On December 16, 2025, the U.S. President issued a new and expanded Travel Proclamation - Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals To Protect The Security Of The United States - that limits entry to the United States for nationals of certain countries. This policy builds on earlier travel restrictions issued on June 4th, 2025.
Effective Date
The new travel restrictions begin on January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. (U.S. Eastern Time).
Who May Be Affected
The travel ban applies only to individuals who:
- Are outside the U.S. on or after January 1, 2026, and
- Do not have a valid U.S. visa on that date, and
- Are a citizen of one of the following impacted countries without a designated exception
Countries Impacted
Entry to the U.S. is restricted for certain visa types for nationals of specific countries. The list includes:
Full suspension (all visa types)
Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen. New additions now include: Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Syria, and individuals with Palestinian Authority documents
Partial suspension (limitations on issuance of B-1/B-2, F, M, J visas)
Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela. New additions now include: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Important Exceptions
This policy does not apply to:
- U.S. permanent residents (green card holders)
- Dual citizens traveling on a passport from a non-restricted country
- Individuals with asylum or refugee status
- Certain diplomatic or international organization visas
- Some special national-interest exemptions
- Citizens from impacted countries currently in the U.S.
Again, if you are currently inside the U.S. and remain in the U.S., this policy does not apply to you. If you are outside the U.S. but already have a valid visa on January 1, 2026, your visa will not be revoked, and you may still be able to enter.
Our Recommendation
Because policies are changing quickly, we strongly discourage non-essential international travel, especially for individuals from impacted countries.
If you are from an impacted country and currently outside the U.S. with a valid visa, we urge you to return to the U.S. before January 1, 2026.
ISSO will continue to share updates and provide support as policies evolve. If you have questions, please reach out to your ISSO adviser. If sponsored by ECFMG or an alternative institution, please be sure to reach out to your program sponsor with questions.