US Broadens Travel Bans Starting January 2026

Starting January 1, 2026, travel restrictions in the United States will undergo significant changes due to a new proclamation signed by the White House on December 16, 2025. The changes will see the expansion of the full suspension list with new countries being added, the widening of the partial restriction list and tightening of some exceptions. These measures are framed as national security and public safety necessities, aimed at addressing screening and vetting gaps, unreliable civil documents, weak criminal record systems, corruption, and high visa overstay rates in certain countries. Continual full suspensions will affect Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, with new additions including Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria. Partial restrictions will continue for Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela, with new restrictions placed on 15 additional countries. The restrictions will apply to foreign nationals outside the US who do not already possess a valid visa on the effective date.