News Alert: More travel restrictions and countries added in Trump Travel Ban; exemptions for athletes and diplomats
Image by Google Gemini. On December 16th 2025, the Trump administration released a new immigration policy containing additional restrictions for nationals of the 19 travel ban countries and adding more countries to the list, but includes detailed carve outs for athletes and diplomats. Learn more in our News Alert.
On December 16, 2025, President Trump signed a new proclamation titled "Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States." This measure expands on previous travel restrictions and policies to address what the administration identifies as inadequate screening and vetting processes of various foreign governments. The administration also released a Fact Sheet to accompany the proclamation.
These changes come a few days after the release of two new policy changes: 1) adjudicative hold and review of all asylum applications and other immigration applications from the travel ban countries; and 2) the implementation of the Gold Card, the fast-track green card program for successful entrepreneurs and investors who make a significant monetary gift to the nation.
What’s New?
It adds full restrictions and entry limitations on 5 additional countries based on recent analysis: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.
It also adds full restrictions and entry limitations on individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents.
It imposes full restrictions and entry limitations on 2 countries that were previously subject to partial restrictions: Laos and Sierra Leone.
Because Turkmenistan has engaged productively with the United States and demonstrated significant progress since the previous Proclamation, this new Proclamation lifts the ban on its nonimmigrant visas, while maintaining the suspension of entry for Turkmen nationals as immigrants.
It adds partial restrictions and entry limitations on 15 additional countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
What’s the same?
The Proclamation continues the full restrictions and entry limitations of nationals from the original 12 high-risk countries established under Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma/Myanmar, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
Similar rationale/reasoning is provided in this new updated policy, which are Deficient Recordkeeping; Government Corruption; Lack of Cooperation; High Visa Overstays; and Citizenship by Investment (CBI).
The Good News
While the primary goal of the December 16, 2025, proclamation is to tighten border security, it establishes specific "categorical exceptions" to ensure that vital international relations and world-class sporting events remain uninterrupted and detailed rules to ensure that the policy is narrowly-focused:
Effective Date: The policy takes effect at 12:01 a.m. EST on January 1, 2026.
Who is NOT affected: Lawful permanent residents (Green Card holders), dual nationals traveling on a passport from a non-restricted country, and those already holding valid visas.
Special Categories: Exceptions exist for certain diplomats, international athletes (e.g. Olympics, World Cup), and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.
DIPLOMATS: Consequently, foreign nationals traveling on specific official visa types are exempt from the entry suspensions, regardless of their country of origin.
Eligible Visa Classifications:
A-1 & A-2: Foreign government officials, ambassadors, and their immediate family members.
G-1, G-2, G-3, & G-4: Officials and employees of international organizations (e.g., the UN or IMF) and their families.
C-2 & C-3: Foreign officials in transit through the United States to or from the UN Headquarters.
NATO-1 through NATO-6: Personnel, staff, and representatives of NATO and their families.
ATHLETES: With the United States set to host or co-host several historic sporting events in the coming years—most notably the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics and the 2034 Winter Olympics —the proclamation includes a broad exception for the global athletic community.
Who is included in this exception?
Athletes: Competitive participants from any country listed in the proclamation.
Athletic Teams: Complete team rosters for qualifying nations.
Support Staff: Coaches, trainers, medical staff, and other personnel performing "necessary support roles" for the team.
Immediate Relatives: Spouses and children of the athletes and coaches traveling for the event.
Case-by-Case Waivers: Beyond these categories, the proclamation allows for case-by-case waivers for individuals who do not fit into the diplomatic or athletic groups but whose entry is deemed vital to U.S. interests.
Who Decides: The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Homeland Security, or the Attorney General (or their designees).
The Standard: Travel must "serve a United States national interest."
Common Scenarios: This may include individuals needed for critical law enforcement proceedings (as witnesses), urgent medical treatment, or significant business activities that clearly benefit the U.S. economy.
What else should I know?
The Secretary of State will provide a report every 180 days to evaluate if countries have improved their vetting standards. If a country meets U.S. security requirements, restrictions may be modified or lifted, as seen in the recent adjustments for Turkmenistan.
Diplomatic exemptions are automatic for individuals holding the valid visa types mentioned above. They are not required to seek a special waiver to enter for official government or international business.
We have created a General Checklist to determine who is covered under the travel restrictions. Please note that this is merely for information purposes and should not be construed as legal advice.
These are new policies, so stay tuned as we monitor this development. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tumblr and TikTok, for up-to-date immigration news.
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