Travel Bans, Restrictions, Limitations and Conditions: How to Keep Up with the Chaos?
Posted on March 20, 2026
It seems that every day there is a new announcement from the Department of State and the Trump Administration impacting visa issuance. It’s hard to keep up. So to try to make some sense, we have compiled the below comparative table. This table only relates to new visa issuance; it does not relate to USCIS adjudications. Visa applications that are processed are being refused either under Section 221(g) or 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. There are also some important exceptions/exemptions to these summary rules. Finally, many of these DOS policies are currently being challenged in courts. In short, the situation is very fluid.
As always, feel free to reach out to consult on your specific situation.
| Visa Bonds because of overstay problems | Immigrant Visa Public Charge Pause (took effect Jan. 21, 2026) | Total Ban for security reasons (Jan. 1, 2026) | Partial Ban for security reasons (Jan. 1, 2026) | Diversity Lottery (Dec. 23, 2025) |
| Impacts B-1/B-2 Nonimmigrant Visas. It applies when the consul finds that the applicant meets the requirements for B visa issuance, but must pay a refundable bond of $5,000–$15,000. | Immigrant visa applicants attend interviews, but if qualified, the application is suspended. | No visa issuance at all with limited exceptions. | No visas issued in B-1/B-2, F, M, J categories and all immigrant visas. Unaffected categories: H-1/H-2, L-1, O-1, P-1, E. | Diversity Immigrant Visa applicants attend interviews, but all visa issuance is paused. |
| Countries Impacted: Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia (from April 2, 2026), Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia (April 2, 2026), Fiji, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia (April 2, 2026), Grenada (April 2, 2026), Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kyrgyz Republic, Lesotho (April 2, 2026), Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius (April 2, 2026), Mongolia (April 2, 2026), Mozambique (April 2, 2026), Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua (April 2, 2026), Nigeria, Papua New Guinea (April 2, 2026), Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles (April 2, 2026), Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia (April 2, 2026), Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe. | Countries Impacted: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, The Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyz Republic, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Republic of the Congo, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Yemen. | Countries Impacted: Afghanistan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Yemen. | Countries Impacted: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, Zimbabwe. | Countries Impacted: All. |