This article was last updated on August 18, 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 included: 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.

As of January 1, 2026, the list of affected countries includes: 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, people in the U.S. with valid visas should not have their visas taken away because of 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, in December 2025, the government announced other new policies that impacted people from countries on the travel ban list, including a general pause on many types of immigration applications based on nationality. But on June 5, 2026 a federal court issued a decision saying that these policies were against the law. The government appealed the decision and also asked a higher court not to be required to continue processing applications while the appeal is being decided. 

On August 14, 2026 the higher court said that while the appeal is awaiting decision, the government has to continue to process immigration benefits and asylum applications, and that the government cannot use someone’s nationality as a negative factor in deciding immigration applications. However, the higher court did say that the government is allowed to re-review previously approved immigration applications while the appeal is being decided. When the appeal is decided, the rest of these policies could start again. For updates on this case, see here.

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 processing 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. The government appealed that decision and asked not to be required to process undecided asylum cases while the appeal is being decided. On August 14, 2026 a higher court denied the government’s request. This means that while the appeal is being decided by the court, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) should be deciding pending asylum applications. If the government’s appeal is approved, 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 talk 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 could affect your status. The U.S. government said it will review immigration applications that have already been approved for parolees who came to the U.S. since 2021. On June 5, 2026, a federal court said this policy was illegal. However, on August 14, 2026 a higher court reversed that decision. This means that as of August 14, 2026, the government may begin re-reviewing already approved immigration applications again. More information about this lawsuit is available here.

The travel ban will not affect your ability to apply for asylum, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture. As of June 5, 2026 the court ordered the government to resume processing asylum applications and said that the government cannot use being from a country on the travel ban list as a reason to deny your application. However, the government has appealed this order, and decisions on these applications could be paused if the government’s appeal is successful.

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.