On December 16, 2025, the White House issued a new Presidential Proclamation expanding U.S. travel restrictions. This policy builds upon the previous June 2025 Proclamation. The travel restrictions impact nationals of the countries below who are outside the U.S. and do not have a valid U.S. visa on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on January 1, 2026.
Who is impacted and how?
Fully restricted countries: Individuals from these countries are barred from being issued a U.S. visa and entering the country in any immigrant or nonimmigrant status.
- Full restrictions and entry limitations from Presidential Proclamation 10949 remain on nationals from:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Full restrictions and entry limitations were added for nationals of:
- Burkina Faso
- Laos
- Mali
- Niger
- Sierra Leone
- South Sudan
- Syria
- and for individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents
Partially restricted countries: Nationals from the countries listed below are barred from being issued immigrant visas and nonimmigrant B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, or J visas and are prohibited from entering the U.S. in those statuses.
- Partial restrictions and entry limitations from Presidential Proclamation 10949 remain on nationals of:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Togo
- Venezuela
- Partial restrictions and entry limitations were added for 15 additional countries:
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Cote d’Ivoire
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Tonga
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- The new Proclamation lifts the ban on nonimmigrant visas for nationals of Turkmenistan. However, entry of immigrants is suspended for nationals of Turkmenistan.
Who is NOT impacted?
- Nationals from the countries listed above who have a U.S. visa that is valid on or after January 1, 2026.
- Nationals from the affected countries who are physically present in the U.S. before January 1, 2026.
- Any lawful permanent resident of the U.S.
- Certain visa categories, like athletes and diplomats.
- Individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.
International Student Services (ISS) and International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS) have reviewed the details of the proclamation and the accompanying White House fact sheet and communicated directly with F-1 and J-1 students, and employees sponsored by Universities of Wisconsin. We advise individuals from affected countries to seriously consider the potential impacts of the December 16, 2025, White House proclamation on their status before undertaking travel outside the United States after January 1, 2026. Travel remains a personal decision.
Check the ISS website often for updates on how this proclamation is implemented as well as the status of other executive orders.
View the announcement from June. Additional details will be updated on the Resources on Immigration Issues page.