Travel Bans for Foreign Nationals From 19 Countries Effective June 9

He states that he has chosen countries where “vetting and screening information [and information sharing] is … deficient,” there is “a significant terrorist presence within its territory,” there is a “historic failure to accept back their removable nationals,” and/or they “pose significant risks of overstaying their visas in the United States.” Consular posts may cancel existing appointments and prevent future appointment scheduling for the following restricted nationalities or categories.

Countries With Full Travel Ban

Nationals of the following 12 countries are fully banned from entry into the United States, effective June 9: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. This applies to both those coming with immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas (ex: students, work visa holders, and tourists).

Countries With Partial Travel Ban

Nationals of the following seven countries are partially banned from entry into the United States, effective June 9: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. This applies to nationals entering with immigrant visas or B-1 (business visitor), B-2 (tourist), B-1/B-2, F (foreign student), M (vocational student), and J (exchange visitor/scholar) visas. In addition, Consular officers are instructed to “reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to [these] nationals … to the extent permitted by law,” which could increase denials or reduce the validity dates of work visas.

Possibly Egypt

President Trump is explicitly analyzing the “screening and vetting capabilities” of Egypt to determine whether it should be included in the full or partial ban.

Additional Applicability Criteria

To be banned, you must be a national from one of the designated countries listed above, be outside the United States on June 9, and not have a valid visa as of June 9. Immigrant and non-immigrant visas issued before June 9 will remain valid for use.

Exceptions

The bans do not apply to several categories of entrants, namely; (1) lawful permanent residents of the United States (presumably including immigrant visa holders already admitted to the United States), (2) a dual national of a designated country when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a country not so designated, (3) any foreign national with an A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO‑2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6 visa; (4) any athlete or member of an athletic team traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event; (5) immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5); (6) adoptions (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4), (7) Afghan Special Immigrant Visas; (8) Special Immigrant Visas for United States government employees; (9) immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, (10) asylees, (11) refugees, and (12) individuals granted withholding of removal or protection under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment of Punishment.

Duration of Bans

The government will reevaluate these bans within 90 days and every 180 days thereafter to determine if they should be continued, terminated, modified, or supplemented.

Please reach out to Berin S. Romagnolo or Nancy A. Noonan to determine the impact of this ban on employees and individuals.