Overview
- President Trump’s Dec. 16 proclamation extends full or partial entry limits to nationals of 39 countries plus holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents, taking effect Jan. 1, 2026.
- Laos and Sierra Leone shift to full suspension, while Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria are newly fully barred from immigrant and nonimmigrant entry.
- Partial suspensions now cover 20 nations, blocking immigrant visas and B, F, M, and J nonimmigrant categories in most cases, with Turkmenistan’s nonimmigrant limits lifted but immigrant entry still curtailed.
- A U.S. official says USCIS has expanded its suspension of immigration case processing to the additional nationalities named this week, and Director Joseph Edlow says a comprehensive threat-based review is underway.
- Exceptions include lawful permanent residents, certain valid visa holders, diplomats, athletes and support staff for major events, and specified SIVs, with narrower family-based carve-outs and recurring 180‑day policy reviews mandated.