On Dec. 16, the United States government announced an expansion of travel restrictions affecting nationals of certain countries, which may impact visa issuance and/or entry to the U.S. for some individuals. These restrictions apply to foreign nationals from the designated countries who are outside of the U.S. and do not have a valid visa on the effective date.
Restrictions take effect on January 1, 2026 (12:01am EST) and do not require individuals who are currently in the U.S. to depart, but re-entry may be more difficult for nationals on this list.
If you are currently outside the United States, we strongly encourage you to consider returning to the U.S. before the changes take effect on January 1, 2026. Travel restrictions implemented after that date may affect your ability to re-enter the United States, even if you hold a valid visa. Please note: Details are still emerging, and implementation may vary by visa category and by U.S. consulate or port-of-entry.
Summary of Changes:
- Full restrictions and entry limitations: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, and individuals with Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents
- Expanded restrictions: Laos and Sierra Leone
- Partial restrictions (includes F & J visas): Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe
- Partial restrictions changed (does not include F & J visas): Turkmenistan
- Existing restrictions continue: Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen; partial restrictions continue for Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela
- Dependents (F-2, J-2, H-4, etc.) may be affected if they share the nationality of a country covered by the restrictions
We are closely monitoring additional guidance from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and will share updates as more information becomes available.
Thank you for your attention to this important update and please know that we are here to support you. If you are detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at a U.S. port-of-entry, referred to secondary inspection, or found to be inadmissible to return to the United States by a U.S. government official at an international CBP checkpoint, call the Stanford Travel Emergency Line (STEL) at 1-833-496-0303 immediately and ask to be transferred to Global Risk.
Additional information can be found at: immigration.stanford.edu/emergency-contact.