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Presidential Proclamation on Country Specific Entry Restrictions - December 2025

Office of International Students and Scholars oiss@tulane.edu
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Dear Tulane International Community, 

As part of our continuing effort to keep our international community informed on changes in immigration laws, we write to inform you of the presidential proclamation issued on December 16, 2025. This order imposes restrictions on who may enter the United States based on country of origin and will go into effect on Thursday, January 1. You are receiving this notice because you are a citizen or national of one of the countries listed in the proclamation.

On December 16, 2025, the administration issued a new Proclamation that expands the full and partial travel restrictions announced in June 2025 to 20 additional countries. 

New Fully Restricted Countries

Nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and those holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents will be barred from entering the US under all visa categories, including F-1, J-1, and H-1B. They will not be eligible for a visa while this ban is in place.  In addition, nationals of Sierra Leone and Laos, who were previously only subject to a partial ban, will now be subject to a full entry ban.

New Partially Restricted Countries

Nationals of Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe will be subject to partial entry restrictions.  They cannot enter the US with an immigrant visa, or with a B, F, or J visa.  Individuals entering with an H-1B visa will be allowed. 

Changes 

Nationals of Turkmenistan will be permitted to enter the US with non-immigrant visas, but not with immigrant visas. 

Exemptions 

The ban does not apply to: 

  • Individuals who are already present in the US on January 1, 2026; Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) of the US who are also citizens of a restricted country;
  • Dual nationals who are traveling on a passport from a non-restricted country.  If you hold dual citizenship, you may still travel to the US using a passport other than the one issued by a restricted country;
  • Individuals with valid visas issued before January 1, 2026.  If you already hold a valid visa, you should still be able to enter the US, even if you are from a restricted country. Visas should not be revoked as a result of this proclamation. 

Previous Restrictions

Nationals of Afghanistan, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen remain fully restricted under all immigrant and non-immigrant visas. 

Nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Venezuela remain restricted for immigrant visas, and for B, F, and J status. 

As always, OISS remains committed to providing updates as immigration rules and regulations change. If you have any questions, please reach out to your advisor or make an appointment. 

- The OISS Team