A United States federal appeals court has denied the Justice Department's request for an immediate reinstatement of President Donald Trump's ban on accepting certain travelers and all refugees.

The Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco on Sunday asked the ban's challengers to respond to the appeal filed by the administration, and for the Justice Department to file a counter-response by Monday afternoon.

The Trump administration declared that a federal judge in Seattle overstepped his authority by temporarily blocking the ban nationwide. Now the higher court's denial of an immediate stay means the legal battles will continue for days at least.