afghan passports.

There will be a periodic government review of the list of travel ban countries to assess whether the restrictions should be continued, modified, suspended, or supplemented. Within 180 days of this proclamation and every 180 days thereafter, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of Intelligence, must submit a report to President Trump providing recommendations on the current restrictions.

Nationals of the proclamation travel ban countries should determine whether they are subject to the new restrictions, with the help of counsel where appropriate. To the extent possible, those newly affected by the restrictions who are not subject to the current June travel ban should return to the United States prior to January 1, 2026, when the new proclamation takes effect.

In addition, both nationals of and those born in countries that have been newly added to the travel ban list should be aware that they may be subject to a pause on the processing of any immigration benefit application pending with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Earlier this month, USCIS placed a hold on all pending immigration benefit applications filed by foreign nationals from travel ban countries. This includes those born in a travel ban country, even though the travel ban proclamation itself applies only to nationals of affected countries.

Fragomen will provide further information as more details become available.