News Alert: Trump Administration Reinstates and Expands Travel Restrictions Effective June 9th 2025
Photo by Pedro Mealha on Unsplash. The Trump administration issues travel restrictions affecting citizens of Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Republic of Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen from entering the U.S. effective on Monday, June 9th 2025. Find out more in our News Alert.
On June 4th, President Trump issued a presidential proclamation enacting total and partial restrictions on immigration and travel to the U.S. for citizens of 19 countries to protect the U.S. from terrorism and other national security and public safety threats, in keeping with E.O. 14161. With few exceptions, it fully restricts citizens of Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen from entering the U.S. and further partially suspends the entry of citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela as visitors or students. Egypt will be considered for additional restrictions.
We’ve broken down the Fact Sheet for this proclamation and include some tips and analysis to help you navigate this new development.
Why did the administration issue these restrictions?
The administration asserts that these restrictions are crucial for several reasons:
Inadequate Screening & Vetting: Many of the named countries (Sudan, Yemen, Venezuela) lack the necessary processes to adequately screen their nationals, hindering the U.S. ability to identify potential security threats.
High Visa Overstay Rates: Several countries exhibit alarmingly high rates of visa overstays, indicating a disregard for U.S. immigration laws and placing burdens on enforcement. Notably, according to the Overstay Report, include: Burma had a B1/B2 visa overstay rate of 27.07 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 42.17 percent; Chad had a B1/B2 visa overstay rate of 49.54 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 55.64 percent; and Equatorial Guinea had a B1/B2 visa overstay rate of 21.98 percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of 70.18 percent.
Lack of Cooperation: Some nations fail to cooperate in sharing vital identity and threat information, undermining effective U.S. immigration vetting.
Terrorist Presence/State-Sponsored Terrorism: Certain countries have a significant terrorist presence or are identified as state sponsors of terrorism, posing direct risks to U.S. national security. The fact sheet counts Afghanistan, Cuba, Iran, Libya, Somalia, among these countries.
Refusal to Repatriate Nationals: Historically, some countries (Burma, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Somalia) have failed to accept back their removable nationals, complicating U.S. immigration management.
What nations are mentioned in the travel ban?
COUNTRIES WITH FULL RESTRICTIONS (no entry/admission into the U.S. and no visa issuance)
Afghanistan
Burma
Chad
Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Libya
Somalia
Sudan
Yemen
COUNTRIES WITH PARTIAL RESTRICTIONS (Immigrants and Nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J Visas)
Burundi
Cuba
Laos
Sierra Leone
Togo
Turkmenistan
Venezuela
Who is exempt from these travel restrictions?
It is important to note that these restrictions do not apply to the following citizens of the above listed countries:
Permanent Residents (and most likely including immigrant visa holders already admitted to the U.S. who are awaiting to receive their green cards);
Dual nationals of a non-listed country (if traveling on a passport of non-listed country);
Diplomats and NATO personnel with the following visas: A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1, NATO-2, NATO-3, NATO-4, NATO-5, or NATO-6;
Athletes, coaches and support staff, and immediate relatives of athletes participating in “major sporting events,” including the Olympics and the World Cup;
Immediate relative immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) with “with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g., DNA)”;
Adoptees (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4);
Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Holders (Afghan SIV);
Those with Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) for US Government employees ;
Immigrant visa holders for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran;
Individuals granted asylum;
Refugees admitted to the U.S.; and
Individuals granted withholding of removal under the CAT.
What else should I know?
These travel restrictions only apply to those outside the U.S. on June 9, 2025, at 12:01 am EDT who are not in possession of a valid immigrant or nonimmigrant visas as of that date. No immigrant or nonimmigrant visa issued before June 9, 2025 will be revoked pursuant to this proclamation.
The Proclamation does not limit the ability for individuals to seek asylum, refugee status, withholding of removal, or protection under the CAT. Thus, if you are a refugee, you remain able to seek protection under asylum laws.
The Attorney General and Secretary of State can make case-by-case exceptions if travel would advance a critical U.S. national interest, including to participate in criminal proceedings as a witness.
This Proclamation is separate from a second proclamation issued by the administration, Enhancing National Security by Addressing Risks at Harvard University, which restricts the entry of foreign nationals holding F, M or J visas, who seek to enter the United States solely or principally to participate in a course of study at Harvard University or in an exchange visitor program hosted by Harvard University as well as possible revocation of their visas. The reasoning provided for this specific ban is the institution’s alleged failure to comply and its lack of commitment to following Federal law.
This is a very new restriction so we don’t know as of yet how this will be implemented in practice. Stay tuned as we monitor this and other developments. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr, for up-to-date immigration news.
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