Moving to the USA from Côte d'Ivoire: Travel Ban Rules, Visas and Options in 2026

Côte d'Ivoire was added to the partial restriction list by Proclamation 10998, which took effect on January 1, 2026 and has no end date. For Ivorian nationals this means:

• Immigrant visas (family, employment, and diversity green cards processed abroad) are suspended.
• Visitor (B-1, B-2), student (F, M), and exchange (J) visas are suspended.
• Other nonimmigrant visas, such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, and P visas, are not suspended, but consular officers are told to reduce how long they are valid.
• USCIS is holding final decisions on many pending applications from nationals of travel-ban countries for extra review.

The exceptions are narrow: green card holders, dual nationals traveling on a passport of a country that is not on the list (for example a French passport), certain diplomatic visas, and athletes for major events such as the World Cup. There is no general exception for spouses of US citizens.

Côte d'Ivoire is also on the visa bond list for B-1/B-2 visas (since January 21, 2026) and was on the January 2026 list of 75 countries with paused immigrant visas, which a court vacated on August 21, 2026 (the government has appealed). Since August 25, 2026, the State Department has paused immigrant visa interviews at US embassies and consulates worldwide while consular officers are trained on public charge reviews. Scheduled interviews were moved to later dates, and no restart date has been announced as of September 2026. Visitor, student, and temporary work visas are not part of this pause. Details: immigrant visa pause.

US citizens and green card holders can still file I-130 petitions for Ivorian relatives to secure a priority date. Ivorian students already in the US keep their status while they follow the rules but may not get a new visa if they travel, so speak to your international student office first.

Second nationality. A second passport only helps if that country is not on the list. Several neighbors are also restricted: Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are under a full ban, and Benin, Senegal, The Gambia, and Mauritania are under a partial ban. A French or other non-listed passport, by contrast, is assessed on its own.

For an overview of every route, see our guide to US immigration and how US immigration works.

Not under normal rules while the partial ban lasts. Côte d'Ivoire is not in the Visa Waiver Program, and B-1/B-2 visitor visas for Ivorian nationals are suspended unless an exception applies. A visitor visa issued before January 1, 2026 was not revoked, but US Customs and Border Protection still decides each entry.

Family. Family immigration is a common long-term route. Ivorians use rest-of-world dates in the Visa Bulletin, but immigrant visas generally cannot be issued abroad while the partial ban lasts.

Diversity Visa. Côte d'Ivoire was eligible for DV-2026, and the DV lottery has been an important route for Ivorians. However, the ban suspends immigrant visas, including diversity visas, for Ivorian nationals. The Diversity Visa (DV) lottery is paused: visa issuance stopped on December 23, 2025, and DV-2027 registration never opened. See DV lottery paused.

Legal advice. If you are in the US and your status is ending, or you fear returning, talk to a licensed immigration lawyer before acting. See refugee and asylee green cards.

The US Embassy in Abidjan (Riviera Golf) handles all visa categories for Côte d'Ivoire. Under the partial ban, most immigrant and visitor applications cannot be approved unless an exception applies. Check the embassy's website for current services and see our visa interview guide for the categories still being processed.

If you qualify for an exception or are preparing a future case, the State Department's Côte d'Ivoire page lists:

• Police certificate: a Casier Judiciaire. Ivorians get it from the court clerk in their city of birth. Non-Ivorians get it from the central records office (Bureau du Casier Central) at the Ministry of Justice in Plateau, Abidjan. If you live abroad, you can apply through the nearest Ivorian embassy. You can apply in person or by proxy.
• Birth certificate: an Extrait d'Acte de Naissance or Copie Intégrale d'Acte de Naissance from the town hall (mairie), or the sub-prefecture where there is no mairie.
• Marriage and divorce: a marriage certificate from the mairie and a court divorce judgment.

French documents need certified English translations.

The largest Ivorian communities are in New York City, especially Harlem and the Bronx, and in the Washington, DC area (Maryland and Virginia). Others live in the Atlanta area of Georgia, Houston, and Philadelphia. French-speaking West African churches, mosques, and associations are common first contacts for newcomers.