The Trump administration significantly expanded its travel restrictions, impacting numerous countries across the globe, with a particular focus on African nations. These new measures, announced by the White House on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, and set to take effect on January 1, are justified by concerns over national security, difficulties in vetting foreign nationals, high visa overstay rates, and a lack of cooperation from foreign governments regarding identity management and repatriation of removable nationals.

Nigeria was notably among the countries placed under new partial restrictions. Nationals seeking to enter the United States as immigrants or on nonimmigrant B-1 (business), B-2 (tourism), B-1/B-2 (combined business and tourism), F (academic studies), M (vocational or nonacademic studies), and J (exchange programs) visas are now suspended from entry. The US cited the operations of radical Islamic terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State within Nigeria, which create substantial screening and vetting difficulties. Furthermore, Nigeria had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 11.90 percent. This decision followed the US designating Nigeria a 'Country of Particular Concern' weeks earlier, based on accusations of supporting Islamic extremists persecuting Christians, which the Nigerian government denied. Consular officers in Nigeria were also instructed to reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to Nigerian nationals to the extent permitted by law.

In addition to Nigeria, 14 other countries were initially added to the partial restriction list, bringing the total of newly affected countries to 15. This group includes Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Other existing partial restrictions remained on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, and Venezuela. The justifications for these partial suspensions often revolve around high visa overstay rates. For instance, Angola had B-1/B-2 and F, M, J overstay rates of 14.43% and 21.92% respectively; The Gambia, 12.70% and 38.79%; Malawi, 22.45% and 31.99%; Mauritania, 9.49%; Senegal, 4.30% and 13.07%; Tanzania, 8.30% and 13.97%; Zambia, 10.73% and 21.02%; and Zimbabwe, 7.89% and 15.15%. Some of these countries, like The Gambia and Sierra Leone, have also historically refused to accept back their removable nationals, while Mauritania's government was noted for having little presence in certain areas, complicating vetting.

Beyond partial restrictions, the US government imposed total travel bans on several countries. Five additional countries — Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria — were added to the full-entry ban list. Laos and Sierra Leone were upgraded from partial to full restrictions. These join the 12 previously designated high-risk states under full restrictions: Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Reasons cited for these full bans include records of presenting fraudulent or unreliable civil documents, criminal records, widespread corruption, and a general lack of stability and government control that makes proper vetting difficult. Specific overstay rates for fully banned countries include Burkina Faso (9.16% B-1/B-2, 22.95% F,M,J), Niger (13.41% B-1/B-2, 16.46% F,M,J), Sierra Leone (16.48% B-1/B-2, 35.83% F,M,J for FY2024 and 15.43% B-1/B-2, 35.83% F,M,J for 2023), and South Sudan (6.99% B-1/B-2, 26.09% F,M,J). Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and South Sudan were also cited for terrorist activity or armed conflict.

Furthermore, individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued or endorsed travel documents are now barred from entering the US, a decision linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas and the group's presence in Palestinian population centers. The restrictions generally apply only to foreign nationals outside the United States who do not possess a valid visa on the effective date of the proclamation.

The administration emphasized that these restrictions were necessary to prevent the entry of individuals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess potential risks. The policy aims to garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce immigration laws, and advance national security, foreign policy, and counterterrorism objectives. President Trump stated it is his duty to ensure those entering the country will not harm Americans. This marks the third time the Trump administration has imposed such a travel ban, with previous iterations in 2017 triggering protests but ultimately upheld by the US Supreme Court.

However, several exemptions apply to these restrictions. Lawful permanent residents of the US, many existing visa holders, diplomatic visa holders, athletes attending major international sporting events, and certain special immigrant visa categories are not affected. Persecuted ethnic and religious minorities from Iran were also granted an exemption. The proclamation also allows for case-by-case waivers when travel is deemed to be in the national interest.

In a rare reversal, the proclamation lifted nonimmigrant visa restrictions for Turkmenistan, citing the country's