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From January 1, US President Donald Trump’s administration imposed a full and partial ban on foreign nationals from 39 countries. “The United States is fully or partially suspending entry and visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries,” it said in a statement on December 19.
On December 16, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation restricting entry into the US to citizens of 39 countries and persons traveling on travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
The proclamation, which took effect January 1, 2026, extends through June 4, 2025, the suspension of entry for certain foreign nationals from 19 countries.
The list includes countries whose citizens are subject to “complete suspension” and “partial suspension”.
Initially, in June, foreign nationals from 12 countries were completely banned, while citizens from seven countries were partially banned from entering the US.
In December, the list expanded to include a blanket ban and entry limitations on five additional countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria.
The new list includes Laos and Sierra Leone – which were previously subject to partial restrictions – as countries with full restrictions and entry limits.
It also added partial bans and entry limits on 15 additional countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
However, the new list removed Turkmenistan from the June “partial sanctions.” However, it added, “This new proclamation lifts the ban on its non-immigrant visas, while maintaining the suspension of entry as immigrants for citizens of Turkmenistan.”
The new list of 39 countries facing full and partial sanctions from the US is as follows:
| country completely banned | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| afghanistan | equatorial guinea | Libya | burkina | South Sudan |
| Burma | eritrea | somalia | faso | Syria |
| piece of paper | haiti | Sudan | gardener | laos |
| republic of congo | iran | yemen | niger | Sierra Leone |
| partially restricted countries | ||||
| burundi | Cuba | benin | gabon | mauritania |
| To go | Venezuela | Ivory Coast | Gambia | Nigeria |
| Angola | Antigua and Barbuda | Dominica | malawi | senegal |
| tanzania | Tonga | zambia | zimbabwe | |
What will happen to the green card holders of these countries?
Green-card holders were among the exceptions in this case. The administration’s fact sheet reads, “The proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents [Green Card holders]Existing visa holders, certain visa categories such as athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.”
However, the Trump administration said in November before revising the June list that it would re-examine green cards issued to individuals immigrating to the US from 19 countries.
The head of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said on Twitter that, “at the direction” of the President, he had ordered a “full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern”.
US lawyer warns of ‘additional obstacles’
In a video posted on December 31, 2025, a US lawyer said there is a major immigration update, especially for those who are from one of the banned countries.
The caption of the video said that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now conducting broader discretionary investigations into cases filed by citizens of certain sanctioned countries.
It affects position adjustment, position change and position expansion.
“Immigration has changed the way that they are going to make decisions on adjustment of status, change of status, extension of status for anyone from a restricted country,” said Brad Bernstein, who claims 30+ years of experience and is part of the team of attorneys at the law offices of Spar & Bernstein.
He said, “Regardless of whether you qualify for adjustment of status, let’s say you’re from Haiti and marry a U.S. citizen and adjust your status, or from Nigeria and want to extend your student status… now immigration is going to add that to the decision of your application.”
‘Positive and Negative Discretionary Factors’
Bernstein said there would be “additional hurdles” – looking at positive and negative factors to determine whether a person is entitled to immigration benefits just because they “were born in one of those countries”.
The attorney said these factors can include things like employment history, immigration history, status violations, community involvement and arrest records (even if they have been dismissed).
This means, according to the video, that even if a person qualifies under the law, USCIS can still deny a case based on positive and negative discretionary factors, including immigration history, employment, family ties, community involvement and country-specific security concerns.
If you are outside the United States, individuals from these 19 restricted countries are still banned from entering the US.
But, if a person is inside the US, you can file – but expect more scrutiny, more RFEs, and longer delays. For citizens of travel-restricted countries, immigration cases are no longer routine. Strategy and preparation matter more than ever.
What to do to overcome that restriction?
If you’re in the U.S. and want to adjust or extend your status or change your status, “be proactive,” said Bernstein, the immigration attorney.
“Enter all of these positive equities in advance with your application. Things like family ties, employment history that show you’ve tried to follow the rules, letters of recommendation and good moral conduct. Letters from employers, families, friends, neighbors. Prove you’ve paid your taxes,” he said.
Bernstein said strategy matters and advised: “Don’t just fill out a few forms.”
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