On June 4, 2025, a Presidential Proclamation was issued banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and imposing travel restrictions on nationals from seven other countries, which went into effect at 12:01am eastern daylight time on June 9, 2025.
Legal Background
The Proclamation was made pursuant to Executive Order 14161, issued on January 20, 2025, which directed several agencies, including the Departments of State and Homeland Security, to engage in a “robust assessment of the risk that countries posed to the United States”.
The White House Fact Sheet on the Proclamation cites the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Trump v. Hawaii (2018), which upheld the President’s authority to use section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to protect the United States through entry restrictions.
Foreign Nationals Impacted
The Proclamation affects foreign nationals from 19 countries overall.
It “fully restricts and limits the entry” of nationals from the following 12 countries:
- Afghanistan
- Burma
- Chad
- Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Haiti
- Iran
- Libya
- Somalia
- Sudan
- Yemen
Nationals from the following seven countries are subject to partial restrictions and limits to entry:
- Burundi
- Cuba
- Laos
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
- Turkmenistan
- Venezuela
Scope of Restrictions
Under the Proclamation, the entry into the United States of nationals from the 12 fully restricted countries—both “as immigrants and nonimmigrants”—is “fully suspended” subject to categorical exceptions and case-by-case waivers outlined in the following section.
For the seven partially restricted countries, entry is prohibited for immigrants seeking U.S. permanent residence, a.k.a. “Green Card,” and nonimmigrants seeking B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas—e.g., temporary visitors for business and/or pleasure, students, and participants in exchange programs.
Additionally, “Consular officers shall reduce the validity for any other nonimmigrant visa issued to nationals [of the seven partially restricted countries] to the extent permitted by law.”
Exceptions to the Bans
Per the White House, the “Proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, existing visa holders, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves U.S. national interests.”
Specifically, among the 19 countries impacted by the Proclamation, restrictions do not apply to:
- Foreign nationals who currently hold a valid U.S. visa
- Legal permanent residents
- Dual citizens entering the U.S. with a passport from a non-restricted country
- Athletes traveling for major sporting events such as the World Cup or Olympics
- Immediate relatives with clear and convincing evidence of identity and family relationship
- Adoptions
- Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs)
- U.S. government employee SIVs
- Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities escaping persecution in Iran
Additional exceptions are permitted on a case-by-case discretionary basis to foreign nationals whose entry to the U.S. is deemed to “advance a critical United States national interest”.
Gunster’s Business Immigration Practice Group will continue to monitor developments with respect to the new Travel Restrictions, including legal challenges, if any. Persons who may be affected by the new Travel Restrictions should consult with counsel. Gunster’s Immigration Law Practice Group Attorneys remain available for consultation.
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This publication is for general information only. It is not legal advice, and legal counsel should be contacted before any action is taken that might be influenced by this publication.
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