Updated October 30, 2026

US travel ban countries: the full and partial list, visa types and exceptions

As of October 30, 2026, the US travel ban covers 39 countries plus travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority. Nationals of 19 countries face a full suspension of all visas. Nationals of 19 more face a partial suspension of immigrant visas and B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas, and Turkmenistan is limited to immigrant visas. The rules come from Proclamation 10949 (June 2025) as expanded by Proclamation 10998, in effect since January 1, 2026.

Below is the full list, what full and partial mean, who is exempt, and what the State Department says if you already have an interview booked. This guide describes the proclamation text and is not legal advice.

Which countries are on the US travel ban list?

As of October 30, 2026, these are the countries named in Proclamation 10998, which took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026. It keeps the 19 countries first listed in Proclamation 10949 (effective June 9, 2025) and adds 20 more, plus Palestinian Authority travel documents.

The Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) is on the list. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa) isn't named in either proclamation.

Each line applies to nationals of that country, so what counts is your nationality and the passport you travel on, not your visa type alone. The exceptions below, such as the one for dual nationals, can take you outside the suspension.

What does a partial suspension mean?

For the 19 partially suspended countries, Proclamation 10998 suspends entry "as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas." In plain words:

• Suspended: all immigrant visas, B-1/B-2 visitor visas for business and tourism, F and M student visas, and J exchange visitor visas.
• Not suspended, but shorter: any other nonimmigrant visa, such as an H-1B or L-1 work visa. For each of these countries the proclamation says consular officers "shall reduce the validity" of those visas "to the extent permitted by law."
• Turkmenistan is different. Its B, F, M and J suspension was lifted on January 1, 2026. Only immigrant visas remain suspended.

A full suspension covers every immigrant and nonimmigrant visa category, with only the narrow exceptions listed in the next section.

Is Nigeria on the US travel ban list?

Yes. As of October 30, 2026, Nigeria is partially suspended. Since January 1, 2026, Proclamation 10998 suspends the entry of Nigerian nationals "as immigrants, and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas."

• A Nigerian applying for a B1/B2 visitor visa or an F-1 student visa is covered, unless an exception applies.
• A Nigerian applying for another nonimmigrant visa, such as H-1B, is not suspended, but the proclamation tells officers to reduce that visa's validity.
• A Nigerian who already held a valid visa on January 1, 2026 is not subject to the proclamation, and that visa was not revoked under it.

Ghana, Kenya, India, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh do not appear in either proclamation.

Who is exempt from the travel ban?

Section 6 of Proclamation 10998 says the suspension applies only to nationals who were outside the United States on its effective date and did not hold a valid visa on that date. The State Department gives that date as January 1, 2026. Section 6 then lists these exceptions:

• Green card holders. Any lawful permanent resident of the United States.
• Dual nationals traveling on a passport from a country that is not on the list.
• Diplomatic and international organization visas: A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1 to G-4 and NATO-1 to NATO-6.
• Athletes and teams traveling for the World Cup, the Olympics or another major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State, including coaches, people in a necessary support role and immediate relatives.
• Special Immigrant Visas for US government employees under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(D).
• Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.

Beyond these, the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security may grant an exception case by case when an individual's travel would serve a US national interest. The Attorney General may do the same when travel would advance a critical US national interest involving the Department of Justice, such as a witness in a criminal case. Section 8 adds that the proclamation does not apply to anyone granted asylum by the United States or to a refugee already admitted.

What changed on January 1, 2026?

Proclamation 10998 kept the 12 fully and 4 partially suspended countries from June 2025 and changed the rest:

• Moved to full: Laos and Sierra Leone, which had been partial.
• Added as full: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and Palestinian Authority travel documents.
• Added as partial: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Narrowed: Turkmenistan, now immigrant visas only.
• Exceptions removed: the State Department says the June 2025 exceptions for immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5), adoption visas (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4) and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas are no longer available.

On adoptions, the State Department adds that children being adopted by Americans can still qualify for an exception, including a national interest exception, and that families should continue the normal process and attend the consular interview.

Does the travel ban cancel a visa you already have?

No. Section 8 of Proclamation 10998 says no visa issued before the effective date "shall be revoked pursuant to this proclamation." The State Department says people who held a valid visa on January 1, 2026, even if they were outside the United States, are not subject to it.

That protection is only about the proclamation. A visa holder still goes through the usual inspection on arrival, covered in our guide to US border questions.

What if you already have a visa interview booked?

The State Department's announcement says applicants covered by Proclamation 10998 "may still submit visa applications and schedule interviews, but they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States." So you can still apply and attend the interview, but a covered applicant may be refused the visa unless an exception applies.

• Check your nationality and visa type against the table. A Nigerian H-1B applicant and a Nigerian B1/B2 applicant are in different positions.
• If you hold a second, unlisted nationality, the exception covers applying with that passport.
• If no exception fits, the proclamation still allows case by case national interest exceptions, decided by the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or, for Department of Justice matters, the Attorney General).

If your country is not on the list, the interview works as usual. Start with our US visa interview tips, and if you were refused before for other reasons, read what a 214(b) refusal means.

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

How long will the travel ban last?

The proclamation sets no end date. Section 7 directs the Secretary of State to report to the President within 180 days and every 180 days after that, recommending whether each suspension should be continued, ended, changed or added to. As of October 30, 2026, the Federal Register shows no later proclamation that changes the list above.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.