On December 16, 2025, the government announced it was expanding the scope of the travel ban it implemented in June 2025.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- The travel ban continues the restrictions put in place by the government’s June 2025 for citizens of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
- The ban adds or changes restrictions to the following countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Palestine, Laos, Sierra Leone, Turkmenistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
- The ban will go into effect on January 1, 2026.
- The ban applies only to nationals of the above countries who are outside the United States without a valid visa on January 1, 2026.
- Lawful permanent residents (green card holders), dual nationals of a designated country when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a non-designated country, asylees, refugees, diplomatic and international organization visas, athletes coming to participate in the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, and some other categories are not subject to the travel ban.
- Where a country is subject to a partial travel ban, consular officers have been directed to “reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa … to the extent permitted by law.”
HOW THIS MAY AFFECT YOU:
Below is a summary of how citizens from each country listed above will be affected by the new travel ban.
FULL BAN: Entry Suspended for all immigrant and nonimmigrants: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Palestinian Authority Travel Documents, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen.
PARTIAL BAN: Entry suspended for immigrants, and on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas: 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.
**Only immigrant entries are suspended.
Please consider your need to travel at this time very carefully. If you are a national of one of the above countries and believe you are exempt from the travel ban as described above and determine you absolutely must travel, bring your original documentation, any approval notices, and a copy of all documents with you. Be prepared for long wait times upon returning to the United States and increased questioning about your eligibility to reenter the United States, the nature of your trip abroad, and any adverse factors in your case history. Like much else in this administration, this is an evolving situation, and your experience may differ from that of someone you know.