As of December 22, the U.S. government announced the following changes:

• All U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) applications for people from the countries listed in the June and December 2025 travel bans are paused.
• All asylum decisions are paused. 
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers can consider if a person is from a country travel ban to decide applications that are discretionary, like asylee applications for green cards. Although USCIS has only announced changes to this policy for people from countries listed in the June 2025 travel ban, it is likely that the changes will apply to people from countries listed in the December 2025 travel ban as well.
• The U.S. government will review immigration applications that have already been approved for people from countries included in the June and December 2025 travel bans who came to the U.S. since 2021.

You can learn more about these updates here. 

This article was last updated on June 9, 2026

Summary

This article explains what the recent U.S. travel ban means for people who are inside the United States and from any of the countries listed in the travel ban, whether they are on the “fully restricted” list or the “partially restricted” list. When we say you are “from” a country, we mean that you hold that country’s nationality. If you were born in a country mentioned here, but you are not a national of that country, this information does not apply to you.

Between June 9 and December 31, 2025, the list of affected countries includes: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

Starting on January 1, 2026, this list of affected countries will include: Afghanistan, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Cuba, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Gabon, The Gambia, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Yemen. It will also include individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents.  

It’s important to remember that every case is different. If you have a question about how this affects you or someone in your family specifically, you should talk to an immigration lawyer.

• If you want general information about the travel ban, click here.
• If you’re outside of the U.S. and from a “fully restricted” country, click here.
• If you’re outside of the U.S. and from a “partially restricted” country, click here.

I’m from a country on the travel ban list. What does the travel ban mean for me?

The travel ban applies to people from the listed countries who are outside of the U.S. and do not have a valid visa as of June 9, 2025 (for those affected by the June 2025 ban) or January 1, 2026 (for those affected by the December 2025 ban). If you are already inside the U.S., the ban does not impact your current immigration status. Additionally, individuals in the U.S. with valid visas should not have their visas revoked based on the travel ban. 

However, it is important to remember that the same travel restrictions that were in place for you before the ban will still apply. For example, if you have parole status, you would still need to apply for Advance Parole before leaving the United States in order to be allowed to return. This can be very complex, so if you have questions about your specific case, we encourage you to contact an immigration lawyer.

Also, if you are from a country on the list, you should know that the government issued other new policies in December 2025 that may affect you. These updates could impact your immigration application or status. Visit this article to learn more about these new immigration policies.

If you are a refugee or asylee

If you have refugee or asylee status in the U.S., the travel ban should not prevent you from leaving and re-entering the country. However, there still may be risks involved in traveling even though the travel ban does not apply to you. If you are thinking about traveling outside the U.S., you may wish to consult an immigration attorney before doing so.

Visit this article to learn more about what it means to have refugee status, including how other new policies may affect you.

If you want to apply for asylum, or if you have a pending asylum application 

The travel ban does not limit anyone’s ability to apply for asylum in the U.S. In 2025, the US government paused all decision-making on undecided asylum cases in the United States. On June 5, 2026 a federal court issued a decision saying that policy was against the law. USCIS should now be deciding pending asylum applications, but the court case could be appealed and the policy could start again. For updates on this case, we recommend you look here. We will update this page if there are changes as well.

Additionally, unrelated to the travel ban and new immigration policies, if you have a pending asylum application and you leave the U.S., you may not be allowed to return. You should consult with an immigration attorney if you are thinking about leaving the country.

If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR or “green card” holder)

The travel ban should not affect your status or your ability to travel outside the United States and return. However, unrelated to the travel ban, there still may be risks involved in traveling outside the U.S. If you are thinking about leaving the country, you may wish to consult an immigration attorney before doing so.

If you are a student

If you are a student with a valid visa, the travel ban should not affect you so long as the visa remains valid. The travel ban also should not be used as a basis to take away visas for people who are already in the U.S. However, unrelated to the travel ban, there still may be risks in traveling outside the U.S. If you are thinking about leaving the country, you may wish to consult an immigration attorney before doing so.

If you are a tourist

If you are a tourist with a valid visa, the travel ban should not affect you so long as the visa remains valid. The travel ban should also not be used as a basis to take away visas for people who are already in the U.S. 

If you are a parolee

If you are in the U.S. with parole status, the travel ban should not affect your status. The travel ban will not affect your ability to apply for asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture. However, all asylum decisions are paused. If the pause is lifted, the government may also use being from a country on the travel ban list to deny your application. Visit this article to learn more about these new immigration policies.

Is this permanent? How long does a proclamation last?

It is unclear how long the travel ban will last. According to the December 2025 proclamation, the Secretary of State will submit a report explaining whether any parts of the travel ban should be changed or ended within 180 days of December 16, 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 may happen in the future. If there are any changes to the travel ban, this article will be updated.