Presidential Proclamation 10998 was signed on 16 December 2025 and took effect on 1 January 2026. It sorts the countries into two groups.
Two lists
- All visas suspended — 19 countries: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Yemen — plus travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
- Visitor, student and exchange visas suspended — 19 countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This covers B1/B2 visitor visas, F, M and J visas and all immigrant visas.
Turkmenistan moved the other way: visitor visas for its citizens are available again, and only immigrant visas stay suspended.
Who is not affected
- Holders of a valid visa. The State Department says visas issued before 1 January 2026 are not revoked.
- Dual nationals travelling on the passport of a country that is not on the list.
- US permanent residents, holders of diplomatic and official visas, and athletes, coaches and support staff travelling to the World Cup, the Olympics and other major competitions.
Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, China and Türkiye are on neither list.
What it means in practice
A citizen of a listed country can still submit an application and attend the interview, but the visa is not issued unless an exception applies — and the $185 application fee is not refunded. The lists are reviewed every 180 days, so check your passport against them before you pay.