What you need to know about Trump’s travel ban on Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela
The Trump administration announced in a proclamation on Wednesday that it will ban nationals from Haiti from entering the United States and partially limit Cubans and Venezuelans from coming into the country.
Here is a breakdown of how the travel ban will work.
What does the proclamation do?
The proclamation restricts the entry of nationals from a dozen countries starting on June 9.
Nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela are under a partial ban. That means that immigrants and non-immigrants on tourist, business and student visas are banned under the proclamation.
Nationals from Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen are subject to a full visa suspension for both immigrants and non-immigrants.
The proclamation applies to nationals from the designated countries who are outside the United States and don’t have a valid visa on the effective date of the proclamation. However, there are some exceptions for entry under both categories that the proclamation mentions.
Does the travel ban affect people with current visas?
A Department of State spokesperson said that while the agency will not revoke current visas, it’s up to the Department of Homeland Security to decide whether it will allow the entry of nationals with current visas.
Why are Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela included?
The proclamation noted the high rates of overstays in the United States by visa holders from Haiti, and said the country’s lack of a centralized government means it cannot vet if Haitian nationals looking to come to the U.S. are national security threats.
On Cuba, the Trump administration said the island is considered a state sponsor of terrorism and that its government does not cooperate on law enforcement matters or take back its own nationals as deportees. It also declared that Venezuela lacks a competent central authority for issuing passports or civil documents, and does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures.
The federal government will evaluate in three months, and every six months after that, whether or not to keep or end the bans for each country.
Which nationals from Cuba and Venezuela are banned from entering?
Cuban and Venezuelan nationals with tourism, business and student visas are subject to the travel ban. That means new visas under the categories B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J will not be issued. All immigrant visas, save for listed exceptions on the proclamation, are also banned from being used to enter.
Which nationals from Haiti are banned from entering?
Haitian nationals, under all immigrant and non-immigrant visas are banned, from entering unless they fall under limited exceptions.
What visas are exempted under the travel ban?
The proclamation notes there are exceptions for visa suspensions. That includes:
Green card holders.
Dual nationals who have a passport not designated under the travel ban.
Adoption visas under categories IR-3, IR-4, IH-3 and IH-4.
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens with IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5 visas. Entry intro the U.S. will require clear and convincing proof of identity and family relationships like DNA.
Diplomats, foreign government officials and members of international organizations with visa categories A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO‑2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6.
Afghan Special Immigrant Visas.
Special Immigrant Visas for United States Government Employees.
Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.
The proclamation also notes the federal government can make case-by-case exceptions for people who serve American national interests.
Why did Trump enact the ban?
In the proclamation, the Trump administration framed the measure as a way to protect the United States from terrorism and crime, arguing that the designated countries lack adequate screening and vetting procedures. It also claimed that these nations are unable to effectively manage or verify the travel documents of their citizens.
Is this the first travel ban issued under Trump?
No. In his first term, Trump issued several travel bans for different countries. The first was issued in January 2017 when he imposed a 90-day ban on nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and barred entry for all refugees without a visa or valid travel documents for 120 days.
In March 2017 a second travel ban was enacted that targeted nationals from six Muslim-majority countries.
The third was issued in September 2017, expanding the restrictions and banning nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Chad, Venezuela and North Korea from entering the U.S. In the case of Venezuela, certain government officials and their immediate family members were banned, but not to its nationals in general on tourist or business visas.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 9:51 PM with the headline "What you need to know about Trump’s travel ban on Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela."
