On December 16, 2025, the Trump administration issued a proclamation expanding its June 2025 travel and immigration ban, which, once in effect on January 1, 2026, will affect people from 39 countries, as well as people with travel documents from the Palestinian Authority from traveling and immigration to the United States.

When this travel and immigration ban takes effect, the Trump administration will limit or suspend the entry into the U.S. for people from almost 20 percent of the countries in the world, largely Muslim-majority, Black-majority, Brown-majority, African, and Southeast Asian countries.

While often described as an entry or visa ban, its reach goes well beyond airport inspections or visa interviews abroad. In its current form, the travel ban operates as a broader national security measure that affects how US immigration agencies process applications tied to nationals of listed countries.

Recent expansions of the travel ban have introduced a critical and often misunderstood consequence, the pausing of immigration benefit adjudications for nationals of countries included on the ban list. This means that the impact is no longer limited to visa issuance at US consulates, but can also reach applications already filed and pending with US Citizenship and Immigration Services inside the United States.

This article explains the list of affected countries, which types of immigration applications are affected and what this pause means in practice for pending immigration cases across categories including green cards, renewals, nonimmigrant visas, naturalization, and more.

Which Countries Are Affected by the Travel Ban

As of January 1, 2026, US Presidential Proclamation restrictions cover 39 countries and individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority–issued documents, either through full bans or partial restrictions on visa categories.

Full Travel Ban Countries

Nationals of the following countries face full suspension of entry into the United States across immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories (with limited exceptions for lawful permanent residents and individuals with valid visas issued before the ban takes effect):

• Afghanistan
• Burkina Faso
• Burma/Myanmar
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Laos
• Libya
• Mali
• Niger
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Sudan
• Sudan
• Syria
• Yemen
• Individuals holding Palestinian Authority travel documents

Partial Restriction Countries

Nationals from the following countries face partial suspension of entry — generally including immigrant visas and commonly used nonimmigrant categories such as tourism, student, and exchange visitor visas (B, F, M, J), while other categories may be limited or subject to reduced validity:

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Dominica
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Tonga
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

What “Paused Immigration Benefits” Means

Under a recent USCIS policy memorandum, USCIS now places on hold benefit requests for nationals of countries identified in the most recent travel ban proclamation, including some of the countries listed above. This applies to the benefit application itself, not just border entry.

This pause can take effect regardless of whether the applicant is:

• Already present in the United States, or
• Has a pending case filed with USCIS

Pause means that USCIS will stop adjudicating (reviewing or issuing final decisions on) these cases until further notice or policy shift. Unlike denials, pauses do not adjudicate eligibility; they simply “freeze” the case.

How the Pause Impacts Different Application Types

Here’s how the pause can affect key immigration processes:

Green Card Applications (Adjustment of Status)

• Pending Family- and Employment-Based I-485 cases may be paused. Even if the applicant is inside the US and otherwise eligible, USCIS may delay adjudication with no defined timeline for resumption.
• Priority dates and filings remain preserved, but advancement toward approval is on hold.

Green Card Renewals and Replacements

• Form I-90 filings for expired or lost green cards can also be paused.
• While legal permanent resident status generally continues during a pending renewal, expired documents can create practical challenges (travel, employment verification, licensing).

Removal of Conditions

• Conditional residents filing Form I-751 may face extended pending status. Without adjudication, removal of conditions may not occur in a timely manner.

Travel Documents and Advance Parole

• I-131 applications for advance parole or reentry permits may be paused. Travel outside the US without an approved travel document can risk abandonment of a pending application.

Nonimmigrant Status Extensions or Changes

• I-129 and I-539 categories, including H-1B, O-1, L-1, F-1, and others, may be delayed or paused.
• Even when extensions are filed, a pause can leave beneficiaries in extended pending status.

Naturalization (Form N-400)

• Naturalization adjudications may be paused, including oath ceremonies and final decisions.
• Applicants with long residence and eligibility may experience indefinite wait times pending policy shifts.

Asylum, Withholding, and Other Humanitarian Benefits

• Asylum and related humanitarian applications have also been paused by DHS irrespective of national origin in parallel policy moves.

Practical Considerations and Exceptions

Exceptions to bans or pauses may apply in limited circumstances, including but not limited to:

• Individuals with valid visas issued before the ban’s effective date
• Lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
• Certain diplomatic, official, or national interest travelers
• Cases qualifying under narrow statutory or waiver provisions (if available)

But importantly:

• New visa issuance for affected nationals from covered countries may be blocked at US consulates abroad.
• Even with valid visas, eligibility for specific benefit adjudication may be paused if the policy is interpreted broadly by USCIS.

Strategic Planning

For clients from listed countries, especially those with pending applications:

• Continue confirming USCIS receipts and maintain documentation.
• Evaluate alternative pathways where feasible (dual nationality, non-affected family members).
• Plan decisions about travel and international moves carefully; leaving the US can carry immigration risk during pendency.

Final Note

These policies are evolving, and additions or removals from the list are possible. The pause on immigration benefit adjudication represents one of the most consequential aspects of the expanded travel ban for individuals pursuing legal status in the US.