Afghans Still Barred From Entering US Despite Visa Suspension Ending

The United States has ended its suspension on immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, but that does not mean Afghans can enter the country again. AfghanEvac, an organisation supporting Afghan applicants, said the separate entry ban on Afghan nationals remains in effect.

AfghanEvac urged Afghan families not to make travel plans or visit an embassy or consulate for an interview until they receive official instructions about their cases.

Key facts

• The Trump administration suspended immigrant visa issuance for citizens of 75 countries, including Afghanistan, in January 2026; the suspension took effect on 21 January
• That suspension has now been lifted
• The entry ban on Afghan nationals remains in effect
• Cases refused solely because of the visa suspension will return to consular officers for reconsideration
• AfghanEvac says the outcome of reconsidered cases is not guaranteed

What changed, and what did not?

The change concerns immigrant visa issuance: the suspension applied to citizens of 75 countries, Afghanistan among them, and has now been lifted. AfghanEvac stressed that this is not the same as reopening the route into the United States for Afghans, because the entry ban covering Afghan nationals is still in place.

Who is affected?

Afghan citizens who applied for US immigrant visas and were refused while the suspension was in force. AfghanEvac said those specific cases will go back to consular officers to be looked at again, but it underlined that no positive result is assured.

What should Afghan applicants do now?

AfghanEvac told applicants to wait for official instructions before taking any step. In its statement, the organisation said: "Nothing about your case changed automatically." It advised people not to make travel plans, not to go to an embassy or consulate for an interview that has not been scheduled, and not to treat news coverage as an instruction to act. It also warned against withdrawing or re-filing a case, or paying anyone who claims the route is now open.

The organisation has called on the US State Department to reconsider these cases and reinstate entry exemptions for Afghan allies. No timeline has been announced for the reconsiderations, and no date has been given for any change to the entry ban.

What this means for travellers

Afghan applicants should hold off on travel arrangements and any unscheduled visit to a US embassy or consulate until official instructions arrive. Anyone whose case was refused only because of the suspension can expect it to be reviewed again, but should not treat that as an approval.

Migrant rights activist Abdul Raziq Adil said the main obstacle cannot be resolved through the courts alone, calling for binding court rulings, executive action on security procedures and congressional legislation. Analyst Samir Angar urged the US to separate humanitarian obligations, legal commitments and security considerations and to make the process transparent and simpler.