The United States is expanding its immigration restrictions. Beginning January 1, 2026, citizens of seven additional countries will be fully barred from entering the U.S.
New Entry Bans
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order imposing a complete entry ban on nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos, and Sierra Leone. The decision was published on the official White House website.
Laos and Sierra Leone were previously subject to partial restrictions, which have now been replaced by a full ban. The order also introduces additional measures for travelers using documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
Existing and Partial Restrictions
The U.S. is maintaining full entry bans for citizens of Afghanistan, Haiti, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Myanmar, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, and Eritrea.
Partial entry restrictions remain in place for travelers from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
At the same time, the U.S. has partially eased restrictions on Turkmenistan, again allowing entry under nonimmigrant visas. All changes will take effect at the start of 2026.
Official source: White House — Presidential Proclamation on Restricting Entry of Foreign Nationals