Lily Huynh/The Cougar
The U.S. government has set new travel restrictions that could affect international students.
The changes were first announced in June 2025, with more restrictions being announced on Dec. 16, 2025. Broader changes are taking place Jan. 1, 2026.
These new rules prevent citizens from certain countries from entering or re-entering the U.S. The list is separated into two sections: partial ban and full travel ban.
Partial ban
Countries that are partially banned mainly affect immigrant, student and visitor visas such as F-1, J-1, B-1 and B-2.
Countries affected: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Full travel ban
Entry to the U.S. is suspended for both immigrants and non-immigrants of Countries that are under the full travel ban.
Countries affected: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority–issued or endorsed documents.
Exceptions
Some exceptions include permanent residents, dual citizens traveling on a passport from unbanned countries, refugees and asylees. There are also special exceptions for athletes participating in the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
Students from the affected countries could be denied re-entry if they have traveled outside the U.S. and those with visas set to expire may not be able to renew them. These restrictions generally affect those outside the U.S. who do not currently have a valid visa as of Jan. 1, 2026.
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