Trump Expands Travel Ban and Overhauls H-1B Visa System

President Donald Trump expanded a U.S. travel ban to 39 countries effective January 1, 2026, increasing the list from 19. Full entry restrictions were imposed on nationals from Burkina Faso, Laos, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Syria, and Palestinian Authority passport holders. The administration cited national security threats and severe deficiencies in screening and information-sharing, following a fatal shooting in Washington, DC, by an Afghan national. In response, the military governments of Mali and Burkina Faso imposed reciprocal travel bans on U.S. citizens, while Niger and Chad also suspended visas for Americans.

Parallel to these restrictions, the administration overhauled the H-1B visa program, replacing the random lottery with a weighted selection system prioritizing higher-paid and higher-skilled workers to prevent employer abuse. Other significant policy shifts include the introduction of the Trump Gold Card, a $1 million investment path to residency, a $100,000 H-1B application fee, and mandatory facial biometrics for non-citizens at all ports of entry.

Further tightening measures included a revamped naturalization civics test that doubled the number of required questions to 20. These combined policies have contributed to rising anxiety among immigrants; a Kaiser Family Foundation and New York Times survey found that 41% of immigrants fear detention or deportation, leading nearly 30% to cancel international travel to avoid scrutiny.