US Adds Nigeria, 14 Other Countries To Partial Travel Restriction List

Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation further restricting entry into the United States for nationals of countries considered high-risk.

The White House said the affected countries were identified due to “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that pose threats to U.S. national security and public safety.

Among the 15 additional countries newly placed under partial travel restrictions is Nigeria.

The announcement was contained in a White House fact sheet titled “President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” issued on December 16, 2025.

The White House described the move as “strengthening national security through common sense restrictions based on data.”

The Proclamation maintains full entry restrictions on nationals from the original 12 high-risk countries listed under Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.

It also imposes full restrictions on five additional countries — Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria — as well as individuals holding Palestinian-Authority-issued travel documents. Laos and Sierra Leone, previously under partial restrictions, are now subject to full restrictions.

Nationals of Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela remain under partial restrictions.

Under the new Proclamation, partial restrictions have been extended to 15 more countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The fact sheet noted that “exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests” remain in place. It added that family-based immigrant visa carve-outs carrying “demonstrated fraud risks” have been narrowed, while case-by-case waivers are still available.

Explaining the rationale, the White House said the Proclamation is necessary “to prevent the entry of foreign nationals about whom the United States lacks sufficient information to assess the risks they pose, garner cooperation from foreign governments, enforce our immigration laws, and advance other important foreign policy, national security, and counterterrorism objectives.”

The fact sheet quoted Trump as saying: “It is the President’s duty to take action to ensure that those seeking to enter our country will not harm the American people.”

It added that after consultations with cabinet officials and reviews conducted under Executive Order 14161 and Proclamation 10949, “President Trump has determined that the entry of nationals from additional countries must be restricted or limited to protect U.S. national security and public safety interests.”

According to the White House, the restrictions are country-specific “in order to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances,” citing challenges such as “widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documents and criminal records, and nonexistent birth-registration systems—systemically preventing accurate vetting.”

Other concerns listed include refusal by some countries to share passport exemplars or law-enforcement data, abuse of citizenship-by-investment schemes, high visa-overstay rates, refusal to repatriate removable nationals, and the presence of “terrorist, criminal, and extremist activity.”

The fact sheet framed the action as part of Trump’s broader national security agenda, stating: “President Trump is keeping his promise to restore travel restrictions on dangerous countries and to secure our borders.”

It also referenced a previous U.S. Supreme Court ruling on similar restrictions, noting that the policy was found to be “squarely within the scope of Presidential authority” and “expressly premised on legitimate purposes,” including preventing entry of inadequately vetted nationals and encouraging foreign governments to improve compliance.

Finally, the White House disclosed that Turkmenistan, which was previously restricted, has shown improved cooperation with the United States. As a result, the new Proclamation lifts the ban on its nonimmigrant visas while maintaining restrictions on immigrant entry.