Travel Ban Expansion Effective January 1, 2026

On December 16, 2025, the White House released the Presidential Proclamation Restricting and Limiting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.This Proclamation extends and modifies entry restrictions implemented by the June 4, 2025 Presidential Proclamation 10949, which affects nationals of 19 countries, and establishes restrictions on nationals of an additional 20 countries, as well as individuals with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.

A brief FAQ is below. Full details, including a list of affected countries, follows after the signature line.

When will this new proclamation be effective?
The effective date of this new Proclamation is 12:01 AM (00:01) Eastern Daylight Time on January 1, 2026.

What will this mean for students and scholars from these designated countries?
International students and scholars and their family members from these designated countries who are outside the U.S. on January 1, 2026, and do not have a valid entry visa for return to the U.S. in their passport as of January 1, 2026, will be unable to enter the U.S.
Individuals already inside the U.S. as of 12:01 AM (00:01) Eastern Daylight Time on January 1, 2026, will NOT be subject to the travel ban/restrictions, but would be subject if they subsequently depart the U.S.

If I am a student/scholar from one of the countries subject to the travel restrictions, must I return to the U.S. before January 1, 2026?
Individuals WITH a valid visa in their passport for entry to the U.S. in the proper student/scholar status will still be permitted to enter the U.S. after January 1, 2026.
U.S. Embassies/Consulates will NOT be issuing new entry visas on or after January 1, 2026, to those nationals subject to the travel restrictions, until further notice. Any student/scholar from one of the designated countries, without a valid visa in their passport for entry to the U.S. in the proper student/scholar status, will NOT be granted entry to the U.S. after January 1, 2026.

What else is important to know?
All travelers to the U.S., regardless of nationality, should expect increased security and vetting procedures, both at U.S. Embassies/Consulates abroad and at U.S. ports of entry.

MIT continues to recommend that international students and scholars postpone any non-essential travel outside of the U.S. For further travel guidance, students are advised to consult the MIT International Students Office “Visas and Travel” webpage, and scholars/researchers should consult the MIT International Scholars Office “Travel and Visa Renewal” webpage.

We understand the concerns and uncertainty that these changes in U.S. immigration policy create as you pursue your academic and research goals at MIT. Please know that the MIT leadership, faculty, and staff are here to support you, and we encourage you to reach out to us if we can be of any assistance.

MIT continues to monitor the situation and will continue to post any new information on the Major Immigration Alerts and Updates webpage. If any questions arise, please be sure to contact your advisor at the International Students Office (ISO) or the International Scholars Office (ISchO).

Please read the full details of the Proclamation below.

Sincerely,
Penny Rosser, Director, MIT International Scholars Office
David C. Elwell, Associate Dean and Director, MIT International Students Office

On December 16, 2025, the White House released the Presidential Proclamation Restricting and Limiting The Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.This Proclamation extends and modifies entry restrictions implemented by the June 4, 2025 Presidential Proclamation 10949 on nationals of 19 countries, and establishes restrictions on nationals of 20 additional countries as well as individuals with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.

The full new Proclamation can be viewed here, along with a Fact Sheet issued by the White House available here.

The restrictions are now as follows:

Full Restrictions and Entry Limitations (ALL immigrant and ALL nonimmigrant visas, including H, O, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas):

Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen
Newly designated: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority
Changing from partial to full restrictions: Laos, Sierra Leone

Partial Restrictions and Entry Limitations(immigrants and nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J Visas, except where indicated):

Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela
Newly designated: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Turkmenistan (restrictions continue on immigrant visa holders only)

The Proclamation applies only to foreign nationals of the designated countries who:

Are outside the United States on or after the effective date of the proclamation [12:01 AM (00:01) Eastern Daylight Time on January 1, 2026]; AND
Do not have a valid visa as of January 1, 2026.

The Proclamation does NOT apply to the following individuals:

any lawful permanent resident of the United States;
any dual national of a country designated under sections 2, 3, 4, or 5 of this proclamation when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a country not so designated;
any foreign national traveling with a valid nonimmigrant visa in the following classifications: A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6;
any athlete or member of an athletic team, including the coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State;
Special Immigrant Visas for United States Government employees under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(D);
immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran;
“an individual who has been granted asylum by the United States or to a refugee who has already been admitted to the United States. Nothing in this proclamation shall be construed to limit the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture, consistent with the laws of the United States.”

The Proclamation indicates that “No immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before the applicable effective date of this proclamation shall be revoked pursuant to this proclamation,” so valid entry visas may be used to enter the U.S.

Within 180 days of the date of the proclamation, and every 180 days after, the Secretary of State along with other agencies will report on whether any suspensions and limitations imposed by the proclamation may be modified. (NOTE: In previous travel bans, there were some countries who were able to meet the security criteria and were able to be removed from the subject list.)

Please note that based on the USCIS Policy Memo issued on December 2, 2025, advising that applications filed with USCIS by nationals from the 19 high-risk countries would face additional vetting procedures, it is likely that individuals from the 20 additional countries added by this Proclamation (or with travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority) may also find their USCIS applications similarly subject to additional vetting and may face processing delays.