The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has signed a new travel ban affecting 19 countries.
The proclamation announcing the ban includes a full suspension of travel on 12 countries and partial restrictions on 7 more.
Trump’s travel ban order aims to block or restrict access to U.S. visas for millions of people around the world, which forms part of his immigration crackdown launched this year at the start of his second term.
Countries on full travel ban to the U.S.
Nationals of the following 12 countries are barred from coming to the U.S. as permanent legal residents as well as with temporary visas, including tourists:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Countries on partial travel ban to the U.S.
7 countries face limited travel restrictions to the U.S. This do not amount to outright bans, but they do impose tighter scrutiny or visa limitations on individuals seeking to enter the country.
Citizens of the following countries can no longer receive immigrant visas or nonimmigrant visas in the B-1/B-2 (tourist and business), F, M, and J (student and exchange visitor) categories:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
Why are these countries barred from traveling to the U.S?
On the first day of Trump’s second administration, he called for recommendations of nations for where immigration and travel restrictions should be imposed.
President Trump announced the travel ban on June 4, 2025, stating that it was determined that the affected countries harbor a “large-scale presence of terrorists,” fail to cooperate on visa security, have an inability to verify travelers’ identities, inadequate record-keeping of criminal histories and high rates of visa overstays in the United States.
“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen those who seek to enter the United States,” He said.
He further cited Sunday’s incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which a man tossed a gasoline bomb into a crowd of pro-Israel demonstrators as an example of why the new curbs are needed.
According to him, the attack “underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come here as temporary visitors and overstay their visas. We don’t want them. We will not allow people to enter our country who wish to do us harm.”
This latest directive from the White House is rooted in national security concerns as these restrictions will protect Americans from “dangerous foreign actors.”
What does this mean for citizens of these countries?
If you’re from one of the 12 countries subject to a full ban on travel to the U.S., you will not be able to secure a visa to travel to the U.S. because the issuance of immigrant and non-immigrant visas has been completely suspended for your country.
While if you’re from one of the seven countries placed under partial restrictions, you will no longer be able to apply for immigrant visas or non-immigrant temporary visas covering permanent immigration student visas and tourism visas. However, you will still be able to apply for some temporary visas.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you have a visa that is expiring soon, you could have difficulty obtaining extensions or renewals. Visa renewals and extensions may no longer be possible once your current visa expires, especially for students, tourists, and family-based immigrants.
Exceptions to the travel bans
The following are exempted from the travel ban:
- Athletes, members of an athletic team and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event
- Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders, including Afghans and others who worked for the U.S. government.
- Refugees already approved and scheduled for travel
- Individuals with urgent humanitarian or medical needs
- Diplomats and official representatives
- U.S. lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
- Dual nationals traveling with a passport from a non-restricted country
- Individuals granted asylum or protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT)
- People granted entry into U.S. by the discretion of the Attorney General
- People granted entry into U.S. by the discretion of the Secretary of State.
Are people from the affected countries already present within the U.S. to leave?
The proclamation states that the full and partial travel bans apply to foreign nationals of the designated countries who:
- are outside the United States on June 9, and
- do not have a valid visa on June 9.
It further states: No immigrant or non-immigrant visa issued before June 9 “shall be revoked pursuant to this proclamation.”
So, if you have a valid visa or green card, you can rest easy, you do not have to leave the country.
When does the ban take effect?
The proclamation signed by Trump is effective on June 9, 2025 at 12:01 am EDT (0401 GMT).
After that date, U.S. embassies and consulates will stop issuing visas in the suspended categories.
How long is the ban for?
Provision is made for in the proclamation to review whether any suspensions and limitations imposed should be continued, terminated, modified, or supplemented.
This is to be done within 90 days of the date of the proclamation, and every 180 days thereafter, by the Secretary of State, Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence.
They are to submit a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security.
How are affected countries reacting to Trump’s travel ban?
The African Union, which includes seven of the 12 nations on the full travel ban list, expressed concern about the potential negative impact of the new travel ban on educational exchanges, commercial engagement and broader diplomatic relations.
“The African Union Commission respectfully calls upon the US administration to consider adopting a more consultative approach and to engage in constructive dialogue with the countries concerned,” the bloc said in a statement.
Chad on the other hand, responded by suspending visas for U.S. citizens. In a Facebook post, President Idriss Deby said: “I have instructed the government to act in accordance with the principles of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to US citizens.”
Congo Republic said the inclusion of their country was a “misunderstanding.”
“Congo is neither a terrorist state, nor does it harbor any terrorists, or known for having any terrorist tendencies.” Moungalla, the country’s spokesperson, told journalists.
Somalia immediately pledged to work with the U.S. to address security issues. Dahir Hassan Abdi, the Somali ambassador to the US said, “Somalia values its longstanding relationship with the United States and stands ready to engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised.”
Sierra Leone’s information minister, Chernor Bah, said: “Our attitude to this is what more can we do? How can we collaborate with our US partners with whom we have and believe will maintain a very good relationship.”
As for Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, Minister of Interior and close aide of President Nicolas Maduro, described the U.S. government as fascist and warned Venezuelans against being in the United States.
He said, “The truth is being in the United States is a big risk for anybody, not just for Venezuelans … They persecute our countrymen, our people for no reason.”
Could there be more countries that could face U.S. travel restrictions?
It was first widely reported in March that the Trump administration had a list of 41 countries it was considering for travel restrictions. 17 of the countries targeted included in the June 5 proclamation were on the list in March – however, Burundi and Togo were not.
The US president has said that the list could be revised if “material improvements” were made and additional countries could be added as “threats emerge around the world.”
What happens next?
As with previous travel bans during Trump’s first administration, this one is likely to trigger lawsuits and political debate.
If you or a loved one may be affected by the new travel ban, consult with an immigration attorney as soon as possible. Policy changes can be swift and complex.
For questions or legal assistance, contact The Law Office of Anne Z. Sedki, a law firm dedicated to helping individuals and families with complex U.S. immigration matters. Call us on +15169636032 or fill out this form to book a consultation.