On Dec. 16, 2025, President Trump signed a Proclamation expanding the June 4, 2025 travel restrictions to the United States. The Proclamation continues to fully ban the entry of nationals from the original 12 countries under the June 4, 2025 Proclamation and add seven additional countries to that list as well as individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents. Partial restrictions and entry limitations on 15 additional countries were also added in the December 2025 Proclamation. Nationals of Laos and Sierra Leone who had been subject to a partial entry ban are now fully banned under the Dec. 16, 2025 Proclamation and entry of nationals from Turkmenistan who plan to travel to the United States on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J nonimmigrant visas are no longer banned. Nationals from designated countries who are planning to travel outside of the United States should carefully evaluate their situation and consult with an experienced immigration attorney to address travel-related concerns.
FULL entry ban (immigrants and nonimmigrants) in effect June 9, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2025:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
FULL entry ban (immigrants and nonimmigrants) in effect beginning on Jan. 1, 2026:
- Afghanistan
- Burkina Faso
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Laos
- Libya
- Mali
- Niger
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Foreign nationals traveling on Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents
PARTIAL entry ban (immigrants and B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J nonimmigrants) in effect June 9, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2025:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
PARTIAL entry ban (immigrants) in effect beginning on Jan. 1, 2026:
- Turkmenistan
PARTIAL entry ban (immigrants and B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J nonimmigrants) in effect beginning on Jan. 1, 2026:
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burundi
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Tonga
- Togo
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Scope and exceptions
The proclamations state that they apply to nationals of the listed countries who are outside the United States on the effective date and do not have a valid visa on those dates.
Between June 9, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2025, the suspension and limitation on entry does not apply to:
- Immigrant and nonimmigrant visa holders with visas issued before the effective dates
- Lawful permanent residents of the U.S.
- Dual nationals of the listed countries when traveling on a passport issued by a country not designated
- Certain specified A, C, G and NATO visa holders
- Athletes or members of athletic teams, including coaches and necessary support staff and immediate relatives, traveling for major sporting events such as the World Cup and Olympics
- Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders
- Special Immigrant Visas for U.S. government employees
- Immediate relatives (spouse, children, parents) of U.S. citizens
- Adoptees (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4)
- Individuals granted asylum, admitted as refugees or granted withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture
- Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran
Beginning on Jan. 1, 2026, the following groups are no longer exempt:
- Afghan Special Immigrant Visa holders
- Immediate relatives (spouse, children, parents) of U.S. citizens
- Adoptees (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4)
Waivers
Exceptions may be made if:
- The Attorney General finds, in coordination with the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security, that the travel by an individual would advance a critical U.S. national interest involving the Department of Justice, including when individuals must be present to participate in criminal proceedings as witnesses, or
- On a case-by-case basis, the Secretary of State finds, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, that the travel by an individual would serve a U.S. national interest, or
- On a case-by-case basis, the Secretary of Homeland Security finds, in coordination with the Secretary of State, that the travel by an individual would serve a U.S. national interest.
Sources:
Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States – The White House (Dec. 16, 2025)
President Trump imposes travel restrictions on nationals of 19 countries | Employer Law Report (June 6, 2025)