WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump expanded a travel ban to cover 39 countries Tuesday, adding Syria to a list facing a full suspension of entry and tightening visa access for Nigerians seeking to come to the United States. The White House said the move targets nations with “persistent” shortcomings in screening, vetting and information sharing that it argues create national security and public safety risks, Dec. 16, 2025.
The new limits, laid out in a White House proclamation, take effect at 12:01 a.m. EST Jan. 1, 2026, and apply to foreign nationals who are outside the U.S. that day and do not have a valid visa. The proclamation says visas issued before the effective date will not be revoked and allows categorical exceptions and case-by-case waivers tied to U.S. national interests.
Trump travel ban: the countries now facing full and partial entry restrictions
The update adds 20 more countries to a restrictions regime first announced in June, bringing the total to 39 countries, plus a separate bar for travelers using Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. Details of the broader expansion and the new mix of full and partial limits were also outlined in The Associated Press’ report on the latest restrictions.
Countries under full suspension of entry
Nationals of the following countries face a full suspension of entry as immigrants and nonimmigrants under the updated policy:
Afghanistan
Burkina Faso
Chad
Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Laos
Libya
Mali
Myanmar
Niger
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Sudan
Sudan
Syria
Yemen
Countries under partial suspension and visa limits
Nationals of the following countries face a partial suspension and related visa limits, which generally restrict immigrant visas and certain common visitor and student visa categories:
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Benin
Burundi
Cote d’Ivoire
Cuba
Dominica
Gabon
The Gambia
Malawi
Mauritania
Nigeria
Senegal
Tanzania
Togo
Tonga
Turkmenistan (immigrant entry remains suspended; some nonimmigrant limits are lifted)
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe
For most countries in the partial category, the proclamation suspends entry for immigrants and for nonimmigrants using B-1 and B-2 visitor visas (business and tourism) and F, M and J visas (student, vocational and exchange visitor categories). It also directs consular officers to shorten the validity of other visas to the extent allowed by law. For Turkmenistan, the proclamation lifts the suspension for B, F, M and J nonimmigrant visas but keeps the immigrant entry suspension in place.
Nigeria: visa access narrowed for immigrants, visitors and students
Nigeria is among the countries newly placed under partial restrictions, a move that limits immigrant entry and restricts several widely used nonimmigrant visa categories. The White House’s proclamation cites security and vetting concerns, including the presence of terrorist groups, as well as overstay data, while Reuters reported that Nigeria has pushed back on the administration’s framing of religious persecution concerns.
Syria: added to the full ban list amid security and document concerns
Syria is newly subject to a full suspension of entry. The White House justification points to the country’s lack of an adequate central authority for issuing passports and civil documents and says Syria does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures. The Reuters report noted the addition comes after a period of U.S. engagement with Syria’s new leadership and follows a deadly attack in Syria that Trump referenced publicly.
How the restrictions work
The proclamation says the suspensions apply only to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid visa at that time. It lists exceptions for lawful permanent residents, some dual nationals traveling on passports from non-designated countries, certain diplomatic and international organization visa classifications, and athletes and support staff traveling for events such as the World Cup and Olympics. It also allows additional exceptions and waivers on a case-by-case basis, including determinations tied to U.S. national interests.
Reaction and what happens next
The announcement drew renewed criticism from refugee and immigration advocates who argue the policy casts too wide a net. In a statement from Global Refuge, President and CEO Krish O’Mara Vignarajah said the administration was “using the language of security to justify blanket exclusions” that can “punish entire populations,” while urging policymakers to reverse the expansion.
The proclamation calls for formal reviews within 180 days and every 180 days thereafter, a schedule that could lead to additions, removals or modifications depending on diplomatic engagement and security assessments. Immigration and civil rights groups that challenged earlier versions of Trump-era travel restrictions are expected to scrutinize the new policy’s implementation, while affected travelers may face shifting guidance from consulates as the effective date approaches.
Earlier travel bans provide context for the 2025 expansion
Trump’s travel restrictions have shifted repeatedly over nearly a decade, through executive actions, court fights and reversals by subsequent administrations. Several earlier milestones help explain why the latest expansion is drawing immediate attention:
2017: A detailed breakdown of the initial rollout and early legal and operational issues is captured in this Migration Policy Institute review.
2018: The Supreme Court upheld the first-term travel ban in a decision summarized in a SCOTUSblog analysis.
2020: Nigeria previously appeared in first-term travel restrictions involving immigration limits, covered in a 2020 Reuters report.
2021: President Joe Biden moved early to reverse several Trump-era immigration actions, including ending the travel ban, as described in an AP report from Biden’s first day.
