The United States is set to implement a sweeping travel ban, effective June 9, 2025, which will block or restrict entry for nationals from a total of 19 countries. Twelve countries now face a full travel ban, meaning nationals will be barred from entering the US altogether, unless they qualify for a specific exemption. These include athletes attending major sporting events, select Afghan nationals (including those with US affiliations), and dual citizens who hold a passport from a country unaffected by the crisis.
A further seven countries face partial restrictions on certain visa categories, such as business (B-1), tourism (B-2), student (F/M), and exchange (J) visas. You can find the full list of restricted countries below.
Planning to move to the US? Discover the essential steps to apply for a Diversity Visa with our concise guide.
The US entry ban targets a dozen nations over security risks
“We cannot have open migration from any country where we cannot safely and reliably vet and screen… That is why today I am signing a new executive order placing travel restrictions on countries including Yemen, Somalia, Haiti, Libya, and numerous others.” –President Trump pic.twitter.com/ER7nGM4TO2
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 4, 2025
“The Proclamation fully restricts and limits the entry of nationals from 12 countries found to be deficient with regard to screening and vetting and determined to pose a very high risk to the United States,” the White House said in a statement. In the video message, US President Donald Trump referenced the recent Colorado attack as an example of foreign nationals entering the US without adequate vetting.
The US has announced a complete travel ban for nationals of the following countries:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Partial entry restrictions apply to nationals from:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
(Feature image credit: Kevin Lanceplaine/Unsplash)
This story first appeared here.