The U.S. authorities has issued a revised journey ban that takes impact at 12:01 a.m. ET on January 1, 2026, considerably increasing restrictions on visa issuance for nationals of 39 international locations and people travelling with Palestinian Authority–issued journey paperwork.
Beneath the brand new presidential proclamation, immigrant and nonimmigrant visas are totally suspended for nationals of 19 international locations, which now embrace seven newly added nations. An extra 19 international locations face partial restrictions — limiting immigrant visas and sure nonimmigrant classes (e.g., B, F, M, J visas). One nation, Turkmenistan, now faces solely immigrant visa restrictions.
Importantly, the ban doesn’t revoke present visas or apply to international nationals already in america on January 1, 2026, with legitimate visas. Different exceptions embrace U.S. lawful everlasting residents, twin nationals travelling on a non-designated passport, sure diplomats, and athletes travelling for main occasions.
This expanded journey ban marks probably the most sweeping visa restrictions in latest U.S. coverage, with potential impacts on U.S. employers, and visa holders.
What are the international locations topic to full restrictions
The proclamation provides seven international locations to the prevailing 12 international locations whose nationals are barred from each immigrant and nonimmigrant visa issuance. The preliminary 12 international locations with continued full visa restrictions are:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
The proclamation provides the next seven international locations to the complete restriction listing:
- Burkina Faso
- Laos (beforehand on the June journey ban “partially restricted” listing)
- Mali
- Niger
- Sierra Leone (beforehand on the June journey ban “partially restricted” listing)
- South Sudan
- Syria
Moreover, international nationals who search to journey to america utilizing Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed journey paperwork is not going to be issued a U.S. nonimmigrant or immigrant visa below the brand new proclamation, until eligible for an exception.
What are the international locations topic to partial restrictions
For nationals of the next 19 international locations, the brand new proclamation suspends immigrant visa issuance, in addition to nonimmigrant visa issuance in solely the B, F, M, and J visa classifications for short-term guests, college students, and trade guests:
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burundi (stays on the partial restriction listing from the June journey ban)
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Cuba (stays on the partial restriction listing from the June journey ban)
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Togo (stays on the partial restriction listing from the June journey ban)
- Tonga
- Venezuela (stays on the partial restriction listing from the June journey ban)
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The proclamation additionally instructs consular officers to restrict the validity interval of visas issued to nationals of the affected international locations in non-suspended nonimmigrant classes, comparable to H-1B and L-1. In follow, the State Division has already lowered visa validity for a lot of of those international locations to a most of three months with a single entry permitted. Comparable restrictions are anticipated to be utilized to extra international locations on the listing.
Turkmenistan is the one nation for which sure restrictions have been eased below the brand new journey ban. Though the June proclamation suspended each immigrant visa issuance and nonimmigrant visas within the B, F, M, and J classes, the revised proclamation permits Turkmenistan nationals to acquire any kind of nonimmigrant visa, together with B, F, M, and J visas. Nevertheless, immigrant visa issuance for Turkmenistan nationals stays suspended until an relevant journey ban exception applies.
Scope of the Journey Ban
Beneath its phrases, and topic to particular exceptions, the revised journey ban applies solely to nationals of the listed international locations who
(1) are outdoors america as of January 1, 2026, and
(2) don’t maintain a legitimate U.S. visa on that date.
People with legitimate visas on January 1, 2026, could proceed to make use of these visas for journey to america, because the proclamation expressly states that present visas is not going to be revoked. Nevertheless, such vacationers could also be topic to heightened screening at ports of entry, and a few uncertainty could come up relating to the sensible utility of the visa exemption.
The exemption for people holding legitimate visas as of January 1, 2026, additionally means that they might be eligible to use for brand new visas—both in the identical or a special class—after that date and search admission utilizing these visas. Moreover, based mostly on the language of the proclamation and interpretations of comparable bans through the first Trump Administration, international nationals bodily current in america on January 1, 2026, could likewise be exempt and in a position to apply for brand new visas after that date. That stated, it stays unclear how these provisions can be applied in follow, and warning is suggested when planning worldwide journey.
Overseas nationals topic to the June 2025 journey ban will proceed to be ruled by the restrictions set forth in that proclamation till the brand new, expanded journey ban takes impact on January 1, 2026.
Who’s exempted from the journey ban
The next classes of international nationals are exempt from the revised journey ban’s restrictions:
- Overseas nationals who’re in america on January 1, 2026
- Overseas nationals who’ve a legitimate visa in any class as of January 1, 2026
- S. lawful everlasting residents (inexperienced card holders)
- Twin nationals of a rustic designated within the proclamation when the person is touring on a passport issued by a non-designated nation
- Any athlete or member of an athletic staff, together with coaches, these performing a obligatory help position, and instant family, touring for the World Cup, Olympics, or different main sporting occasion as decided by the Secretary of State
- Any international nationwide touring with a legitimate nonimmigrant visa within the following classifications for international diplomats and sure officers of international governments and worldwide 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;
- These making use of for Particular Immigrant Visas for sure U.S. authorities staff
- Immigrant visa candidates who’re ethnic and non secular minorities dealing with persecution in Iran
- These whose journey is deemed to advance a important U.S. nationwide curiosity involving the Division of Justice and
- These whose journey is deemed to serve the U.S. nationwide curiosity, as decided by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Safety, or their designee.
Nationwide curiosity exceptions below the proclamation are anticipated to be granted solely in very restricted circumstances. As with the June journey ban, the brand new order doesn’t apply to people who’ve already been granted asylum or to refugees who’ve been admitted to america. It additionally affirms that the restrictions don’t restrict a person’s means to hunt asylum, refugee standing, or safety below the Conference Towards Torture (CAT).
General, the revised proclamation offers fewer exceptions than the June journey ban. Notably, it eliminates exceptions for candidates in search of Fast Relative immigrant visas, adoption-related immigrant visas (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4), and Afghan Particular Immigrant Visas. Consequently, international nationals pursuing these immigrant visa classes will now not qualify for exceptions starting January 1, 2026.
Moreover, it stays unclear whether or not any exceptions can be obtainable in follow to Afghan nationals. Though the proclamation doesn’t distinguish Afghan nationals from different affected people when it comes to eligibility for exceptions, the State Division has just lately introduced a pause on all visa issuance to holders of Afghan passports.
What’s Subsequent?
The federal government will conduct periodic critiques of the international locations topic to the journey ban to find out whether or not the restrictions ought to be continued, modified, suspended, or supplemented. Inside 180 days of the proclamation—and each 180 days thereafter—the Secretary of State, in session with the Legal professional Common, the Secretary of Homeland Safety, and the Director of Intelligence, is required to submit a report back to President Trump with suggestions relating to the continued utility of the restrictions.
Conclusion
Nationals of nations coated by the proclamation ought to assess whether or not they are going to be topic to the brand new restrictions, in search of authorized counsel the place applicable. People who’re newly affected and never at the moment topic to the June journey ban ought to, the place potential, plan to return to america earlier than January 1, 2026, when the brand new proclamation takes impact.
As well as, each nationals of—and people born in—international locations newly added to the journey ban listing ought to be conscious that the processing of immigration profit functions filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS) could also be paused. Earlier this month, USCIS positioned holds on all pending immigration profit functions filed by people from journey ban international locations, together with these born in a chosen nation, despite the fact that the proclamation itself applies solely to nationals of affected international locations.
Our regulation places of work will proceed to offer updates as extra steerage turns into obtainable.
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