Overview
- A December 16 presidential proclamation adds new full bans for Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria and moves Laos and Sierra Leone from partial to full suspension, with the rules taking effect January 1, 2026 and also covering Palestinian Authority travel documents.
- USCIS has widened its pause on immigration case processing to nationals of the newly listed countries, with Director Joseph Edlow announcing a comprehensive review and a U.S. official telling CBS News the suspensions now match the expanded proclamation.
- For countries under partial suspension, immigrant entries and B, F, M and J visas are barred and consular officers are directed to shorten the validity of other nonimmigrant visas, while Turkmenistan’s nonimmigrant limits were lifted but immigrant entries remain suspended.
- Specified exceptions include lawful permanent residents, valid existing visa holders, diplomats, certain athletes and limited national‑interest waivers, while categorical family‑based exceptions seen in June were narrowed or removed.
- Refugee and higher‑education advocates warn of humanitarian, academic and economic harms, and the proclamation orders interagency reviews every 180 days with no fixed end date.