Tamizdat Update: The New Travel Ban
As many of you know, last night Donald Trump issued a proclamation that bans travel to the US impacting travelers from several countries. This email summarizes what we know and what we don’t know about how this ban will work. For more information, and for updates, please check our FAQs here.
Who is affected by Trump’s June 14 travel ban?
No one yet. The US Department of State cable reportedly included a list of 36 countries whose citizens may be subject to travel restrictions, indicating that the listed countries may be subject to unspecified travel restrictions as soon as mid-August if they cannot address US concerns and comply with new State Department requirements. Sources that have reviewed the diplomatic cable report that the concerns include a lack of a competent or cooperative government, involvement in acts of terrorism in the United States, or antisemitic and anti-American activity.
The countries that could face a full or a partial ban if they do not address these concerns within the next 60 days are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Dominica, Ethiopia, Egypt, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Who is affected by Trump’s June 4 travel ban?
- People who are traveling on passports from Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen will be not be issued visas, and will be barred entry to to the US starting June 9, 2025, unless they have a valid visa on that date or were in the US on that date.
- People who are traveling to the US on B1, B2, B1/B2, F, M and J visas, and who are traveling on passports from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela, will be barred from entering the US starting June 9, 2025.
Who is not affected by Trump’s June 4 travel ban?
- People who have a valid US visa on June 9, 2025
- People who are in the US on June 9, 2025
- US lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
- Dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-designated country
- Holders of certain diplomatic or official visas (e.g., A, G, NATO categories)
- Participants (athletes, coaches, essential support personnel, etc.) in major international sports events (e.g., the World Cup or the Olympics) and their immediate relatives (spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents)
- Immigrants with immediate family visas specifically for spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of US citizens (IR/CR visas) and clear family ties.
- Adoptees under designated visa types
- Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders and US government-related SIVs
- Persecuted minorities from Iran issued immigrant visas
When does it go into effect?
The ban goes into effect June 9, 2025, at 12:01 am EDT. So, theoretically, if you do not have a visa now but can get one before next Monday, you will be exempt from the ban.
Is it possible to get an exception to the travel ban?
Yes, the proclamation provides that it may be possible to seek an exception to the ban if the individual’s travel to the US would be in the US’s national interest. It remains to be seen how difficult this will be to prove.
Are other countries likely to be added to this list?
The proclamation states that other countries may be added to the list. Specifically, Egypt was mentioned in the proclamation, suggesting it is likely to be an imminent addition.
All the best,
Matthew Covey