Updated on 17 December, 2025
The United States has paused immigration applications from 39 non-European countries, marking one of the most sweeping changes to US immigration policy in recent years.
The move affects multiple immigration categories, including green cards, family-based petitions, employment visas, humanitarian pathways, and naturalization processes for nationals of the listed countries.
While the administration argues the decision is based on national security and vetting standards, it has sparked strong reactions from advocacy groups, lawmakers, and impacted families.
Read: Every Immigration Statement Made by Donald Trump So Far
Why did the US Pause Immigration Applications?
According to the administration, the temporary halt is intended to reassess vetting procedures, identify security vulnerabilities, and standardize information-sharing requirements with foreign governments.
Officials maintain that the pause is not a permanent ban but a security recalibration period, during which the US will evaluate compliance with information-sharing, passport security, and counterterrorism cooperation.
This marks a continuation of the June 2025 travel-ban framework, which had already categorized the 19 countries under either full suspension or partial restrictions.
The new directive expands these restrictions by freezing all immigration-related applications originating from these nations. US Paused Immigration Applications – Countries Included
39 Countries the US Paused Immigration Applications from
List Of Nationals Completely Barred from Entering the U.S.
Nationals of these countries cannot enter the United States (both immigrant and non-immigrant visas suspended), with limited exceptions (e.g., permanent residents, diplomats, certain athletes).
- Afghanistan
- Burma (Myanmar)
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
- Burkina Faso
- Mali
- Niger
- South Sudan
- Syria
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Palestinian Authority passport holders
Partial Entry Ban — Restrictions on Certain Visa Types
Nationals of these countries face partial restrictions (immigrant visas suspended and many non-immigrant visas, such as B-1/B-2, F, M, J are limited, but some travel may still be possible depending on visa type/exception)
- Angola
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Benin
- Burundi
- Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
- Cuba
- Dominica
- Gabon
- The Gambia
- Malawi
- Mauritania
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- Tanzania
- Togo
- Tonga
- Venezuela
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
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