This article was last updated on June 28, 2025

Summary

This article explains what the recent U.S. travel ban means for people who are outside of the U.S. and from “fully restricted” countries. The “fully restricted” country list includes Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

It’s important to remember that:

• Whether you or your family member can enter the U.S. depends on a lot of different factors, including the type of visa you applied for, the country you are from, and where you are currently located.
• Every case is different. If you have a question about how this affects you specifically, you should talk to an immigration lawyer.

If you want general information about the travel ban, click here.

If you’re from another country on the travel ban list, click here.

If you’re from one of these countries but you’re inside the U.S., click here.

What are the travel ban’s rules for people from “fully restricted” countries?

If you are from a “fully restricted” country, you generally cannot enter the United States, no matter what type of visa you are using, unless you qualify for an exception. This article explains some of the exceptions and special rules that may apply to people from fully restricted countries.

Note that if you are applying for any of the newly barred visas, we do not yet know if the U.S. Department of State will schedule interviews for impacted individuals. If they do, we expect that the visa applications will ultimately be denied. Earlier steps, including the processing of underlying petitions by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), may still take place. 

If you already have a valid visa

The U.S. government has stated that individuals from the listed countries who already have visas and are outside the United States will not have their visas revoked as a result of the travel ban. However, the government has the authority to revoke an individual’s visa for other reasons. If you are concerned about traveling on your valid visa, you should consult an immigration lawyer for specific advice.

If you applied for refugee resettlement

Earlier this year, before this travel ban was put in place, the President suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). This meant that refugees were no longer being resettled in the United States.

IRAP sued the U.S. government over this suspension, arguing that it is illegal to pause the USRAP in this way. The lawsuit is ongoing, but at this time, most refugee resettlement applications are still paused. For more information on the status of the USRAP and our lawsuit, see here. 

As written, the travel ban should not apply to refugees. As of June 26, 2025, the US government says that it does apply to refugees. This means that even refugees who should be able to enter the United States due to IRAP’s case who are from the listed countries cannot enter at this time. IRAP plans to fight this application of the travel ban to refugees in court. 

If you are an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holder

If you are an Afghan national with an approved Special Immigrant Visa (SIV), you fall under one of the exceptions to the travel ban. The travel ban will not prevent you from entering the U.S. However, you will still have to go through the normal security checks and other processing that all visa applicants must go through before being allowed to travel to the U.S.

Please note that we are only talking about SIVs for U.S.-affiliated Afghans here. If you are eligible for a different type of Special Immigrant Visa for U.S. government employees, click here.

If you applied for Follow-to-Join Refugee or Asylee Status (I-730s)

Whether and how the travel ban affects you may depend on whether your family member (the person who applied for you) has refugee status or asylee status.

• If your family member has refugee status: As written, the travel ban should not apply to refugees, including family members coming as follow-to-join refugees, but the earlier USRAP suspension likely will. As of June 26, 2025, the US government says that it does apply to refugees. This means that even refugees who should be able to enter the United States due to IRAP’s case, and who are from the listed countries, cannot enter at this time. IRAP plans to fight this application of the travel ban to refugees in court. More information on the refugee suspension can be found here.
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• If your family member has asylee status: The travel ban as written should not affect you, but IRAP is aware of cases in which the travel ban might be affecting follow-to-join asylees.  The ban does not limit an individual’s ability to apply for asylum status in the U.S. 

If you are the “beneficiary” of an approved Family-Based Petition (I-130)

If you are a national of a “fully restricted” country and are the beneficiary of an approved family-based petition (I-130), are outside the United States, and do not have a valid visa on June 9, 2025, your ability to travel to the U.S. depends on what type of relationship you have with the person who applied for you and what type of residency status they have. 

• If you are a spouse, minor child (younger than 21), or parent of a U.S. citizen: The travel ban does not apply to you. You should be able to travel to the U.S. if you complete the visa application process and are approved for your visa. However, applicants may be expected to provide additional evidence of their identity and family relationships
• If you fall into any other category of family petition: You will not be able to travel to the U.S. on your family-based visa. This includes you if you are:

• the adult child of a U.S. citizen,
• the spouse of an LPR (green card holder),
• the child of an LPR, or
• the sibling of a U.S. citizen. 

You may still submit your I-130 petition to USCIS if you fall into this category, but you will likely not be issued a visa while the travel ban is in place. 

If you are a student

This depends on whether or not your visa has already been approved.

• If you’re applying for a student visa: You will not be permitted to travel to the U.S. unless you fall into one of the exceptions to the travel ban.

• If you already have a valid visa as of June 9, 2025: You should still be allowed to enter the U.S.

If you are a tourist 

This depends on whether or not your visa has already been approved.

• If you are applying for a tourist visa: You will not be permitted to travel to the U.S. unless you fall into one of the exceptions to the travel ban.

• If you have a valid (approved) visa as of June 9, 2025: The travel ban should not apply to you. However, there may still be risks involved in traveling to the U.S. with a tourist visa even if your visa was approved before June 9, 2025. If you have a valid tourist visa, you may wish to consult an immigration attorney before traveling.

Other exceptions for people from fully restricted countries

U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents

If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident, also called an LPR or Green Card holder, and you are currently outside the U.S., this travel ban does not bar you from entering the U.S. However, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will still have the authority to decide if you can legally enter the United States when you arrive, just as they do with any non-citizens who are seeking to enter the country.

Recipients of Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) U.S. Government Employees (Non-Afghan)

The proclamation states that the travel ban does not apply to “Special Immigrant Visas for U.S. Government employees,” separately from the Afghan SIV exception listed above. If you qualify for such a visa, you will not be impacted by the ban. 

Some Dual Nationals

If you are from a country on the travel ban list, but you also have a passport from a country that is not on the list, you might still be allowed to get a visa and enter the U.S. — as long as you use the passport from the country that is not banned.

For example: If you have a passport from Yemen (which is on the list) and also from Canada (which is not on the list), you may still be allowed to travel to the U.S. if you apply for a visa as a Canadian citizen.

Some Non-Immigrant Visa Categories

If you are applying for one of the following non-immigrant visa categories, your ability to enter the U.S. will not be affected by this travel ban: 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. 

Athletes and Team Personnel

If you are an athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, and are traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other ‘major sporting event’, you should still be able to enter the U.S.

Adoptions

If a child has been adopted from outside the U.S. and has already been approved for an immigrant visa, they can still get that visa and come to the U.S.

Some Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Iran

The proclamation states that “ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran” will still be able to apply for and receive immigrant visas, meaning visas that lead to permanent residence in the U.S. It is unclear exactly how those categories will be defined. 

Asylees and Refugees Seeking to Re-Enter the United States

If you have asylee or refugee status and traveled outside the United States, and you are seeking to re-enter the country on a refugee travel document issued before June 9, 2025, the travel ban should not apply to you. The travel ban may apply to asylees or refugees seeking to obtain a travel document after that date. We strongly recommend contacting a lawyer before leaving the United States.

List of exceptions for people from fully restricted countries

I heard there are ways to ask for a case-by-case exception. Is it true? How do I do that?

Yes, there are two case-by-case exceptions to the travel ban. If the Attorney General of the U.S. determines that your travel would advance a national interest of the U.S. related to the Department of Justice (such as being a witness in a criminal case), you may qualify for an exception to the travel ban. Additionally, if the Secretary of State finds that your travel would serve a national interest of the U.S., you may qualify for an exception to the travel ban.

It is not yet clear how to apply for these two case-by case exceptions, or exactly how someone would qualify for one of these exceptions. If more information becomes available, this article will be updated.  

Is this travel ban permanent? How long does a proclamation last?

It is unclear how long the travel ban will last. According to the travel ban, the Secretary of State will submit a report explaining whether any parts of the travel ban should be changed or terminated within 90 days of June 9, 2025. The Secretary of State will then have to submit a similar report every 180 days. It is possible that the terms of the travel ban will change after each of the review periods. At this time, we do not know how long the ban will be in effect, or what changes we may expect in the future. If there are any changes to the travel ban, this article will be updated.