On June 4, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order, “Restricting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” which fully restricted and limited the entry of nationals of select countries and partially restricted and limited the entry of nationals of additional countries deemed to have inadequate screening and vetting procedures. On December 16, 2025, President Trump issued an expanded travel ban, “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” which adds countries to the Full Travel Ban and Partial Travel Ban lists, and modifies the exceptions previously announced on June 4, 2025.
Full Travel Ban: The expanded travel ban continues to suspend all immigrant visa and non-immigrant visa entry for nationals of the following countries: (1) Afghanistan, (2) Burma (Myanmar), (3) Chad, (4) Republic of the Congo, (5) Equatorial Guinea, (6) Eritrea, (7) Haiti, (8) Iran, (9) Libya, (10) Somalia, (11) Sudan, and (12) Yemen. In addition, the expanded travel ban adds: (13) Burkina Faso, (14) Laos, (15) Mali, (16) Niger, (17) Sierra Leone, (18) South Sudan, (19) Syria, and (20) individuals using travel documents issued or endorsed by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Partial Travel Ban: The expanded travel ban continues to suspend all immigrant visa and some non-immigrant visa entry (B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas), as well as allow consulate officers to limit the validity of other nonimmigrant visas to the extent permitted by law, for nationals of the following countries: (1) Burundi, (2) Cuba, (3) Togo, and (4) Venezuela. The expanded travel ban adds: (5) Angola, (6) Antigua and Barbuda, (7) Benin, (8) Cote d’Ivoire, (9) Dominica, (10) Gabon, (11) The Gambia, (12) Malawi, (13) Mauritania, (14) Nigeria, (15) Senegal, (16) Tanzania, (17) Tonga, (18) Zambia, and (19) Zimbabwe.
The expanded travel ban removes Turkmenistan from the Partial Travel Ban for purposes of non-immigrant visas, but continues the ban on nationals of Turkmenistan entering the US using an immigrant visa.
The expanded travel ban will go into effect 12:01 am EST on January 1, 2026 (“effective date”), and applies to foreign nationals of the designated countries who are:
- Outside the US on the effective date, and
- Do not have a valid visa on the effective date.
The expanded travel ban does not apply to:
- Lawful Permanent Residents (i.e., green card holders);
- Dual nationals of a listed country when the individual is traveling on a passport issued by a country not subject to the travel ban;
- Any foreign national traveling on the following visas: A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6;
- Athletes, coaches, those in supporting roles, and immediate relatives traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State;
- Special Immigrant Visas for US Government employees;
- Immigrant Visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran; and
- Individuals granted asylum and refugees previously admitted to the US.
Importantly, the expanded travel ban removes previous exceptions for immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5); adoptions (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4); and Afghan Special Immigrant Visas.
The expanded travel ban continues to provide exceptions where the proposed travel is deemed to be in the US national interest. Nationals of implicated countries seeking to enter the US should consult with immigration counsel to discuss the implications of these new restrictions.