What is the Status of the Discriminatory Travel Bans?

On January 20, 2021, President Biden signed a proclamation ending the discriminatory travel bans restricting entry into the United States for people primarily from the Muslim and African countries of Eritrea, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Libya, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Venezuela, and Yemen.

The proclamation is effective January 20, 2021, and means that the all embassies and consulates must resume regular processing of immigrant and nonimmigrant visas for nationals of the countries listed.

What does this mean if my family member or loved one had a visa application denied because of the rescinded travel bans?

• The January 20th proclamation will not result in any immediate change for individuals whose visa applications were denied under these bans.
• However, the President has ordered the Department of State to submit a proposal by March 6, 2021 to ensure that individuals whose visa applications were denied may have their applications reconsidered.
• Once such a proposal is released, there will be more information about what you, your family member or loved one can do.

What does this mean if my family member or loved one currently has a pending case that is impacted by the rescinded travel bans and required a waiver?

• The January 20th proclamation will not result in any immediate change for individuals who currently have a pending application for which a waiver was required.
• However, President Biden has ordered the Department of State to submit a report by March 6, 2021 with the number of individuals whose visa applications are pending and a plan for expediting these applications. Once such a report is released, there will be more information about what you, your family member or loved one can do.