US Travel Ban 2017 - Updated 2020

Full List of Countries included in the Trump Visa Ban

Dr. Antoine Saliba Haig co-authored with Jean-Philippe Chetcuti | 06 feb. 2020

US Visa Ban

The United States Travel Ban first introduced in 2017 by the Proclamation "Enhancing Vetting Capabilities and Processes for Detecting Attempted Entry into the United Stated by Terrorists or Other Public Safety Threats" has been expanded to include six more countries including Africa's largest country by population, Nigeria. This means that there are a total of 13 countries included in the US Travel Ban. 

2020 US Travel Ban

On the 31st of January 2020, the office of the President of the United States has issued a decree on improving enhanced vetting capabilities and processed for detecting attempted entry which comes into effect on the 22nd of February 2020. Essentially, this suspends the issuance of immigrant visas and admission to the US as immigrants for citizens of the following countries:

  1. Nigeria
  2. Myanmar
  3. Eritrea
  4. Sudan
  5. Tanzania
  6. Kyrgyzstan

The proclamation will take effect on the 22nd of February 2020 and citizens from these countries who obtain an immigrant visa before the effective date may still travel to the US. Non immigrant visa holders and  those seeking entry into the US under a non-immigrant status should also not be effected by the expansion of the travel ban. Immigrants from these six countries may be able to apply for exemptions or waivers from these restrictions. Such waivers are only issued to individuals who would experience undue hardship if they are denied entry into the United States. Citizens of these countries will sill be able to visit to US as tourists. 

2017 Trump Visa Ban

The Office of the President of the US first issued a US Travel Ban in September of 2017. The travel ban initially excluded individuals from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Chad, Venezuela and North Korea. The list was later modified following a series of court challenges to include 7 countries since Chad was later removed. Thus the final version of the 2017 travel ban was applicable to the following countries:

  1. Iran
  2. Libya
  3. Somalia
  4. Syria
  5. Yemen
  6. Venezuela
  7. North Korea

US Visa Ban & Citizenship by Investment Programmes 

The effect of the US Visa Ban on citizenship programmes in countries that are part of the US Visa Waiver Programme is that countries on Trumps Travel Ban are excluded by the Malta Individual Investor Programme. The MIIP Agency announced the list of new excluded nationalities from the MIIP soon after the announcement of the US Visa Bans.

How can we assist?

Our Residency & Citizenship team can guide applicants from countries affected by the US Travel Ban in suggesting various residence & citizenship by investment programmes around the world which would facilitate international access and provide mobility, education, business and investment opportunities. Investors seeking access to the US may apply for an EB-5 Investor Visa or an E1, E2 visa through the citizenship by investment programme of Grenada and/or Turkey.


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