The United States currently restricts entry for nationals of more than 30 countries under Presidential Proclamation 10998, which took effect January 1, 2026. Twenty countries face a full suspension of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Twenty more face partial restrictions that block specific visa categories. Separate rules — economic sanctions and public health orders — restrict travel to and from a smaller set of countries through different legal machinery. Which ban applies to you, and whether any exception exists, depends entirely on which authority created it.
Countries Under Full Entry Suspension
Presidential Proclamation 10998, signed December 16, 2025, fully suspends entry for both immigrants and all nonimmigrant visa categories for nationals of the following countries:1The White House. Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States
- Afghanistan
- Burkina Faso
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Laos
- Libya
- Mali
- Niger
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Yemen
The proclamation also suspends entry for anyone traveling on a Palestinian Authority-issued travel document dated on or after January 1, 2026.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Presidential Proclamation 10998 – Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals
Full suspension means what it sounds like. Nationals of these countries cannot obtain any immigrant or nonimmigrant visa to enter the United States except through the narrow exemptions below. USCIS has also paused final adjudication of pending immigration benefit requests filed by nationals of these countries.
Countries Under Partial Entry Restrictions
A second tier of countries faces partial restrictions that block specific visa categories rather than all entry. Turkmenistan’s restriction applies only to immigrant visas. The rest of the countries below lose access to immigrant visas plus tourist (B-1/B-2), student (F and M), and exchange visitor (J) visas. For countries added in the December 2025 proclamation, consular officers must also reduce the validity period of any other nonimmigrant visa issued to their nationals.2U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Presidential Proclamation 10998 – Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burundi
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tonga
- Turkmenistan (immigrant visas only)
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The proclamation cites high visa overstay rates for many of the additions. A few, including Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, were flagged for operating citizenship-by-investment programs without residency requirements.
Who Can Still Enter Despite the Ban
Proclamation 10998 carves out categories of travelers who are not subject to the suspension, regardless of nationality. These exemptions apply to both the full and partial bans:1The White House. Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States
- Lawful permanent residents. Green card holders are unaffected, even if they also hold citizenship in a designated country.
- Dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-designated country.
- Diplomatic visa holders traveling on A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1 through G-4, or NATO visas.
- Athletes, coaches, support staff, and their immediate relatives traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major events designated by the Secretary of State.
- U.S. government employees eligible for special immigrant visas under federal law.
- Ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, who remain eligible for immigrant visas.
If you fit one of these categories, the proclamation does not block you. If you don’t, a categorical exemption isn’t available and you would need to pursue a case-by-case exception.
Case-by-Case Exceptions
The Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Homeland Security each have authority to grant individual exceptions when they determine that a person’s travel would serve a critical national interest. These decisions are discretionary and rare, and there is no guaranteed process or timeline. A visa denial letter tied to the proclamation should be reviewed for any specific instructions on how to request an exception in that case.
One important limitation applies here. Consular officers’ visa denials abroad are generally final under the doctrine of consular nonreviewability, and Form I-290B cannot be used to appeal them. If a consular officer denied your visa based on the travel ban, your options are limited to requesting reconsideration directly from the consulate or pursuing an exception through the channels the proclamation identifies.
Sanctions-Based Restrictions Work Differently
A separate set of travel restrictions operates through money rather than visas. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administers comprehensive sanctions programs that make it illegal for U.S. persons to engage in almost any financial transaction involving certain countries. As of 2026, comprehensive sanctions cover Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea region of Ukraine.
These rules don’t necessarily stop you from boarding a plane. They stop you from spending a dollar to get there. Buying a flight, booking a hotel, paying for a meal, or exchanging currency all count as prohibited transactions. Cuba is governed by 31 CFR Part 515, which requires travelers to fall within a licensed category before spending any money on Cuban travel.3eCFR. 31 CFR Part 515 – Cuban Assets Control Regulations Licensed categories include structured educational programs through accredited institutions, professional research, journalism, religious activities, humanitarian projects, and family visits. General tourism is not a licensed category.
Penalties for OFAC violations are steep. The maximum civil penalty under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act stands at $377,700 per violation as of January 2025, after inflation adjustment.4Federal Register. Inflation Adjustment of Civil Monetary Penalties Criminal violations carry fines up to $1,000,000 and up to 20 years in prison.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 1705 – Penalties OFAC settlements in 2026 have ranged from roughly $1.1 million to $3.8 million.
Health-Based Entry Restrictions
Public health restrictions run on their own authority under 42 U.S.C. § 264, which lets the Surgeon General enforce regulations to prevent the spread of communicable diseases from foreign countries.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 264 – Regulations to Control Communicable Diseases
As of mid-2026, the CDC has active entry restrictions tied to Ebola outbreaks in East and Central Africa. Non-U.S. passport holders who have been in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or South Sudan within the previous 21 days face entry restrictions, and the CDC is conducting enhanced screening and monitoring for travelers arriving from the affected region.7Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Statement on the Use of Public Health Travel Restrictions The order is issued for 30-day periods and renewed as the epidemiological situation warrants.
Separately, immigration law treats certain communicable diseases as permanent grounds for inadmissibility, regardless of any specific travel ban. Those diseases include active tuberculosis, infectious syphilis, infectious Hansen’s disease (leprosy), and gonorrhea.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual – Communicable Diseases of Public Health Significance Immigrant visa applicants must complete required vaccinations, including MMR, polio, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and seasonal flu (from October through March), before their visa interview. The COVID-19 vaccine is no longer required as of January 2025.
Humanitarian Parole When No Visa Is Available
When standard visa pathways are blocked, humanitarian parole is the narrow alternative for people with urgent needs. Someone outside the United States can request temporary entry based on “urgent humanitarian reasons” or “a significant public benefit.”9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole for Aliens Outside the United States The application uses Form I-131.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
Parole is not a visa and does not lead directly to permanent status. It grants temporary permission to be physically present in the country for a specific period and purpose. Qualifying situations include life-threatening medical emergencies, imminent danger from persecution or violence, and critical family reunification circumstances. Evidence must be submitted at the time of filing; USCIS specifically warns that incomplete applications cause significant processing delays, and uploading documents through a USCIS online account is processed faster than mailing them.
Parole is discretionary. Having a qualifying situation does not guarantee approval, and the standard for “urgent humanitarian reasons” is demanding. This pathway works best when you have strong documentary evidence of an emergency and can clearly explain why no other immigration option is available.