US Travel Ban Expands in 2026 as New H-1B Visa Restrictions Take Effect
Trump administration blocks travel from seven countries and shifts H-1B visas to a wage-based selection system.
Individuals from seven countries will no longer be able to travel to the United States starting Thursday, according to updated guidance issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) obtained by ABC News.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed executive orders restricting travel from Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Syria, with the restrictions officially taking effect on January 1.
According to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) document dated December 29, the restrictions apply to both immigrant and nonimmigrant travelers.
National Security Claims and Visa Policy Changes
The White House says the measures are based on national security and public safety concerns, while immigrant advocacy groups argue that the ban disproportionately targets African and Muslim-majority countries.
The travel ban continues to restrict entry into the United States for individuals from Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Partial travel restrictions also remain in place for travelers from Venezuela and Cuba, according to the document.
These developments come amid new restrictions on H-1B visas that went into effect earlier this week. The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire non-citizens with specialized skills, a process that was previously based largely on a random lottery system.
Under changes implemented by the administration on Monday, the selection process has shifted to a weighted system that prioritizes applicants offered higher wages.
Debate Over the New H-1B Selection System
Matthew Tragesser, a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said the existing random selection process had been exploited and abused by some U.S. employers seeking to hire foreign workers at lower wages than those paid to American workers.
“The new weighted selection system will better serve Congress’s intent behind the H-1B visa program and strengthen America’s competitiveness by incentivizing U.S. employers to seek higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign workers,” Tragesser said. He added that USCIS will continue updating the program to support U.S. businesses while preventing practices that harm American workers.
Immigration attorney Rosanna Berardi said the change will significantly reduce the number of eligible applicants. Speaking to ABC News, she warned that the new rule will make it harder for international students to remain in the United States after graduation, potentially accelerating brain drain. She also noted that the new system effectively eliminates the lottery and favors higher-income applicants.
According to USCIS, there are 85,000 H-1B visas available, as the administration continues to prioritize tighter visa restrictions across multiple immigration categories.
