Last updated: August 2, 2026
A great deal has changed since we first wrote about the travel restrictions introduced in 2025. The list of affected countries has more than doubled, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services temporarily placed certain immigration applications on hold, and a federal district court later vacated those USCIS policies after concluding that they violated federal law.
If you or a family member is from Ethiopia, Iran, or Afghanistan, these developments have not affected you in the same way. Iran and Afghanistan are subject to the presidential entry restrictions, while Ethiopia is affected by a separate State Department pause on immigrant visa issuance.
At Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, P.C., our team works with clients from all three communities. This article explains where the policies currently stand, how they differ, and what they may mean for pending immigration cases.
What Changed Since the 2025 Travel Ban?
The original June 2025 presidential proclamation fully or partially restricted entry for nationals of 19 countries.
On December 16, 2025, President Trump issued Presidential Proclamation 10998, expanding the restrictions. Effective January 1, 2026, the proclamation imposed full or partial entry restrictions on nationals of 39 countries. It also separately suspended entry for certain people traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents.
On January 1, 2026, USCIS implemented an internal policy temporarily pausing adjudication of certain immigration benefit applications involving nationals of the affected countries. The policy affected some permanent residence, naturalization, employment authorization, asylum, and related applications.
On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island vacated the challenged USCIS policies after concluding that they violated federal law. USCIS subsequently announced that it disagreed with the ruling but was complying with the court’s order while the litigation continued.
The court ruling affected USCIS processing policies. It did not invalidate the presidential entry restrictions or a separate State Department pause on immigrant visa issuance.
Which Countries Are Fully Restricted?
Presidential Proclamation 10998 fully suspends or limits immigrant and nonimmigrant entry for nationals of 19 countries:
- 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
- Yemen
The proclamation also fully restricts entry for certain people traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents. This provision is based on the travel document being used rather than citizenship in a country.
These restrictions are subject to the proclamation’s categorical exceptions and its provisions for case-by-case national-interest exceptions.
Which Countries Face Partial Restrictions?
A separate group of 20 countries faces partial restrictions.
For most of these countries, the proclamation suspends immigrant entry and entry in the following nonimmigrant visa categories:
- B-1 business visitor visas
- B-2 tourist visas
- F student visas
- M vocational student visas
- J exchange visitor visas
Other categories, such as H-1B specialty occupation visas, are generally not categorically suspended for nationals of the partially restricted countries. However, consular officers may issue visas with shorter validity periods where permitted under the proclamation.
Turkmenistan is treated differently from the other partially restricted countries. Its restrictions on B, F, M, and J nonimmigrant entry were lifted, while restrictions on immigrant entry remain in effect.
Ethiopia is not included among the fully or partially restricted countries.
How Does the Travel Ban Affect Afghan Nationals?
Afghanistan is one of the 19 fully restricted countries.
The proclamation generally applies to covered Afghan nationals who:
- Were outside the United States on January 1, 2026; and
- Did not hold a valid visa on that date.
If an Afghan national held a valid visa on January 1, 2026, the proclamation does not revoke that visa. The proclamation’s nationality-based suspension also generally does not apply to that person based solely on the covered-country provision.
However, a valid visa never guarantees admission to the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection still determines whether a traveler is admissible at the port of entry. Our Iranian immigration lawyer team can help you understand how these overlapping rules apply to your specific petition.
What changed for Afghan Special Immigrant Visas?
The broad treatment of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa cases under earlier policy is no longer available in the same form.
Proclamation 10998 retains a categorical exception for Special Immigrant Visas issued to qualifying U.S. government employees under 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(27)(D). That is a narrow statutory category and should not be treated as an exception for every Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicant.
Other Afghan SIV applicants should not assume that an exception available under a previous version of the policy continues to apply. The exact SIV classification, procedural stage, visa status, and individual circumstances must be reviewed.
If your case involves an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa, confirm which statutory category applies before making travel or immigration decisions.
How Does the Travel Ban Affect Iranian Nationals?
Iran remains one of the 19 fully restricted countries. The proclamation continues to suspend both immigrant and nonimmigrant entry for covered Iranian nationals, subject to stated exceptions.
The proclamation contains a categorical exception for immigrant visas issued to ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran. Whether this exception applies depends on the facts and supporting evidence in the individual case.
Iranian applicants may also qualify for another categorical exception or, in limited situations, a case-by-case national-interest exception. An exception should never be assumed merely because a person has a pending family petition or other approved immigration filing.
For Iranian families pursuing permanent residence through marriage or another family relationship, one of the most important changes is the removal of the previous broad exception for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens.
How Does This Affect Ethiopian Nationals?
Ethiopia is not included on the list of 39 countries subject to full or partial restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 10998.
Ethiopian nationals are therefore not subject to this particular nationality-based entry suspension solely because they are Ethiopian.
However, Ethiopian immigrant visa applicants are affected by a different State Department policy.
Effective January 21, 2026, the Department of State paused immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, including Ethiopia, Iran, and Afghanistan. This policy applies to immigrant visas processed through U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
An immigrant visa allows an eligible person to seek admission to the United States as a lawful permanent resident. The physical Green Card is generally produced after the person is admitted to the United States.
Under the State Department policy, affected applicants may generally continue to:
- Submit an immigrant visa application
- Provide documents to the National Visa Center
- Attend a scheduled consular interview
- Complete medical and other procedural requirements
However, the immigrant visa generally will not be issued while the pause remains in effect unless an exception applies.
State Department guidance recognizes limited exceptions, including for certain dual nationals applying with a passport from a country that is not on the list. Certain intercountry adoption cases may also qualify for a national-interest exception.
This means an Ethiopian relative completing consular processing abroad may be able to continue with the procedural stages of the case while still being unable to receive the final immigrant visa.
That State Department pause is separate from both the presidential travel restrictions and the USCIS policies addressed by the June 2026 court ruling.
Iranian and Afghan Applicants May Face Both Policies
Iranian and Afghan nationals may be affected by two overlapping policies:
- The entry restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 10998; and
- The separate State Department pause on immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries.
The fact that an applicant qualifies for an exception under one policy does not necessarily resolve the other.
For example, an applicant may need to determine:
- Whether the presidential proclamation applies
- Whether a categorical exception applies
- Whether a national-interest exception is available
- Whether the 75-country immigrant visa pause independently prevents issuance
- Whether the applicant has another valid visa or immigration status
- Whether the case is being processed by USCIS inside the United States or through a U.S. consulate abroad
These policies must be evaluated separately.
What Changed for Family-Based Green Card Cases?
Under the original 2025 proclamation, immediate relatives of U.S. citizens were broadly exempted from the entry restrictions. Immediate relatives generally include:
- Spouses of U.S. citizens
- Unmarried children under 21 of U.S. citizens
- Parents of adult U.S. citizens
Proclamation 10998 removed that general categorical exception.
Family-based immigrant visa applicants from fully or partially restricted countries are now subject to the proclamation unless they qualify for another categorical exception or receive an applicable case-by-case national-interest exception.
An approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, does not by itself override the proclamation. Approval establishes the qualifying family relationship. It does not guarantee that an immigrant visa will be issued or that the beneficiary may enter the United States.
Similarly, marriage to a U.S. citizen does not automatically exempt a person from the current entry restrictions.
Family-based applicants should determine whether:
- The proclamation applies to them
- They held a valid visa on the effective date
- They qualify for a categorical exception
- A national-interest exception may be available
- They are also affected by the separate immigrant visa issuance pause
- Adjustment of status inside the United States is legally available
Talk to our spouse visa lawyer team about what additional evidence or planning may help.
What Did the June 2026 Court Ruling Do?
On June 5, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island issued an order in Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, et al. v. USCIS, et al.
The court vacated four USCIS policies:
- A hold on asylum adjudications
- A hold on certain immigration benefit applications filed by nationals of designated countries
- A policy requiring re-review of certain previously approved benefits
- A policy treating nationality as an adverse discretionary factor without individualized consideration
The affected applications included certain permanent residence, employment authorization, naturalization, asylum, and related benefit filings.
The court entered final judgment on June 11, 2026.
USCIS subsequently stated that it disagreed with the ruling but was complying with the order. USCIS guidance indicates that the vacated policy memoranda and related policy guidance should be treated as though they are not in effect unless later court action or agency guidance changes that position.
Applicants whose cases were placed on hold should review their individual USCIS case status rather than assume that every affected application will resume on the same schedule.
What the Court Ruling Did Not Change
The June ruling was significant, but it did not eliminate every restriction discussed in this article.
The ruling did not:
- Invalidate Presidential Proclamation 10998
- Eliminate the entry restrictions for nationals of fully or partially restricted countries
- End the State Department’s 75-country immigrant visa issuance pause
- Guarantee approval of any USCIS application
- Require USCIS to approve a case without completing ordinary eligibility, security, and discretionary review
- Guarantee that a visa holder will be admitted at a U.S. port of entry
The case concerned specific USCIS policies governing the processing and review of immigration benefit applications.
It did not concern the President’s separate proclamation restricting entry or the State Department’s immigrant visa issuance policy.
The government appealed the district court’s decision. Future appellate proceedings may affect how USCIS implements the ruling. Applicants should consult current USCIS notices and confirm the latest case status before relying on the district court decision.
What Should You Do If You Have a Pending Case?
The correct response depends on whether your case is pending with USCIS inside the United States or being processed through a U.S. consulate abroad.
If your case is pending with USCIS
If your application was affected by the USCIS hold policies, check:
- Your online USCIS account
- Your current case status
- Whether USCIS has issued a new notice
- Whether an interview has been scheduled or rescheduled
- Whether USCIS has requested additional evidence
- Whether your mailing address remains current
Forms reportedly affected by the vacated policies included Form I-130, Form I-485, Form N-400, Form I-765, and certain other immigration benefit applications.
Do not assume that a lack of immediate movement means the court order does not apply. USCIS processing may still vary based on the case type, field office, background checks, and other case-specific factors.
If your case is being processed abroad
Determine whether the applicant is affected by:
- Presidential Proclamation 10998
- The State Department’s 75-country immigrant visa pause
- Both policies
- Neither policy
- A categorical or discretionary exception
An applicant may still receive interview notices and complete case-processing steps even when final visa issuance remains paused.
If you are planning international travel
Do not travel based solely on a general online summary.
Before leaving the United States, confirm:
- Whether your visa remains valid
- Whether the proclamation applies
- Whether you have a valid travel document
- Whether departure could affect a pending adjustment application
- Whether unlawful presence or another inadmissibility issue may apply
- Whether admission remains legally available when you return
A valid visa or travel document does not guarantee admission.
Common Questions About the 2026 Travel Restrictions
Is Ethiopia on the 2026 travel ban list?
No. Ethiopia is not among the 39 countries subject to full or partial restrictions under Presidential Proclamation 10998.
However, Ethiopian nationals are included in the separate State Department policy pausing immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries.
Can Iranian or Afghan family members still apply for a Green Card?
A qualifying family petition may still be filed, and USCIS may adjudicate petitions or adjustment applications as permitted under current court orders and agency policy.
However, an approved family petition does not guarantee that an immigrant visa will be issued or that a person subject to the proclamation will be permitted to enter the United States.
Consular cases involving Iranian or Afghan nationals may also be affected by the separate 75-country immigrant visa issuance pause.
Does the June 2026 ruling mean the travel ban is over?
No.
The ruling vacated specific USCIS adjudication and review policies. It did not strike down Presidential Proclamation 10998 or the State Department’s immigrant visa issuance pause.
Can someone still attend an immigrant visa interview?
According to State Department guidance, affected applicants may generally continue submitting applications and attending scheduled interviews.
However, completing an interview does not mean the immigrant visa will be issued while the pause remains in effect.
Does a valid visa guarantee entry?
No.
The proclamation states that visas issued before its effective date are not revoked under the proclamation. However, a visa only permits a traveler to request admission. U.S. Customs and Border Protection makes the final admissibility determination at the port of entry.
Are spouses of U.S. citizens automatically exempt?
No.
The broad categorical exception for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens was removed from the expanded proclamation. A spouse may still qualify for another categorical exception or a case-by-case national-interest exception, but the marriage itself does not automatically create an exemption.
What happens if the government succeeds on appeal?
The effect would depend on the First Circuit’s ruling and the scope of any stay, reversal, or remand.
USCIS could receive authority to resume some or all of the challenged policies, but the precise consequences would depend on the court’s order and any subsequent USCIS guidance.
Contact an Experienced Immigration Lawyer at Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, P.C.
Few things are harder than watching an immigration case remain unresolved because of rapidly changing policies tied to nationality, visa processing, or entry restrictions.
At Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, P.C., Attorney Medya Ansari and her family came to the United States from Iran in 2004. When her father was unable to return because of the 2016 travel ban, her family experienced firsthand the uncertainty that immigration restrictions can create.
Our firm serves clients from Ethiopia, Iran, Afghanistan, and countries around the world. We provide immigration services in English, Amharic, Spanish, Dari, and Farsi.
If you need to understand how the current presidential proclamation, the USCIS court ruling, or the State Department immigrant visa pause applies to your case, call Getachew & Ansari Immigration Attorneys, P.C. at 408-292-7995 or visit our contact page to schedule a consultation.
You do not have to interpret multiple overlapping immigration policies on your own.
This article provides general information based on publicly available government guidance as of August 2, 2026. Immigration rules, agency policies, and court orders may change. This information is not legal advice for any individual case.
