President Trump issues new travel/visa restrictions on 19 countries

Nearly five months into his second term, President Donald J. Trump issued a new presidential proclamation pursuant to Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to restrict the entry of certain nationals from 19 countries into the United States. Foreign countries are selected based on a government assessment of their national security and public safety threats to the United States, authorized under Executive Order 14161, issued on January 20, 2025. The Proclamation cited a range of country-specific concerns, such as terrorism, incompetent central authority for issuing passports or civil documents, deficient screening and vetting measures, inadequate cooperation in accepting back removable nationals, and high visa overstay rates. This marks President Trump’s first set of travel restrictions of his second term. The travel restrictions follow the Administration’s actions against colleges and universities, including with respect to adjudication and issuance/revocation of student visas.

Full and partial entry/visa suspensions

The Proclamation, effective on at 12:01 a.m. ET on June 9, 2025 without an end date, imposes two types of restrictions—full entry suspensions and partial entry suspensions (with associated ban on visa issuance):

Entry/visa issuance is fully suspended for virtually all nationals from the following 12 countries, applicable to most immigrant and nonimmigrant visa categories:

• Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

Entry/visa issuance is partially restricted for certain nationals from the following seven countries, applicable to immigrant visas and specific nonimmigrant visas for tourists and business visitors (B‑1, B-2, B-1/B-2) and students (F), vocational training (M), and exchange visitors (J) which includes students, research scholars, professors, and other eligible J-1 categories:

• Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The Department of State clarified on June 7, 2025, that individuals subject to these restrictions may still submit visa applications and schedule interview, but may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States.

Consular officers are also instructed to reduce the validity period of any other nonimmigrant visas related to these partially restricted countries to the extent permitted by law, making long-term employment planning difficult for employers and employees alike.

Scope of restrictions

The restrictions do not apply to individuals inside the United States and do not affect their valid immigration status, provided that they do not leave the United States (unless they have an existing valid U.S. visa that they can use for re-entry). The restrictions only apply to individuals who are outside the United States and do not already have a valid visa as of June 9, 2025. Press reported on subsequent guidance from the Secretary of State to U.S. diplomatic missions which clarified that no visas issued prior to June 9, 2025 should be revoked solely due to the Proclamation, but that visa applicants from designated countries whose applications have been approved but have not received their visas will be denied issuance. Foreign nationals impacted by restrictions who are currently in the United States are advised to seek legal counsel, avoid international travel, and review and maintain all immigration documents.

The Proclamation does not apply to individuals already granted asylum, admitted as refugees, or granted withholding of removal or protection under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Exceptions

There are a series of exceptions to the restrictions, including:

• United States lawful permanent residents (green card holders);
• Dual nationals traveling on a passport issued by a non-designated country (if a visa is also issued in that other passport or they are entering as visitors with a valid ESTA registration);
• Foreign nationals traveling with a valid nonimmigrant visa held by foreign officials, diplomats, and international organization employees (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 or members of an athletic team, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the Secretary of State;
• Immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (e.g., DNA);
• Adoptions (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4);
• Afghan Special Immigrant Visas;
• Special Immigrant Visas for United States government employees;
• Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran; and
• On a case-by-case basis review, any individual whose entry would advance a United States national interest at the discretion of the Attorney General or the Secretary of State. The precise criteria and procedures granting this exception remain to be seen.

Future reviews and adjustments

The Proclamation states that the restrictions are intended to encourage the designated foreign governments to improve information-sharing and identity-management protocols and practices and address identified risks. The Proclamation establishes a formal process to adjust such restrictions based on each country’s status of compliance.

The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence, will reevaluate the restrictions 90 days after the publication of the Proclamation and every 180 days thereafter to recommend whether the restrictions should be continued, terminated, modified, or supplemented. The restrictions on certain countries may be removed or loosened if they demonstrate measurable improvement in complying with United States screening, vetting, immigration, and security requirements. Conversely, while Egypt is not currently suspended on either list, the Proclamation instructs the Secretary of State to review and confirm the adequacy of the country’s screening and vetting capabilities, which could result in additions to the list. Press also reported that the Administration is considering expanding the travel/visa restrictions to 36 additional countries (including Egypt) if they do not meet the established benchmarks and requirements within 60 days, according to an internal State Department cable. During President Trump’s first term in office, similar travel restrictions were modified three times to add or remove countries.

Looking ahead

Compared to the similar travel restrictions imposed during President Trump’s first administration, the new restrictions cover a somewhat different—and larger—group of foreign countries, while providing a broader set of exceptions. As highlighted in the Fact Sheet accompanying the current Proclamation, prior restrictions were challenged but ultimately upheld by the Supreme Court in Trump v. Hawaii (2018). The legal fate of the new Proclamation remains uncertain. The new restrictions are expected to carry economic and social consequences, as U.S. businesses and universities navigate potential hiring and enrolment challenges, visa processing delays, and broader compliance risks. Because there is no one-size-fits-all approach in response to the Proclamation, organizations should proactively prepare internal guidance and communications plans, and review and modify travel, hiring, and onboarding policies as directly related to affected employees and applicants, business partners, and other stakeholders.

Authored by Beth Peters, Aleksandar Dukic, and Laurine Verwiel.

Summer Associate Johnny Luo contributed to this report.