Tamizdat Brief: US Travel Restrictions Advisory
October 20, 2026
This advisory only provides information and should not be considered legal counsel, which can only be provided in reference to the facts of your specific case. Professionals in the performing arts should feel free to contact TamizdatAVAIL if they have questions.
Since the start of the Trump Administration, the US Government has introduced a number of restrictions on travel to the US that impact international performing artists. Some of these restrictions have been struck down by courts and are not being enforced, while others are still in effect. The following is a summary of the current state of the travel restrictions.
Suspended processing (mostly) resumed: In December of 2025, USCIS announced that it has “paused” processing of both immigrant and nonimmigrant related benefits to individuals who are nationals of or were born in 40 countries (including the Palestinian Authority). This “pause” was challenged in court by “Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island,” and on June 5, 2026, the “pause” was struck down and revoked. Although USCIS challenged the ruling, they have not succeeded in overturning it. Cases paused by USCIS have mostly resumed processing, though there appear to be some inconsistencies.
Visa Bans still being enforced: President Trump’s Presidential Proclamation 10949 and 10998 continue to be enforced. The rules are complex so for the purposes of clarity, below is a summary of the current impact of the bans:
Countries subject to full visa bans:
The US currently will not issue visas to foreign nationals travelling on passports from Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, Niger. In addition, foreign nationals who seek to travel to the United States using Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents will not be issued a US nonimmigrant or immigrant visa.
Countries subject to partial bans:
The US currently will not issue B-1, B-2, F, M, and J visas to foreign nationals travelling on passports from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Countries subject to immigrant visa bans:
The US currently will not issue immigrant visas to foreign nationals travelling on passports from Turkmenistan.
Are there any exceptions to the new travel bans?
The bans apply only to nationals of the above countries who are
- individuals who were outside of the United States on the date when the ban against their country went into effect, and
- individuals who did not have a valid visa on the date the ban against their country went into effect.
So if you have (or had) a valid visa to the US on or after June 9, 2025, or if you were in the US on or after June 9, 2025, you should contact TamizdatAVAIL to figure out if you are excepted from the ban.
What foreign nationals will be exempted from the travel bans?
- Individuals who are US lawful permanent residents (green card holders);
- Individuals who have dual nationality, where one of the nationalities is not subject to the ban, provided the individual is traveling on a passport issued by the non-banned country;
- Individuals who are athletes or members of an athletic team, including coaches, those performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the Olympics or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State;
- Individuals who are traveling with a valid nonimmigrant visa in the following classifications for foreign diplomats and certain officials of foreign governments and international organizations: 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;
- Individuals who are applying for Special Immigrant Visas for certain US government employees;
- Individuals who are immigrant visa (permanent resident) applicants and who are ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran;
- Individuals whose travel is deemed to advance a critical US national interest involving the Department of Justice; and
- Individuals whose travel is deemed to serve the US national interest, as determined by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or their designee.
- Individuals who have been granted asylum or to refugees already admitted to the United States,
- Individuals who are seeking asylum or seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT).
Where do we go from here? What can we do about this? As the Trump administration continues to restrict legal immigration pathways, target immigrants and diaspora communities, and undermine the rule of law in the US, our legal advocacy community is doing phenomenal work to push back against their cruel and unfair policies and practices. National organizations like IMMpact Litigation, National Immigration Law Center, American Immigration Counsel, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, ACLU, Artistic Freedom Initiative, CoveyLaw, and Safe Passage Project, join Tamizdat and countless regional and local organizations, law firms, and grassroots efforts to protect immigrants and the diversity of our nation. Please support these organizations in whatever ways you can.