The new travel ban that the Donald Trump administration announced in December as part of its ongoing crackdown on immigration comes into effect on January 1, 2026. Apart from the travel ban, new immigration-related fees, as announced earlier, also come into effect from today.
Travel ban from January 1, 2026
The administration expanded the travel ban list in mid-December and now nationals from 39 countries face a full or partial travel ban to the US. People from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burkina Faso, Laos (previously “partially restricted”), Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone (previously “partially restricted”), South Sudan, and Syria – as well as individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are under the full travel ban list. These people can’t get a visa to the US from today. Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are under a partial travel ban.
Travel ban does not apply to
- Nationals from other countries
- Nationals from these 39 countries who are already in the US on January 1
- Nationals from these countries who hold a valid visa as of January 1.
- Exempt categories like athletes, certain diplomats, dual nationals etc.
African countries impose counter-travel ban on US
Several African countries announced a travel ban for US citizens in retaliation. Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger have banned entry for US citizens. Burkina Faso’s foreign affairs minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said his government was acting on the “principle of reciprocity”, while Mali’s foreign ministry called for “mutual respect and sovereign equality”.
Hike in immigration-related fees
Fees for annual asylum application, Form I-765 etc will increase from today if the benefit request is postmarked on or after January 1.
- Annual Asylum Application Fee: $102 (old fee $100) (currently stayed via court order)
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization – Initial Asylum Applicant Employment Authorization Document (EAD) : $560 ($550)
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization – Initial Parole EAD : $560 ($550)
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization – Renewal or Extension of Parole EAD: $280 ($275)
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization – Initial Temporary Protected Status (TPS) EAD : $560 ($550)
- Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization – Renewal or Extension of TPS EAD: $280 ($275)
- Form I-131, Part 9 – EAD requested upon authorization of a new period of Parole (Re-parole) : $280 ($275)
- Form I-821, Application for TPS: $510 ($500)
Not applicable to:
- I-589 Asylum Fee (Initial fee for aliens filing an application for asylum) : Fee remains unchanged ar $100
- I-765 Renewal or Extension of Asylum Applicant EAD: Fee remains unchanged at $275
- I-360 Special Immigrant Juvenile Fee: Unchanged at $250