U.S. Travel Bans and Immigration Restrictions by Country

(UNITED STATES) — President Trump expanded U.S. travel and immigration restrictions through a December 16, 2025, Presidential Proclamation that now imposes full visa bans on nationals of 19 countries and partial restrictions on 20 others, with the broader measures taking effect January 1, 2026.

A separate State Department action announced January 14, 2026, and effective January 21, indefinitely paused immigrant visa issuances for nationals of 75 countries, further narrowing access to green cards even in cases where interviews may still go forward.

Together, the steps have created one of the widest sets of entry restrictions in recent years, blocking nearly all immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for some countries while suspending immigrant visas and selected temporary visa categories for others.

The administration said the measures build on a June 2025 ban and rest on INA § 212(f), which allows the president to suspend entry when it is deemed detrimental to U.S. interests. The proclamations cite deficiencies in security screening, vetting, passport integrity and information sharing with U.S. authorities.

How the Restrictions Expanded

The restrictions also broaden a system first rolled out in 2025. Earlier policies had targeted 10 countries with what was described as a “total ban”, but Proclamation 10949 in June 2025 shifted to a tiered structure with full restrictions on 12 countries and partial limits on others.

The December 16, 2025, proclamation expanded that framework again, adding seven nations to the full-ban list for a total of 19 countries, while applying partial restrictions to 20 more and adding restrictions on Palestinian Authority travel documents.

North Korea no longer appears on the explicit country lists in the updated framework, while Venezuela moved to partial restrictions. Cuba also shifted to partial restrictions from full restrictions.

Countries Facing Full Visa Bans

Nationals of the 19 fully restricted countries who were outside the United States without a valid visa as of January 1, 2026, face a full suspension of both immigrant visas and nonimmigrant visas, including family-based green cards, employment visas, tourist and business visas, student visas, exchange visitor visas and most work visas.

Those countries are Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

Several of those countries were newly added on January 1, 2026. Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and South Sudan were added as new full-ban countries, while Laos and Sierra Leone were elevated from partial restrictions and Syria was also elevated.

The administration identified country-specific concerns in the proclamation and related policy descriptions. Afghanistan faces a pause on all Afghan passport visas, with high terrorism risk cited. Republic of the Congo was flagged for high overstays and conflict concerns, while Equatorial Guinea was cited for passport issues.

Iran remains under full restrictions as a state identified for terrorism concerns and nuclear tensions. Before the ban, 23,154 visas had been issued to Iranians in the period referenced in the policy summary, while Burma (Myanmar) had 15,206 visas issued pre-ban from May 2024-Apr 2025.

Pre-existing valid visas remain usable. The government has not revoked those visas under the current framework, though travelers remain subject to enhanced screening at ports of entry.

Countries Under Partial Restrictions

The 20 countries under partial restrictions face a narrower but still sweeping suspension. Their nationals are barred from receiving immigrant visas and from selected nonimmigrant categories, especially B-1/B-2 tourist and business visas, F/M student visas and J exchange visas.

Those countries are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Most of those countries were newly added under the expanded 2026 system. Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe were all listed as newly added.

For countries under partial restrictions, some nonimmigrant visa categories remain available. H-1B specialty occupation visas, L-1 intracompany transfer visas, O-1 visas for individuals of extraordinary ability, E-3 visas for Australians and TN visas for certain professionals may still be issued, though validity can be shortened, including to 3 months and single-entry.

Turkmenistan stands apart within that group because it faces an immigrant visa ban only, with nonimmigrant processing restored. Tonga also has a partial easing for some nonimmigrant travel.

The 75-Country Immigrant Visa Pause

The immigrant visa pause announced on January 14, 2026, reaches even wider. It covers nationals of 75 countries, including many already on the travel-ban lists such as Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia, and halts final immigrant visa issuance while the administration reassesses public charge risks under INA § 212(f).

That pause took effect January 21. It allows interviews to proceed in some cases, but no immigrant visa is issued at the end of that process while the freeze remains in place.

USCIS has also suspended adjudication on various applications for nationals of newly added ban countries. The affected filings include I-485 adjustment applications and I-90 renewals, and the holds extend even to people born in those countries.

At the same time, some paths remain open. USCIS adjustments continue for people already in the United States, even as consular immigrant visa issuance abroad remains restricted under the 75-country pause.

Exemptions and Waivers

The administration kept several exemptions in place. U.S. permanent residents, dual nationals traveling on passports from non-banned countries, people who were in the United States on Jan. 1, 2026, holders of valid pre-ban visas, diplomats and other official travelers using A, C, G or NATO visas, and asylees, refugees and CAT applicants remain outside the main restrictions.

Special Immigrant Visas remain available on a limited basis. National interest waivers also remain possible, decided case by case by the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, including for matters involving critical Department of Justice needs.

Still, the waiver structure is narrower than under earlier bans. The updated system no longer provides exceptions for immediate relatives in categories such as IR-1/CR-1, for adoptions in IR-3/4 and IH-3/4, or for Afghan SIVs.

For Iran, one earlier carveout remains. Ethnic and religious minorities may still qualify for exceptions under the retained framework.

Effects on Families, Schools and Employers

The effects reach far beyond consular waiting rooms. Families now face long separations because spouses, children and parents in many countries cannot reunite through immigrant visa processing.

Universities also face losses from countries that historically sent students to the United States. Nationals from fully restricted countries such as Iran and Syria can no longer obtain the F-1, M-1 and J-1 visas that once supported study and exchange in the United States.

Employers face different disruptions depending on the country involved. Some businesses can still hire from partially restricted countries through categories such as H-1B or O-1, but those options disappear for nationals from countries under full visa bans.

The measures also touch sports and entertainment. Haiti, Cote d’Ivoire and Senegal were identified in the policy summary as examples of countries whose athletes could face visa hurdles tied to the 2026 World Cup, while businesses and professional leagues face recruitment limits involving countries such as Cuba and Venezuela.

Refugees and people fleeing conflict also face tighter barriers. Refugee pathways for Somalia were described as strained, while nationals of Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan face blocked U.S. routes even as asylum and CAT processing remain unaffected for those who can pursue those forms of protection.

Civil rights groups have mounted legal challenges, arguing the measures violate due process and revive nationality-based exclusions that echo earlier litigation over the 2017-2021 travel bans. Critics have labeled the current system “Muslim Ban 2.0” in court challenges and public statements.

What Happens Next

The broader policy push extends beyond country lists alone. Public comments on related vetting measures, including social media and ESTA applications, closed February 9, 2026, as the administration continued reviewing how travelers and immigrants are screened.

For visa applicants, timing has become a dividing line. People with valid visas issued before January 1, 2026, can still use them, while new applicants from fully restricted countries are shut out of nearly all immigrant and nonimmigrant pathways.

For nationals of countries under partial restrictions, the picture is more fragmented. Tourist, student and exchange visas are broadly suspended, but some employment-based categories remain available under tighter rules and shorter validity periods.

The proclamations have also redrawn how different agencies handle cases. State Department consular posts may still conduct immigrant visa interviews for affected nationalities, but final issuance stops under the January 21 pause, while USCIS continues some domestic adjustment cases and freezes others.

As of March 2026, the combined system leaves U.S. immigration policy operating on multiple tracks at once: full visa bans for 19 countries, partial restrictions for 20 more, and an immigrant visa freeze for 75 countries layered over the top.

That structure now shapes whether families reunite, whether students reach U.S. campuses, and whether employers can fill jobs. For many applicants, the answer turns not on an individual case alone, but on the passport they hold.