On June 4, 2025, an executive order was signed banning individuals from certain countries, in some cases fully, in some cases partially. The countries subject to the full ban were Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Seven other countries were subject to a partial ban, meaning they cannot obtain immigrant visas or tourist, student, and exchange visitor visas. These countries are Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Those with current visas, including lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are exempt, along with immediate relatives (spouses, parents, and minor children of US Citizens), refugees, Afghans with SIVs, and athletes who might be coming for events such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
How this affects employers:
Employers who seek to attract foreign talent, or who simply cannot find US workers available to do the job, will have to convince the Secretary of State that bringing the foreign national here would be in the “national interest” of the United States. What type of work would constitute such a national interest is not defined in the order.
Additionally, foreign nationals already in the US who are from the banned countries risk being denied re-entry if they leave the US-even with a valid visa. This is because although the ban exempted those who already have visas, the order also called for a review after 90 days, and further restrictions could be put in place while the employee is outside the US.
Even for those not subject to the ban, or who qualify for the limited exceptions, visa processing times have greatly increased, with administrative processing and enhanced vetting practices adding delays.
Industries already facing labor shortages, such as healthcare, technology, academia, manufacturing, agriculture, and hospitality, will feel further pressure. Specifically, in healthcare, many Iranian doctors are on J-1 programs, and Afghan and Haitian care assistants are also impacted. Many PhD students, post-docs, and STEM hires from banned countries may face denial, travel limitation, or status bottlenecks. And prior to entering the workforce, international students provide a significant amount of revenue to US universities.
What should employers do?
Take a look at your employees. If you have employees from banned or restricted countries, discuss with them the risks of international travel, and the importance of maintaining status while in the US. Providing them with support during this difficult time will go a long way towards retaining your talent. Even employees who are not from the affected countries may face risks if they travel internationally right now.
We advise you to have them consult with us before planning any foreign travel.
If you need guidance on supporting affected employees, contact our office today.
–
Shannon Shepherd
Attorney at Law
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS, LLP
300 W. Adams Street
Suite 500
Chicago, IL 60606
PH: 312.661.9100 x8945
www.immattyllp.com