The U.S. President Donald Trump, has signed a proclamation barring citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States, citing the need to “protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors”
The directive which was signed on Wednesday will come into effect on 9th June, 2025.
The travel ban is part of a broader immigration crackdown launched by Trump at the beginning of his second term. Citizens of seven additional countries face partial travel restrictions.
Citizens from the 12 countries placed under full ban will face a complete suspension of immigrant and non-immigrant visas.
Whereas, citizens from the seven countries under partial ban will no longer be able to apply for immigrant visas or non-immigrant temporary visas covering permanent immigration, student visas and tourism visas including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J.
However, they will still be able to apply for some temporary visas.
Measures under this initiative have included the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador due to suspected gang affiliations, efforts to block the enrollment of certain foreign students, and the removal of others already residing in the country.
The 12 countries whose nationals are fully banned from travelling to the US are:
- Afghanistan
- Myanmar
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
The seven countries subject to partial restrictions are:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
Exceptions to the travel ban
- Green card holders.
- Existing visa holders.
- Foreign diplomats
- Dual nationals of the 19 countries included in the ban, who are travelling on a passport of a country that is not subject to the ban.
- Athletes or members of an athletic team, such as coaches, people performing a support role and immediate relatives, travelling for a major sporting event such as the World Cup or Olympics.
- Immediate family immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) “with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship (eg DNA)”.
- Adoptees.
- Afghan Special immigrant visas.
- Special immigrant visas for US government employees.
- Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
