Washington, Jan 06 (V7N) - US President Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation expanding the list of countries subject to full and partial travel restrictions from 19 to 39, citing national security concerns, deficiencies in passenger screening, and gaps in information sharing, the White House confirmed, according to CNN.

Under the new proclamation, seven countries have been placed under a full travel ban: Laos, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Laos and Sierra Leone were previously subject to partial restrictions. Earlier in June this year, full travel bans had already been imposed on Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

In addition, travelers holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are now barred from entering the United States. Although Palestinians were not previously under a formal blanket ban, obtaining US visas for business, work, travel, or education had already been extremely difficult in practice.

With the latest additions, the total number of countries under full travel bans has risen to 20.

The partial travel ban list has also been expanded, with 15 new countries added, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. These include Angola, Benin, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Caribbean nations Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, as well as the Pacific island nation Tonga, have also been placed under partial restrictions. Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela were already subject to partial bans, while restrictions on citizens of Turkmenistan have been lifted. At present, 19 countries fall under partial travel bans.

In its statement, the White House said many of the affected countries suffer from “serious deficiencies in passenger vetting, security screening, and information sharing.” The administration also cited high levels of corruption, the widespread use of fraudulent identity documents, inadequate exchange of criminal records with US authorities, high rates of visa overstays, and the refusal by some governments to accept the return of nationals whose US visas have been revoked.

The restrictions apply to tourists, students, business travelers, and individuals seeking permanent residence in the United States. However, individuals who already hold valid visas, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), diplomats, and certain categories of athletes will be exempt. The proclamation also allows for case-by-case waivers when deemed necessary in the national interest.

The US government said the new travel restrictions came into effect on January 1, 2026.

As a result, citizens of 39 countries—along with travelers using Palestinian Authority-issued documents—are now fully or partially barred from entering the United States. According to the White House, the affected governments do not provide sufficiently reliable identity management systems or public safety-related information, prompting the administration to divide the countries into two categories.

Nationals of 20 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Burkina Faso, Mali, and those traveling under Palestinian Authority documentation, are subject to a complete suspension of entry covering both immigrant and non-immigrant visas. The remaining 19 countries, such as Angola, Cuba, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Zambia, face partial suspensions that halt the issuance of B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M, and J student and exchange visas, and all categories of immigrant visas. Lawful permanent residents, dual nationals traveling on passports from non-listed countries, and a narrow set of diplomatic and humanitarian categories remain exempt from the restrictions.

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