Heads up! On Jan 1, 2026, the U.S. rolled out a fresh set of travel rules under President Donald Trump’s administration. Whether you’re an expat, digital nomad, or planning a study abroad stint, this update could affect you. 🌍✈️
What’s new? Two levels of restrictions:
- Full restrictions: Nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, and holders of travel documents from the Palestinian National Authority can’t enter the U.S. Laos and Sierra Leone, previously under partial bans, now face full restrictions too.
- Partial restrictions: Travelers from these 15 countries need extra checks before getting a visa: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Immigrant vs non-immigrant: Immigrant travelers are people moving to the U.S. permanently, while non-immigrants include tourists, students, or business visitors. Both groups from the listed countries are impacted.
💡 Quick tip: If you hold a passport from one of these nations, start your visa application early or check with your local U.S. embassy for the latest guidelines.
Stay tuned for more updates and follow us for travel tips, policy deep dives, and global mobility hacks! 🌏✨
Reference(s):
New U.S. entry restrictions on foreign nationals take effect
cgtn.com
