The White House has announced that President Donald J. Trump has signed a new Presidential Proclamation significantly expanding and strengthening restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals from countries identified as presenting elevated national security, public safety, and immigration-integrity risks.
According to the White House Fact Sheet released on December 16, 2025, the Proclamation is based on updated data regarding screening deficiencies, information-sharing failures, terrorist activity, document fraud, high visa-overstay rates, and refusal by certain governments to accept the return of removable nationals. The stated objective is to ensure that individuals seeking entry into the United States can be adequately vetted and do not pose risks to U.S. security or public safety.
Countries Subject to Full Entry Suspension
The Proclamation continues full entry suspensions previously imposed under Proclamation 10949 on nationals of the following countries:
Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
In addition, the Proclamation imposes full entry restrictions on nationals of five newly designated countries based on recent assessments:
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
The Proclamation also imposes full entry restrictions on individuals traveling on Palestinian-Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents, citing active terrorist operations, compromised vetting systems, and limited governing control in the West Bank and Gaza.
Further, two countries previously subject to partial restrictions—Laos and Sierra Leone—are now subject to full entry suspensions.
Countries Subject to Partial Entry Restrictions
Partial restrictions are continued for nationals of the following countries originally designated as high risk:
Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela.
The Proclamation also adds partial restrictions on nationals of the following 15 countries, primarily affecting immigrant visas and certain nonimmigrant categories including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
These determinations are largely based on elevated visa-overstay rates, weak civil-document systems, terrorism concerns, citizenship-by-investment programs lacking residency requirements, and difficulties in repatriating removable nationals.
Change in Treatment for Turkmenistan
The Proclamation lifts the suspension on nonimmigrant visas for nationals of Turkmenistan, citing improved cooperation with the United States and progress in identity-management and information-sharing systems. However, the suspension of immigrant visa entry for Turkmen nationals remains in place.
Legal Authority and Policy Rationale
The White House emphasized that the Proclamation follows consultations with Cabinet officials and builds on assessments conducted under Executive Order 14161 and Proclamation 10949. Restrictions are described as country-specific and designed to encourage foreign governments to improve cooperation with U.S. screening, vetting, and repatriation efforts.
The Administration also referenced Supreme Court precedent upholding similar travel restrictions during President Trump’s first term, noting that the Court recognized such measures as falling squarely within presidential authority when premised on legitimate national security objectives.
Exceptions and Waivers
The Proclamation includes several exceptions, including for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain diplomatic and athletic visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests. While broad family-based immigrant visa carve-outs have been narrowed due to fraud concerns, case-by-case waivers remain available.
Practical Impact
The expanded restrictions are expected to affect immigrant and nonimmigrant visa processing at U.S. consulates worldwide, particularly for nationals of the newly designated countries and those subject to upgraded restrictions. Additional guidance from the Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is anticipated regarding implementation and waiver standards.
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