US Travel Ban: This move by the Trump administration follows recent security incidents. On November 26, two National Guard soldiers were killed in Washington, DC. The attacker was an Afghan national.
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US Travel Ban: US President Donald Trump has further tightened immigration policy, citing national security and public safety. On Tuesday (December 16, 2025), the Trump administration imposed a complete travel ban on seven more countries and Palestinians. In addition, partial entry restrictions were imposed on citizens of 15 other countries. This move by the Trump administration brings the total number of countries facing travel bans or entry restrictions from the US to 39.
New ban to take effect January 1
According to a White House fact sheet, these expanded travel bans and entry restrictions will take effect January 1. The administration states that this action was taken due to a weak visa screening system, high visa overstay rates, and the threat of terrorist activities.
Complete travel ban on these 7 countries
Under the new announcement, a complete travel ban has been imposed on Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Palestinians holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority have also been added to the restricted list. Laos and Sierra Leone, which previously had partial restrictions, are now also subject to a complete travel ban.
Partial entry restrictions on 15 countries
The Trump administration has imposed partial entry restrictions on citizens of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Existing partial restrictions on citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela will remain in place. Turkmenistan is the only country granted partial relief under the new system. Non-immigrant visa restrictions for its citizens have been lifted.
Travel bans already imposed on 12 countries
The US has already imposed travel restrictions on citizens of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Tightening after security incidents
This move by the Trump administration follows recent security incidents. On November 26th, two National Guard soldiers were killed in Washington, D.C. The attacker was an Afghan national who had been granted asylum after the US withdrawal. Additionally, on December 13th, two US soldiers and an American civilian interpreter were killed in an Islamic State attack in Syria.
According to the White House, active terrorist threats, internal conflicts, and high visa overstay rates in several countries are the primary reasons. Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Nigeria have been identified for terrorist activities. Syria has been described as lacking an “adequate central authority” to issue passports and civil documents due to its years-long civil war.
Exemptions for Certain Categories
The new proclamation exempts permanent residents (green card holders), existing visa holders, diplomats, athletes, and those whose entry into the United States is in the national interest. The system of case-by-case waivers has also been retained, although family-based visa waivers have been limited.
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