The United States government has announced an expansion of its travel restrictions, adding five more countries and limiting entry for individuals using travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
According to the White House, the updated restrictions are aimed at strengthening national security and will take effect on January 1.
Under the new policy, full entry bans will apply to nationals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, as well as individuals travelling with Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed documents.
In addition, Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under limited restrictions, have now been placed on the full ban list. The administration also introduced partial travel restrictions on 15 other countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.
President Donald Trump, who has reinforced immigration controls since returning to office in January, stated that the expansion was necessary due to weaknesses in screening and vetting processes in several countries. U.S. officials cited concerns such as high visa overstay rates, unreliable civil documentation systems, corruption, terrorist activity, and poor cooperation in accepting deported nationals.
The announcement followed a recent security incident involving an Afghan national accused of shooting two National Guard members during the Thanksgiving weekend. The administration referenced the incident as part of its justification for tighter border controls.
This marks the third travel ban issued under Trump’s leadership. A similar policy was introduced during his first term in 2017, which led to widespread protests and legal challenges but was later upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The White House noted that the restrictions will remain in place until affected countries demonstrate meaningful progress in areas such as identity verification, data sharing, and cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities.
Exemptions and Waivers
The policy includes several exemptions. Lawful permanent residents, many existing visa holders, diplomats, and athletes participating in major international sporting events will not be affected.
Authorities also confirmed that case-by-case waivers may be granted where travel is considered to serve U.S. national interests.
Countries Under Full Travel Restrictions
- Afghanistan
- Burkina Faso
- BurmaChad
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Laos
- Libya
- Mali
- Niger
- Republic of the Congo
- Sierra Leone.
- Somalia South Sudan
- Sudan
- Syria
- Yemen
Individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed documents are also fully restricted.
Countries Under Partial Travel Restrictions
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burundi
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- NigeriaSenegal
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tonga
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Special Status
Turkmenistan: Restrictions remain in place for immigrant visas but have been lifted for non-immigrant travel.
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