If You’re From One of These 39 Countries, Your Path to America Just Got Exponentially Harder—Or Impossible

In a stunning expansion of executive immigration power, the Trump administration announced Tuesday that it is doubling the number of countries facing U.S. travel restrictions, adding 20 nations and the Palestinian Authority to an already controversial ban that has separated families, derailed careers, and blocked millions from entering the United States.

The new restrictions take effect January 1, 2026—just two weeks away—giving affected individuals virtually no time to prepare, secure alternative documentation, or seek legal counsel before the door slams shut.

The Numbers Tell a Devastating Story

As of June 2025, 19 countries faced either full or partial travel bans. As of January 1, 2026, that number will be 39 countries plus the Palestinian Authority.

Five new countries now face FULL BANS (no entry for immigrants or nonimmigrants):

  • Burkina Faso
  • Mali
  • Niger
  • South Sudan
  • Syria

Fifteen countries now face PARTIAL RESTRICTIONS (blocking B-1/B-2 tourist/business visas and F/M/J student/exchange visas):

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

Additionally:

  • Palestinian Authority travel documents are now fully banned
  • Laos and Sierra Leone have been upgraded to more restrictive categories
  • Special Immigrant Visa exceptions for Afghan allies have been REMOVED

The original 19 countries from the June 2025 ban remain fully or partially restricted: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, Cuba, Laos (upgraded), Sierra Leone (upgraded), Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

What This Means in Real Terms

If you hold a passport from any of these 39 countries:

Full Ban Countries: You cannot obtain any immigrant or nonimmigrant visa. You cannot visit the U.S. for tourism, business, education, or family reunification. You cannot immigrate. Period.

Partial Ban Countries: You cannot obtain B-1/B-2 (tourist/business), F (student), M (vocational training), or J (exchange program) visas. Your ability to work, study, or visit family in the U.S. is severely curtailed.

Exceptions are extraordinarily narrow:

  • Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) already in the U.S.
  • People who already have valid visas issued before the effective date
  • Diplomats
  • Athletes (in limited circumstances)
  • Individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interest (highly discretionary)

What is NOT an exception:

  • Family emergencies
  • Medical treatment in the U.S.
  • Educational opportunities
  • Job offers from U.S. employers
  • Weddings, funerals, or other life events

Most critically: Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applicants—wartime allies who risked their lives for U.S. forces—no longer have an exception. These are individuals who underwent some of the most rigorous vetting in immigration history, and they are now banned.

The Administration’s Justification: A Legal House of Cards

The Trump administration cites Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act as its legal authority, claiming the restrictions are necessary to protect national security. The stated reasons include:

  • High visa overstay rates
  • Fraudulent or unreliable civil documents
  • Insufficient criminal record databases
  • Countries’ refusal to accept deportees
  • Lack of governmental cooperation in vetting
  • General instability and lack of government control

But here’s the problem: these justifications are legally dubious and factually questionable.

Studies consistently show that nationality is an unreliable predictor of terrorist activity or criminal behavior. Most foreign-born violent extremists become radicalized after arrival in the U.S., not before. Individuals from these countries already undergo extensive vetting through multiple government databases.

More importantly, the administration is using nationality—an immutable characteristic—as a blanket disqualifier, which raises serious constitutional questions about equal protection and due process.

The Immediate Legal and Human Fallout

Families Separated: American citizens and lawful permanent residents with family members in the 20 newly banned countries will be unable to bring their loved ones to the U.S. Weddings, reunions, and family emergencies will happen without them.

Students Stranded: International students from the 15 newly restricted countries will be unable to study in American universities, derailing academic careers and research collaborations.

Professionals Blocked: Business travelers, professionals, and skilled workers from affected countries will lose opportunities, contracts, and career advancement.

Afghan Allies Betrayed: Thousands of Afghans who served alongside U.S. forces—interpreters, guides, intelligence assets—will remain trapped in Afghanistan or third countries, facing Taliban retaliation with no path to safety.

Palestinians in Limbo: The expansion to fully ban Palestinian Authority travel documents means that even Palestinians with no connection to militant groups, including academics, medical professionals, and families of U.S. citizens, are now permanently excluded.

The Precedent Is the Danger

This is not just about 39 countries. It’s about the precedent that the executive branch can unilaterally ban entire nationalities with minimal legal justification and no congressional oversight.

If the administration can expand the travel ban from 19 countries to 39 in six months, what stops it from adding 40 more? 50 more? At what point does “protecting national security” become a pretext for wholesale discrimination based on geography and ethnicity?

Critics, including the International Refugee Assistance Project, are unequivocal: “This expanded ban is not about national security but instead is another shameful attempt to demonize people simply for where they are from.”

What You Must Do Now

If you or someone you know is from one of the 39 affected countries, time is running out.

For those already in the U.S.:

  • Do NOT travel internationally if you will need to re-enter on a restricted visa category
  • Consult an immigration attorney immediately about your status and options
  • If you have a pending green card application, expedite it if possible
  • If you’re on a visa that will expire, explore status change options NOW

For those outside the U.S.:

  • If you already have a valid U.S. visa, it may still be honored—but there are no guarantees
  • If you’re awaiting a visa appointment, expect denials or indefinite administrative processing
  • If you have family in the U.S., explore whether they can petition for you under narrow exceptions
  • Seek legal counsel immediately to explore all possible pathways

For Afghan SIV applicants:

  • The removal of your exception is catastrophic, but legal challenges are likely forthcoming
  • Document all your service to U.S. forces and maintain contact with advocacy organizations
  • Consult an immigration attorney about potential waivers or alternative visa categories

Why Expert Legal Representation Is Non-Negotiable

When executive orders change overnight and entire nationalities are banned with two weeks’ notice, you cannot afford to navigate this alone.

Attorney Steve Maggi has spent decades representing clients from countries facing travel restrictions, successfully navigating U.S. embassies and consulates across three continents. His expertise includes:

  • Challenging visa denials and administrative processing delays
  • Securing waivers for inadmissibility under INA 212(d)(3)
  • Advising on alternative visa categories when primary paths are blocked
  • Representing clients in complex cases involving executive orders and policy changes

“This expansion is unprecedented in scope and speed,” says Maggi. “Families are being torn apart with virtually no notice, and the legal pathways that existed yesterday may not exist tomorrow. Anyone from these 39 countries needs immediate legal guidance—not next month, not next week, but now.”

The Bigger Picture: Immigration as Political Weapon

This travel ban expansion is part of a broader pattern:

  • Birthright citizenship revoked by executive order
  • Social media vetting trapping travelers in months-long delays
  • Temporary Protected Status stripped from hundreds of thousands
  • Green card and citizenship applications halted for 19 countries
  • Palestinian Authority documents fully banned

The message is clear: U.S. immigration policy has become a weapon of political control, wielded by the executive branch with minimal oversight and maximum impact on the world’s most vulnerable populations.

And it’s accelerating.

Time Is Not On Your Side

January 1, 2026 is 14 days away.

If you’re from one of these countries, if you have family who needs to travel to the U.S., if you’re a student planning to study here, if you’re a professional with U.S. business ties—your window is closing.

Don’t wait until you’re denied at the border. Don’t wait until your visa appointment is cancelled. Don’t wait until your family member’s emergency goes unattended because they’re banned from entering.

Contact Attorney Steve Maggi at SMA Immigration Law Firm today.

Schedule your pre-paid case review and get expert guidance on your options before the ban takes full effect. Whether you need a waiver, an alternative visa category, or representation in a complex denial case, Steve Maggi has the experience and track record to fight for you when the system is stacked against you.

The travel ban just doubled. Your need for expert legal counsel just became urgent.

About Steve Maggi

Steve Maggi is a nationally recognized immigration attorney based in St. Petersburg, Florida, with extensive experience representing clients affected by travel bans, visa restrictions, and executive immigration orders. Featured on Univision, ABC, Telemundo, and other major media outlets, Attorney Maggi specializes in navigating the intersection of executive policy, international travel restrictions, and constitutional law. When the rules change overnight, you need an attorney who knows how to adapt—and win.

Don’t let a travel ban destroy your American dream. Contact SMA Immigration Law Firm: 

39 countries. Millions of people. 14 days until it takes effect. The clock is ticking.