Over 60% of African countries are facing possible total or partial bans on entering the US. This follows a leaked memo showing the Trump administration is considering adding 36 more countries to the 12 they banned earlier this month. Seven more countries already face partial bans.
The new and proposed lists are disproportionately aimed at Africa:
🔸Seven of the 12 countries that are currently fully banned are from Africa.
🔸Three of the seven countries that are currently partially banned are from Africa.
🔸This new possible list of 36 includes 24 from Africa.
This brings the total number of African countries currently or possibly facing some sort of ban to 34 of the continent’s 54 countries.
The new list bizarrely includes major powerhouses on the continent like Nigeria and Egypt. South Africa has been spared. But what are the bans? They’re basically a restriction on visas.
🔹Full Ban: If your country’s on this list, you’re pretty much barred from getting any US visa—tourist, student, work, or immigrant. No entry, period, unless you’ve got a rare exemption (like being a diplomat, a US citizen’s immediate family, or serving some big US interest, like for the 2026 World Cup). If you’re already in the US with a valid visa, you’re safe for now; the ban doesn’t revoke those. But if you’re outside and applying? Tough luck, applications got tossed from 9 June, when the current ban kicked in.
🔹Partial Ban: For these countries, it’s not a total shutdown but a squeeze. You can’t get permanent residency (green cards), tourist visas, or student visas, but some work visas might still be okay. Visas issued here are shorter, and companies hiring from these places are worried, especially in tech, healthcare, and universities.
Note, the 36 new countries aren’t banned YET. They face potential full or partial bans if they don’t fix “vetting and screening” issues within 60 days. According to the leaked memo, the countries had received a deadline that passed yesterday to shape up or face restrictions. The memo’s cagey about specifics but flags problems like weak passport systems, high visa overstays, or not cooperating on deportations.
This ban’s crafted to dodge court battles that tripped up Trump’s first-term bans, but immigration lawyers are gearing up for lawsuits anyway. Chad’s already retaliating by suspending US visas, and others might follow.
