Explainer · Policy
The Travel Ban and What It Means for Afghans
Two 2025 proclamations suspended U.S. entry from Afghanistan and dozens of other countries, and stripped the exemption that had protected Afghan SIV holders. What the ban does, and what it does not.
Last updated August 23, 2026
A February 6, 2026 federal court ruling held that the government may not suspend the processing of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applications. It left the entry and visa-issuance restrictions under the proclamations in place.
Executive summary
Two presidential proclamations issued in 2025 suspended the entry of nationals from Afghanistan and dozens of other countries. The first, issued June 4, 2025 (Proclamation 10949), took effect June 9, 2025 and initially exempted Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) holders. The second, issued December 16, 2025 (Proclamation 10998) and effective January 1, 2026, expanded the restrictions and removed that exemption.
A February 6, 2026 federal court ruling held that the government may not suspend the processing of Afghan SIV applications, but it left the entry and visa-issuance restrictions in place.
- June 4, 2025 (Proclamation 10949): suspended entry from 19 countries, including Afghanistan, with Afghan SIV holders exempt.
- December 16, 2025 (Proclamation 10998, effective January 1, 2026): expanded to a full suspension on 19 countries and partial restrictions on 19 more, plus Turkmenistan for immigrant visas and Palestinian Authority travel documents, and eliminated the Afghan SIV exemption.
- February 6, 2026: a federal court ruled that Afghan SIV processing must continue, while entry and issuance restrictions remain in force.
The ban does not revoke visas already issued before January 1, 2026, and it does not apply to lawful permanent residents or to people already inside the United States. It also does not, by itself, end SIV processing, which a court has ordered to continue.
The legal basis
Both proclamations rest on the President's authority under Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act to suspend the entry of classes of noncitizens the President finds detrimental to U.S. interests. The stated rationale is national security and asserted deficiencies in the affected countries' identity-management and information-sharing. Afghanistan has been on the list since the June 2025 proclamation.
What the June 2025 proclamation did
Effective June 9, 2025, Proclamation 10949 suspended entry for nationals of 19 countries, including Afghanistan. It applied to people outside the United States who did not already hold a valid visa issued before the effective date, and it did not revoke previously issued visas. Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders were recognized as exempt.
What the December 2025 proclamation changed
Effective January 1, 2026, Proclamation 10998 significantly expanded the restrictions:
A wider full-ban list
The full suspension now covers 19 countries, adding Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria to the original list. Afghanistan remains on it.
New partial restrictions
Nineteen additional countries face partial restrictions on immigrant and several nonimmigrant visa categories. Turkmenistan is limited to immigrant visas, and a full suspension applies to Palestinian Authority travel documents. That is 39 countries in all, plus the PA documents.
The Afghan SIV exemption removed
The categorical exemption for Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders that existed under Proclamation 10949 is no longer in effect. The exemption for U.S. Government-employee SIVs under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(D) does not cover Afghan SIVs.
Family and adoption exemptions removed
The proclamation also removed exemptions for immediate-relative immigrant visas and for adoptions.
Who is still exempt
- Lawful permanent residents.
- Dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-designated country.
- Certain diplomatic and international-organization visa categories.
- Athletes and essential personnel for major international sporting events.
- Special Immigrant Visas for U.S. Government employees, which does not include Afghan SIVs.
- Certain ethnic and religious minorities from Iran.
- Asylees and refugees already granted status.
- Case-by-case national interest exceptions granted at the government's discretion.
What the February 2026 court ruling changed
On February 6, 2026, a federal court held that the government may not suspend or halt the processing of Afghan Special Immigrant Visa applications. The government may, however, continue to restrict visa issuance and entry under the proclamations. In practice, SIV cases must continue to move through Chief of Mission review and interviews, but even an approved applicant cannot be issued a visa or enter without a qualifying exemption or a national interest exception.
A separate policy: the 75-country visa pause
The travel ban is not the only barrier that has kept visas from being issued. On January 14, 2026, the State Department sent a cable to every diplomatic and consular post, effective January 21, that paused immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries, Afghanistan among them, on a public charge rationale. That cable was a separate policy from the entry proclamations above, made through different legal machinery.
On August 21, 2026, a federal court vacated that visa pause in CLINIC v. Rubio, and refusals based solely on the pause are being returned to consular officers for a new decision. The travel ban was not part of that case and remains fully in force. For most Afghans, whose entry is blocked by the December 16, 2025 proclamation, the vacatur does not reopen the door. We explain the ruling, and who it does and does not help, in a dedicated explainer.
What this means for Afghan allies
If you are inside the United States
The ban applies to people outside the country. If you are already here, the proclamations do not remove you or revoke your status, and your existing case continues under the normal rules.
What to do now
If you hold a visa issued before January 1, 2026, it was not revoked, but consult counsel before any international travel. If your SIV case is pending, processing continues by court order, so keep your contact information current and stay in touch with your attorney or resettlement organization. Ask counsel whether a national interest exception may apply to you.
If you are outside the United States
Afghan nationals abroad without a valid pre-January 1, 2026 visa are subject to the full suspension. SIV administrative processing continues, but a visa cannot be issued and entry cannot occur without a qualifying exemption or a case-by-case national interest exception.
Frequently asked questions
Does the travel ban revoke visas I already have?
No. Neither proclamation revokes visas issued before its effective date. The restrictions apply to new entry and issuance for people who did not already hold a valid visa.
Are Afghan SIV holders still exempt?
No. The December 2025 proclamation removed the categorical exemption for Afghan SIV holders that the June 2025 proclamation had included.
Did the February 2026 court ruling end the ban?
No. The ruling requires the government to keep processing Afghan SIV applications, but it left the entry and visa-issuance restrictions in place.
Does the ban apply to me if I am already in the United States?
No. The proclamations apply to people outside the United States without a valid pre-effective-date visa. They do not remove people already here.
Can anyone still enter?
Yes, through a remaining exemption, such as lawful permanent residence, or a discretionary national interest exception granted case by case. These are individualized and not automatic.
Where things stand now
As of the February 6, 2026 ruling, Afghan SIV processing must continue, while issuance and entry remain restricted under Proclamation 10998, effective January 1, 2026. Litigation is ongoing, and national interest exceptions remain discretionary and case-specific.
Key takeaways
- The ban suspends entry for Afghan nationals outside the U.S. who lack a valid pre-January 1, 2026 visa.
- The December 2025 proclamation removed the Afghan SIV exemption that existed under the June 2025 proclamation.
- It does NOT revoke visas already issued, and does NOT apply to people already inside the United States.
- It does NOT end SIV processing, which a court has ordered to continue.
- Entry can still occur through a remaining exemption or a case-by-case national interest exception.
The AfghanEvac position
AfghanEvac's position is that the United States made a promise to the Afghans who served alongside it, and that a visa earned through that service should be honored. We are committed to helping the public understand these rules accurately, so decisions are grounded in facts rather than fear.
Bottom line: Afghan allies outside the United States face a near-total entry bar, even as a court requires their visa cases to keep moving. The paperwork can advance, but the door stays closed without an exemption.
Go deeper
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Read the source and follow the record.
This explainer summarizes public policy and legal developments for informational purposes and is not legal advice. For guidance on your own case, consult a qualified immigration attorney.
AfghanEvac will continue to monitor the proclamations and the related litigation, and to update this explainer as the facts change.