President Donald Trump has signed a new Proclamation on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, significantly expanding the list of countries facing travel restrictions to the United States as part of the administration’s policy to tighten entry standards.
The expansion introduces partial travel limitations on 15 additional countries, with a heavy focus on Africa, and imposes full restrictions on several more nations.
Nigeria, alongside 14 other countries, was added to the list of nations facing partial travel limitations.
The specific nature of “partial limitations,” as established in the administration’s earlier June 2025 ban, typically means a ban on all immigrant visas (which lead to lawful permanent residency, or a Green Card) and a ban on specific non-immigrant visas used for tourism, study, and exchange (B-1, B-2, F, M, and J visas).
The newly added countries are:
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Côte d’Ivoire
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Tonga
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
The Proclamation continues full restrictions on the original 12 high-risk countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
It also imposes full restrictions on five additional countries based on recent security analyses: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria, as well as individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents. Two countries previously under partial restrictions Laos and Sierra Leone are now subject to full restrictions. Meanwhile, partial restrictions remain for Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela.
The Proclamation lifts nonimmigrant visa bans for Turkmenistan, citing improved cooperation with the U.S., while maintaining restrictions on immigrant visas for its nationals.
Exceptions are provided for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, certain visa categories such as athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.
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