 🚨 Important Update: Travel Ban Expanded (December 16, 2025): Since this article was published, the U.S. government has significantly expanded the 2025 travel ban through a new presidential proclamation issued on December 16, 2025. The updated policy broadens the list of affected countries and changes how visa issuance and entry restrictions are applied starting January 1, 2026. Read our most up-to-date article here. If you are an Iranian seeking guidance on the travel ban, read our most up-to-date article for Iranians here.
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 **2025 UPDATE: With the new Trump administration, we are hearing even more cases of this law being used as a basis for extra scrutiny in cases. Therefore, if you have any military service from Iran (whether IRGC or not), it is best to consulate with an attorney to be prepared for the questions and potential delays in the process.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), also known as Sepah, was designated as a terrorist organization by President Trump in April 2019. This designation carries serious immigration repercussions for Iranian males who did their mandatory military service with IRGC or Sepah. There are some distinctions and options depending on whether you are applying for a U.S. immigrant visa or nonimmigrant visa and whether you are applying from outside the United States at an embassy abroad or whether you are applying for an immigrant benefit from within the United States, such as adjustment of status or citizenship (N-400/Naturalization). This article discusses obstacles and strategies arising from a case involving an IRGC mandatory service. Fiancé Visa vs. Marriage Visa – Which One Is Better? This Is Everything You Need to Know in 20252/3/2025  Are you a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident (green card holder) who has a girlfriend, boyfriend, fiancé, husband or wife that is abroad? If you recently got engaged, planning on getting engaged, or getting married, congratulations! You have a lot of exciting things to plan. “What is the quickest way to get my fiancé to the United States?” is probably a top question on your list. As well as questions such as “Should we get married? Is the visa for marriage better compared to fiancé visa?”
Immigration Restrictions on International Students During COVID-19: Everything You Need to Know7/7/2020  On July 6, 2020, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) announced that it will no longer provide exemptions to international students to take online classes during the fall 2020 semester due to the Coronavirus (COVID) pandemic. Here is all you need to know about the new rule and how it might affect you.
 Today, December 4, 2017, the Supreme Court has allowed the third version of President Trump's travel ban to come back. Citizens of the eight countries listed (Iran, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Chad, North Korea, and Venezuela) are NOT allowed to travel to the United States, unless they qualify for an exception. Previously, in June 2017, the Supreme Court allowed the travel ban to come back, but in a limited way. The Court stated that an immigrant from one of the banned countries was required to have a personal or professional relationship in the United States, which was defined as a relationship with a qualifying family member in the United States or a professional relationship with a U.S. company or university. But now, such a qualifying relationship does NOT matter, as the Supreme Court has now ruled that the travel ban can be implemented to the FULLEST extent.
 On September 24, 2017, President Trump issued a new travel ban…again. The newest travel ban is a “presidential proclamation” instead of an “executive order.” In practical terms, the title does not make a difference – it is still a travel ban that stops immigration from several Muslim-majority countries, with a few additional countries added. It is important to note that there is one particularly concerning detail in the new ban.
 President Trump issued a Muslim Travel Ban earlier in the year prohibiting travel of foreign nationals from six Muslim-majority countries: Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. However, the Muslim Travel Ban was blocked by courts in various states. On Monday, June 26, 2017, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the case on the Muslim Travel Ban to resolve the issue once and for all. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in October 2017. Until a final decision is made, the Supreme Court has allowed a limited version of the Muslim Travel Ban to go back into effect.
 The implementation of the Executive Order has varied greatly from airport to airport, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have or have not been complying with federal court emergency stays and temporary restraining order. Furthermore, the State Department and Department of Homeland Security have provided varying official statements and quotes to the media regarding the effect of the Executive Order.
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Immigration lawyer Najmeh Mahmoudjafari, Esq. (ImmigraTrust Law) represents immigration law clients nationwide (all 50 States), globally and also in and around Orange County, including: Costa Mesa | Corona del Mar | Cypress | Fountain Valley | Garden Grove | Huntington Beach | Irvine | Los Alamitos | Los Angeles | Mission Viejo | Newport Beach | Orange | San Diego | San Francisco | Santa Ana | Stanton | Tustin | Westminster
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