Are F-1 Visas from 19 Ban Countries Still Being Processed?

(UNITED STATES) F-1 student visa applicants from 19 countries hit by the June 2025 travel ban have found the door to the United States largely shut as of November, with consulates told not to process or issue their visas unless they fit into narrow exemption or waiver categories. The policy, rooted in a presidential proclamation aimed at “restricting the entry of foreign nationals to protect the United States from foreign terrorists and other national security and public safety threats,” has frozen most new student travel from these countries and left many young people’s education plans in limbo.

How the proclamation divides the affected countries

Under the proclamation, which took effect June 9, 2025, the government divided the affected nations into two groups:

• 12 “full ban” countries — all visa categories, including F-1, are fully suspended.
• 7 “partial ban” countries — targeted suspensions that include F-1, M-1, J-1, and B-1/B-2 visas.

Full ban countries (all visa categories suspended)

The following countries are in the full ban group, meaning no new visas of any category (including F-1) are being issued to their nationals:

Partial ban countries (specific categories suspended)

The partial ban group faces suspensions specifically covering F-1, M-1, J-1, and B-1/B-2 visas:

• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela

In practice, the partial ban means a wide range of student, exchange, and visitor travel from these countries has been halted unless an individual qualifies for a national interest exemption or a waiver.

Department of State guidance and consular practice

The U.S. Department of State has directed consulates to adhere strictly to the ban. According to official guidance summarized in the department’s notice on Suspension of Visa Issuance to Foreign Nationals, visa processing for the affected categories must remain paused unless an individual is clearly exempt or a waiver is granted.

• For most prospective students, applications cannot even move forward to approval.
• Consular officers do not have the authority to override the ban—even when applicants have admission letters and funding from U.S. universities.
• In many cases consular interviews have become brief explanations that issuing a visa is legally impossible under the proclamation.

Who is exempt or may receive a waiver?

The proclamation, posted by the White House as Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals, does include limited exemptions and exceptions:

• Individuals who already held a valid visa (including F-1) as of June 9, 2025, are generally exempt.
  • This creates a sharp divide: someone with a valid F-1 issued in May 2025 can often still travel, while an applicant who applied after June 9 cannot.
• U.S. lawful permanent residents are not subject to the ban.
• Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, unmarried children under 21, parents of adult citizens) may be exempt in defined situations.
• Dual nationals traveling on a non-banned passport can sometimes avoid the restriction if they use the other passport.
• Specific exceptions exist for refugees and certain special immigrant visa holders.
• Individuals may seek a national interest exemption (NIE) from the Department of State.

VisaVerge.com reports these categories cover only a small share of the overall student population in the affected countries.

Key point: A valid visa held on June 9, 2025, usually remains usable, but most new visa issuances to nationals of the 19 countries are blocked unless a narrow exemption or waiver applies.

The waiver process and its limitations

The waiver process is technically open but demanding and narrow:

1. Waiver requests are considered on a case‑by‑case basis.
2. Applicants typically must show compelling evidence of national interest or humanitarian need.
3. The proclamation uses national security and public safety language, so exceptions are sparingly granted and often require clear demonstration that the individual’s entry supports broader U.S. goals.

For typical F-1 applicants, the bar is high: academic promise alone usually does not meet the strict national interest standard.

Practical outcomes for students and universities

• F-1 applicants from the 19 banned countries who were outside the U.S. and did not hold a valid visa as of June 9, 2025, cannot obtain a new F-1 visa unless they obtain a qualifying exemption or a waiver.
• Many applicants had already secured admission, housing, and paid tuition deposits—yet they are unable to attend classes on U.S. campuses 🇺🇸.
• Some students may:
  • Defer admission,
  • Shift to online study where available, or
  • Pursue study in other countries.

The proclamation does not address academic choices; it simply blocks physical entry through the visa system.

Students already in the United States

• Students already in the U.S. on valid F-1 status are not affected by the ban and may continue to study and maintain status.
• This has created what some university officials privately call a “two‑track F-1 world”:
  • Those who began study before June 9, 2025: usually able to continue and pursue extensions if eligible.
  • Those applying from abroad after the effective date: face closed legal paths to entry.

University responses

• Admissions offices that previously recruited from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Haiti, or Venezuela now recognize an admission offer often does not translate into a realistic F-1 approval chance.
• Some institutions continue to admit affected students in hope of future policy change or waivers.
• Many universities quietly advise applicants to consider backup plans in other countries.

Current status (as of November 2025) and outlook

• The government states the travel ban remains in effect as of November 2025, with no official reversal or broad relaxation announced for F-1 visas.
• The suspension of processing is the direct result of an active presidential order, not a temporary consular backlog.
• Until the White House or Department of State issues new directions, the June 2025 rules enforced worldwide by consulates continue to control who may receive an F-1 visa.

Final takeaway: A travel ban framed around national security and public safety has immediate and substantial consequences for young people who planned to attend U.S. schools. Their options are to wait for policy changes, pursue difficult waivers based on national interest or humanitarian grounds, or redirect their education plans elsewhere.