CHANGES TO U.S. TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS AS OF JANUARY 1, 2026
January 2, 2026
Eckert Seamans has prepared the information in this update for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice nor substitute for legal advice. Neither your receipt of information from this website nor your use of this website to contact Eckert Seamans or one of its attorneys creates an attorney-client relationship, as the firm may, for example, already represent another party involved in your matter. Accordingly, you should not provide confidential information to Eckert Seamans. Persons seeking legal advice should consult a licensed professional attorney in their state. The firm’s Terms of Use, Legal Notice, and Disclaimer detailed herein are expressly incorporated into the Aviation Regulatory Update.
On December 29, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection published a Carrier Liaison Program Bulletin following President Trump’s Presidential Proclamation 10998 dated December 16, 2025 which fully and partially restricts certain foreign nationals from entering the United States effective at 12:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time ET on January 1, 2026. In compliance with Presidential Proclamation 10998, the U.S. Department of State will fully or partially suspend entry for and visa issuance to nationals of 39 countries. Full entry restrictions will apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Burma, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Nationals of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will be subject to partial restrictions for nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas. There are limited exceptions for the following categories:
- Certain diplomatic and official visas
- Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran
- Dual nationals applying with a passport of a nationality not subject to a suspension
- Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for U.S. government employees
- Participants in certain major sporting events
- Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs)
To be clear, Presidential Proclamation 10998 only applies to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and do not currently hold a valid visa on the effective date (i.e., January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST). Even if they are currently outside the United States, foreign nationals holding valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998 and will not have their valid visas revoked at this time. Airline personnel must comply with these restrictions to verify that only authorized travelers are permitted to board flights to/from the United States.
Eckert Seamans’ Aviation Blog is intended to keep readers current on developments in the law. It is not intended to be legal advice. If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr at 202.659.6622 or esahr@eckertseamans.com; Drew Derco at 202.659.6665 or dderco@eckertseamans.com; Tyler Myers at 202.659.6642 or trmyers@eckertseamans.com, or any other attorney at Eckert Seamans with whom you have been working.
Share This Post
Authors
