By Peter.
President Donald Trump has expanded U.S. entry restrictions on foreign nationals from numerous countries, citing ongoing deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing that pose risks to national security and public safety.
The new proclamation, announced on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, builds on an earlier June measure and now affects a total of around 39 countries with full or partial limitations. It imposes complete suspensions on entry for nationals of several additional nations and escalates restrictions on others, primarily targeting immigrant and nonimmigrant visas such as tourist (B-1/B-2), student (F/M), and exchange (J) categories.
Full Suspensions (Complete Entry Bans): These apply to the original 12 high-risk countries plus new additions and upgrades:
- Newly added: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria
- Upgraded from partial: Laos, Sierra Leone
- Also fully restricted: Individuals traveling on Palestinian Authority-issued documents (Continuing from prior: Afghanistan, Myanmar/Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen)
Justifications include high visa overstay rates, refusal to repatriate nationals, terrorist activity, armed conflict, and inadequate identity-management systems.
Partial Suspensions (Limited Visas with Stricter Screening): Newly added: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe (Continuing partial: Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela)
Notably, restrictions on nonimmigrant visas for Turkmenistan have been lifted due to improved cooperation, though immigrant entry remains suspended.
The measures aim to pressure countries to enhance vetting cooperation and prevent entry of individuals who cannot be adequately assessed for risks. Exceptions may apply for lawful permanent residents, diplomats, and cases deemed in the U.S. national interest.
This escalation follows heightened immigration enforcement in Trump’s second term, including responses to a November shooting incident involving an Afghan national that injured National Guard members in Washington, D.C.
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