U.S. Entry Restrictions Issued for the Specific Countries
On June 04, 2025, U.S. President signed a proclamation to protect the nation from foreign terrorist and other national security and public safety threats from entry into the United States citing security risks. However, there are some exceptions for lawful permanent residents (LPR), current visa holders, existing certain visa holders and individuals with specific employment visa such as National Interest Waiver (NIW). The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the President’s authority to use INA 212(f) to protect the United States through entry restrictions per Trump v. Hawaii.
Fully restricted entry of nationals from:
Afghanistan; Myanmar (Burma); Chad; Republic of the Congo; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Haiti; Iran; Libya; Somalia; Sudan; and Yemen
Partial restricted entry of nationals from:
Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela
Why were those countries on the list?
The White House highlighted the following facts as reasons to restrict U.S. entry.
The restrictions are country-specific in order to encourage cooperation with the subject countries in recognition of each country’s unique circumstances.
Some of the named countries have inadequate screening and vetting processes, hindering America’s ability to identify potential security threats before entry.
Certain countries exhibit high visa overstay rates, demonstrating a disregard for U.S. immigration laws and increasing burdens on enforcement systems.
Other countries lack cooperation in sharing identity and threat information, undermining effective U.S. immigration vetting.
Some countries have a significant terrorist presence or state-sponsored terrorism, posing direct risks to U.S. national security.
Several countries have historically failed to accept back their removable nationals, complicating U.S. efforts to manage immigration and public safety.
Examples such as Burma
The White House described that 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. Additionally, it was indicated that Burma has historically not cooperated with the United States to accept back their removable nationals.
