The United States has tightened immigration and travel controls, expanding its travel ban to cover nationals from more countries through full or partial entry suspensions. The US has also introduced stricter visa bond requirements for visitors from high-risk nations, signaling tougher airport screening and biometric checks.
Immigrant Visa Issuance Paused
Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State is pausing all visa issuances to immigrant visa applicants who are nationals of the following 75 countries:
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.
US Travel Ban
The United States has imposed a travel ban that restricts access for people from 39 different countries. There will be a full suspension for citizens of 19 nations and a partial suspension for citizens of another 20. With effect from January 1, the United States has extended its travel restriction to encompass nationals of seven more nations.
The action is in line with Trump’s proclamation that aims to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States to prevent national security and public safety threats. The countries have been identified for which screening and vetting information was so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension.
The travel ban will not apply to an individual who has been granted asylum by the United States or to a refugee who has already been admitted to the United States. Also, lawful permanent residents and dual nationals traveling on passports from non-designated countries are exempt.
The last update of the travel ban list was in December, which extended and expanded the June partial suspension of entry for nationals from seven to twenty countries. Those partially suspended include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
From January 1, 2026, nationals from specific countries outside the U.S. are facing entry suspension. The proclamation continues the suspension for nationals from 12 countries and adds 7 more, including individuals with PA-issued travel documents. Entry is fully suspended for countries including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The December proclamation has lifted restrictions on nonimmigrants from Turkmenistan, while the entry of immigrants from Turkmenistan is still suspended. Laos and Sierra Leone transitioned from “partially suspended” to “fully suspended” in December.
Visa Bond Restriction
The United States has revised the list of nations whose citizens are required to post a visa bond to enter the country. The Department of State updated the list of countries eligible for visa bonds on January 6, adding 25 more, for a total of 38 countries. Bangladesh, Nepal and Nigeria are the surprise additions to the list. From January 21, 2026, nationals from these 25 countries will also need visa bonds to enter America.
The visa bond pilot program applies to foreigners applying for visas as temporary visitors, nationals of countries with high visa overstay rates, or those countries offering Citizenship by Investment plans to foreigners.
Any citizen or national traveling on a passport issued by one of these 38 countries, who is found otherwise eligible for a B1/B2 visa, must post a bond for $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. Read this for the full list of countries.
Higher Scrutiny at Airports
Travelers to the United States are often detained at airports for questioning and additional screening. There could be various reasons for this, resulting in not just travel-related stress but also time consumption.
If accepted, the Department of Homeland Security plans to implement more stringent biometric checks for US immigrants, extending data collection to include voiceprints, iris scans, fingerprints, DNA, and facial photos for all individuals associated with immigration benefit claims.
International students, foreign workers, and tourists to the United States will be photographed upon entry and exit, as mandated by a new plan from US officials applicable to all immigrants and non-citizens.
Some travellers are being denied or facing a delayed entry into and exit from the United States at a port of entry or border checkpoint, while some may be continuously referred to additional or secondary screening. Read this to know what to do if held up at airports for screening.