It's been a wild start to 2026. If you've been watching the news, you know the travel landscape just shifted—big time. Things are changing so fast that even seasoned immigration lawyers are scrambling to keep up with the latest proclamations coming out of Washington. Honestly, the term "travel ban" gets thrown around a lot, but the reality on the ground is way more nuanced than a simple "yes" or "no" at the border.
Basically, as of January 2026, we're looking at a tiered system of restrictions. It isn't just one list. It’s a mix of full bans, partial visa suspensions, and a massive pause on immigrant processing that affects dozens of countries. If you’re trying to figure out what countries are banned from entering the us, you have to look at two different things: the "Security" ban (Proclamation 10998) and the new "Public Charge" pause that hit just days ago.
The "Full Ban" List: 19 Countries and One Authority
Let’s start with the heavy hitters. These are the countries where the door is essentially locked for almost everyone—both people looking to move here permanently and those just wanting to visit for a week. Under the latest executive actions effective January 1, 2026, the US has suspended the entry of both immigrants and nonimmigrants from 19 specific nations.
Who’s on it? The original 12 from earlier in 2025 are still there: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
But then the list grew. Seven more countries were moved into this "full restriction" category recently: Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria. Oh, and it’s not just countries—anyone carrying travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority is also on this list.
Why? The official line is "persistent vetting deficiencies." Essentially, the US government says these places don't share enough data or have the security infrastructure to verify who is actually getting on a plane. For Mali and Burkina Faso, the White House cited active terrorist groups and a refusal to take back deported citizens. In South Sudan's case, high visa overstay rates (nearly 26% for some categories) played a massive role.
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The "Partial Ban" and the B-Visa Crunch
Then there’s the second tier. This is where it gets really confusing for travelers. There are 20 countries currently under a "partial" ban. For these nations, you can't get an immigrant visa (green card), and you're also blocked from getting the most common temporary visas: B-1 (business), B-2 (tourism), F (student), M (vocational), and J (exchange).
Here is the current group facing these partial restrictions:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Wait, why Antigua and Barbuda? That one usually shocks people. It isn't about terrorism there; it's about "Citizenship by Investment." The US is cracking down on countries that "sell" passports to people who haven't actually lived there, arguing it creates a backdoor for people to bypass standard security screening.
Turkmenistan is a bit of an oddball here, too. It’s the only country in this group where you can still get a tourist or student visa, but you’re still banned from moving there as an immigrant.
The Massive 75-Country Pause: A New Frontier
Now, if you thought 39 countries was a lot, things just escalated on January 21, 2026. The State Department announced a "pause" on all immigrant visa processing for 75 different countries. This is huge. It’s not a permanent ban—yet—but it effectively stops anyone from these nations from getting a green card for the foreseeable future.
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This list includes heavyweights like Russia, Brazil, Egypt, and Pakistan, alongside the countries already mentioned in the security bans.
The reasoning this time isn't just about security; it's about money. The administration is citing "public charge" concerns, basically saying that people from these countries are at a higher risk of needing government assistance (welfare) once they arrive. They’re using a massive fraud case involving Somali immigrants in Minnesota as the catalyst for this policy shift.
Who Is Actually Exempt?
It’s not total radio silence. There are "carve-outs," though they are getting narrower. If you already had a valid visa in your passport before January 1, 2026, you’re generally fine. The government hasn't gone around revoking existing, valid visas for people who are already traveling or living in the US.
Dual nationals are also in a lucky spot. If you have a passport from a banned country (like Iran) but you also hold a passport from a non-banned country (like France or Canada), you can usually still enter using the "clean" passport.
Other exceptions exist for:
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- Lawful Permanent Residents (Green card holders)
- Diplomats and officials from international organizations (UN, etc.)
- Certain athletes and coaches (especially with the World Cup and Olympics on the horizon)
- Specific cases "in the national interest," though these are notoriously hard to get.
One of the biggest changes in the 2026 rules is that even "Immediate Relative" immigrant visas—the ones for spouses and children of US citizens—are no longer automatically exempt for the countries on the full ban list. That’s a massive shift from previous years and is causing a lot of heartbreak for split families.
Navigating the Chaos
If you're planning travel or waiting on a visa, the "wait and see" approach is dangerous right now. Policies are being updated via "cables" from the State Department, which sometimes hit the news days after they're already being enforced at consulates.
Don't assume a "partial ban" won't affect you just because you aren't moving to the US. If you're from a country like Nigeria or Senegal, even if you're applying for a work visa (like an H-1B) that isn't technically "banned," the new rules tell consular officers to shorten your visa validity. Instead of a multi-year visa, you might only get a single-entry visa valid for three months.
The best move is to check the official State Department travel portal (travel.state.gov) every single week. If you are a national of one of the 75 countries on the "public charge" list, your immigrant visa interview might still happen, but they won't actually issue the visa until this "review period" is over.
Actionable Next Steps
- Audit Your Documents: Check the issue date of your current visa. If it was issued before January 1, 2026, you are likely exempt from the entry suspension, but check with an immigration attorney before leaving the US, as re-entry is where the trouble starts.
- Monitor the "Public Charge" List: If you are in the middle of a green card application from one of the 75 paused countries, prepare for a long delay. Ensure your financial "Affidavit of Support" (Form I-864) is bulletproof, as the government is looking for any reason to deny based on financial self-sufficiency.
- Consult a Specialist: General travel agents won't know the nuances of Proclamation 10998. You need an immigration lawyer who tracks "DOS Cables" to know the actual day-to-day enforcement rules at your specific local consulate.
- Avoid Citizenship-by-Investment Passports for Entry: If you're using a passport from a country like Dominica or Antigua specifically to enter the US, expect extreme scrutiny and potential denial under the new "vetting deficiency" rules.
The list of what countries are banned from entering the us is no longer a static document; it’s a living policy that is currently expanding. Staying informed is the only way to avoid being stranded.