Washington, D.C. — President Donald J. Trump on Monday signed a sweeping Proclamation expanding U.S. travel and entry restrictions on foreign nationals from countries deemed to have persistent and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing, citing national security and public safety concerns.
Under the new Proclamation, South Sudan has been added to the list of countries subject to full entry restrictions, joining 16 other nations whose nationals will face broad limitations on entering the United States.
The Administration said the decision followed a comprehensive interagency review of visa overstay rates, cooperation with U.S. immigration enforcement, and the reliability of civil documentation systems.
According to the Department of Homeland Security’s Overstay Report, South Sudan recorded a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 6.99 percent and a significantly higher 26.09 percent overstay rate for F, M, and J visas. U.S. officials also cited South Sudan’s historical failure to accept the return of its removable nationals, a factor the White House said undermines enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.
“The President has a duty to ensure that individuals seeking entry into the United States do not pose a threat to the American people,” the White House said in a statement. “Where countries fail to provide reliable information necessary for vetting, or refuse to cooperate with U.S. immigration authorities, restrictions are necessary.”
The Proclamation continues full entry restrictions on nationals from 12 high-risk countries first identified under Proclamation 10949: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
It adds five new countries to the full-restriction category: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Full restrictions were also imposed on Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously subject only to partial limitations.
In addition, the Proclamation applies full entry restrictions to individuals holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents, citing vetting and information-sharing concerns.
Partial entry restrictions remain in place for nationals from Burundi, Cuba, Togo, and Venezuela, while 15 additional countries—including Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—were newly added to the partial-restriction list.
The Administration noted that Turkmenistan demonstrated “significant progress” in cooperation with the United States, resulting in the lifting of nonimmigrant visa bans, though immigrant entry restrictions remain.
The Proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, current visa holders, diplomats, athletes, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests. While some family-based immigrant visa exemptions were narrowed due to fraud concerns, the Administration emphasized that case-by-case waivers will continue to be available.
The White House said many of the affected countries face systemic challenges, including corruption, unreliable civil records, lack of birth registration systems, refusal to share law-enforcement data, and the use of citizenship-by-investment programs that obscure identity and bypass vetting processes.
President Trump said the Proclamation builds on travel restrictions imposed during his first term, which were upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as a lawful exercise of presidential authority.
“In June 2025, the President restored and modernized these restrictions based on current global security threats,” the White House said. “This action is part of a broader effort to secure America’s borders and protect its citizens.”