The United States has expanded its travel ban to include citizens from seven additional countries, effective January 1. President Trump signed a proclamation on December 16, 2025, limiting entry into the United States for citizens of 39 nations as well as those using travel documents provided by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
This proclamation, which will go into force on January 1, 2026, builds upon the June 4, 2025, one that prohibited some foreign nationals from 19 nations from entering the country.
Nationals of 19 countries will come under full suspension, while another 20 countries will face partial suspension.
Trump’s proclamation aims to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals into the United States to prevent national security and public safety threats. The countries have been identified for which screening and vetting information was so deficient as to warrant a full or partial suspension.
The Administration referenced two immigration-related legal authorities: Section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which grants the President the power to suspend the entry of any aliens deemed detrimental to U.S. interests, and INA §215(a), which allows the President to set limitations and exceptions regarding entry or departure from the United States.
Exceptions
This proclamation shall not apply to an individual who has been granted asylum by the United States or to a refugee who has already been admitted to the United States. The proclamation makes it clear that the ability of an individual to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the Convention Against Torture will remain as it is.
Section 6(b) of the proclamation outlines exceptions to the restrictions, specifically identifying lawful permanent residents and dual nationals traveling on passports from non-designated countries as exempt.
In contrast to the June proclamation, the December proclamation excludes categorical exceptions for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, adoptions, and Afghan SIVs.
Partial Suspension
The December proclamation extends and expands the June partial suspension of entry for nationals from seven to twenty countries. Those partially suspended include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Full Suspension
By January 1, 2026, nationals from specific countries outside the U.S. without a valid visa will face entry suspension. The proclamation continues the suspension for nationals from 12 countries and adds 7 more, including individuals with PA-issued travel documents. Entry is fully suspended for countries including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.
The December proclamation lifts restrictions on nonimmigrants from Turkmenistan, while the entry of immigrants from Turkmenistan is still suspended. Laos and Sierra Leone transitioned from “partially suspended” to “fully suspended” in December.
Expiration Date
The proclamation lacks an expiration date and instructs the Secretary of State, along with other officials, to report to the President every 180 days regarding the potential continuation, termination, modification, or supplementation of the suspensions.