If you’ve been looking at the headlines lately, you’re probably seeing a lot of "it’s happening again" energy. People are asking, has trump banned travel, and the answer is—honestly—a bit of a mess. It isn’t a single "yes" or "no" because the administration has dropped two massive policies back-to-back that change who can get through the door.
Basically, we’ve moved past the old 2017 debates. This is 2026, and the landscape is way more complicated. On January 1, 2026, a massive expansion of the travel ban hit 39 countries. Then, just a few days ago, the State Department dropped another bombshell: an indefinite pause on immigrant visas for 75 countries starting January 21, 2026.
If you're trying to figure out if your family can visit or if your work visa is still good, you've gotta look at which specific bucket your country falls into.
The 2026 Travel Ban: 39 Countries and the "Full vs. Partial" Split
The biggest thing to understand is Presidential Proclamation 10998. This is the big one that kicked in on New Year’s Day. It didn't just target the same places as before; it actually categorized countries based on how much "vetting" the U.S. thinks they do.
There are 19 countries under what the administration calls a Full Travel Ban. If you’re from one of these places, the U.S. is basically saying "no" to both immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
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- The Full Ban List: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
- A New Addition: This order also specifically includes anyone using travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
Then there’s the Partial Travel Ban. This hits another 20 countries, but it’s mostly aimed at people coming for tourism, school, or exchange programs (think B, F, M, and J visas).
The list for partial restrictions includes places like Nigeria, Venezuela, Cuba, and even some Caribbean spots like Antigua and Barbuda or Dominica. Interestingly, the U.S. cited "Citizenship by Investment" programs in those Caribbean nations as a security risk. They're worried people are buying passports to bypass the rules.
The January 21 "Public Charge" Pause: A Second Layer of Chaos
Just when people were starting to digest the 39-country ban, the State Department leaked a memo on January 14. This is the "Public Charge" review. Starting January 21, 2026, they are pausing immigrant visa issuance for 75 countries.
This is huge. It’s not just the "security risk" countries anymore. We're talking about Brazil, Egypt, Russia, Pakistan, and even some neighbors like Guatemala and Jamaica.
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The logic? The administration wants to make sure immigrants aren't going to use U.S. welfare. They're calling it a "comprehensive reassessment." While you can still go to your interview and submit your paperwork, the government is basically saying, "We’re going to hold onto your passport indefinitely until we finish our review."
It’s a "soft" ban. You aren't technically banned, but you aren't getting a visa anytime soon either.
Who is actually safe from these rules?
If you already have a visa in your hand, don’t panic. The proclamation clearly says that existing visas will not be revoked. If you were already in the U.S. on January 1, or if you had a valid visa before that date, you're generally okay to stay or travel back.
However, "generally okay" isn't a guarantee. Border agents still have the final say. If you're from a "full ban" country, expect a lot of questions at the airport.
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Green card holders (Lawful Permanent Residents) are also exempt. If you have your plastic card, these bans don't apply to you. Same goes for dual nationals, as long as you are traveling on a passport from a country that isn't on the list. For example, if you’re a dual citizen of Iran and Canada, use your Canadian passport.
What changed for families?
One of the roughest parts of the 2026 rules is that the "Immediate Relative" exception is gone.
In previous versions of the travel ban, if you were a U.S. citizen trying to bring over your spouse or your kids, you could often get a pass. Not anymore. The December 16 proclamation removed those categorical exceptions for IR-1, CR-1, and IR-2 visas.
Even adoptions and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) are facing the axe unless you can prove a "national interest" waiver, which is incredibly hard to get. It’s a "case-by-case" basis now, and that's legal-speak for "very rare."
Actionable Steps: What you should do right now
If you think you're affected, or you're worried about a family member, don't just wait for the news to change. Things move fast.
- Check your visa expiration date. If it’s expiring soon and you're from one of the 39 or 75 listed countries, do not leave the U.S. Renewing it from abroad might be impossible right now.
- Screen your passport. If you have dual citizenship, ensure you are using the "cleaner" passport for all travel and visa applications.
- Gather "National Interest" evidence. If you must apply for a visa from a banned country, you’ll need to prove your entry helps the U.S. (e.g., medical expertise, critical business, or extreme hardship). Start building a folder of evidence now.
- Watch the 180-day clock. The administration said they will review these lists every 180 days. The first big review should happen around June 2026. That’s the next window where countries might be added or—rarely—removed.
- Talk to an actual lawyer. Avoid "notarios" or random advice on social media. With 75 countries now under a visa freeze, the rules for "public charge" assessments are becoming much stricter regarding your income, health, and age.
The bottom line is that while there isn't a blanket "world travel ban," the web of restrictions is tighter than it's ever been. Whether it's for "national security" or "public charge" reasons, getting into the U.S. from over a third of the world's countries just became a massive uphill battle.