(UNITED STATES) The Biden administration is weighing a major Travel Ban Expansion that could sharply widen nationality-based limits on entry to the United States 🇺🇸 and on the approval of immigration benefits, after a deadly attack in Washington, D.C. As of December 2025, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has formally recommended that President Donald Trump expand the current list of 19 restricted countries to as many as 30–32 nations, building on Proclamation 10949, which President Trump signed on June 4, 2025 and which took effect on June 9, 2025.
Current scope of Proclamation 10949
Under the existing proclamation, citizens of 19 countries already face either a full ban on entry or tight partial restrictions.
- Full entry ban (in principle applying to all visa types) — nationals of:
- Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen
- Partial restrictions (mainly on non‑immigrant visas such as tourist and student visas) — nationals of:
- Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela
Proclamation 10949 was framed by the Trump administration as a security step, and the new push from DHS would deepen and broaden those limits.
Trigger for the recommendation
Noem’s recommendation followed what officials describe as a turning point: a violent attack on Thanksgiving Eve 2025 in Washington, D.C., in which an Afghan national allegedly assaulted National Guard members, killing one and sending another to the hospital. According to internal accounts reported in recent coverage, the incident quickly became a reference point inside the Department of Homeland Security and the White House for reassessing the scope of the 2025 travel ban.
Noem has made clear she views nationality‑based restrictions as a front‑line tool. She argued that the expansion is aimed at countries
“flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,”
language that drew sharp reactions from immigrant‑rights advocates but has resonated with parts of Trump’s political base.
Potential expansion: scope and uncertainty
While the White House has not released a draft list of which additional countries might be added, officials say the proposal under discussion would push the current 19 countries up to 30–32. That could mean:
- More governments placed in the “full ban” category
- More governments placed under partial restrictions
- Or some combination of the two
So far, no clear timeline has been announced for a new presidential proclamation, and the administration has not shared any public criteria for how future countries will be selected. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, this lack of detail has already created anxiety among students, workers, and families in regions that fear they could be targeted next.
Immediate administrative actions: USCIS guidance
Even before any formal Travel Ban Expansion, federal immigration agencies have begun tightening enforcement around the existing list.
- On December 2, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued internal guidance ordering a broad pause on adjudicating immigration benefits for nationals of all 19 countries covered by Proclamation 10949.
- That pause, according to the guidance, applies not only to new applicants but also to people who previously received benefits and are now seeking extensions, changes of status, or adjustments to permanent residence.
- Notably, the memo applies “without exceptions” to dual nationals using a non‑listed passport, a sharp shift from earlier practice, and even to those with long‑standing ties to the United States.
Practical effects on visa applicants and benefit seekers
The combined effect of the presidential proclamation and the USCIS pause is already being felt in visa lines and immigration lawyer offices.
- Nationals from the fully banned countries are facing near‑total denial of both immigrant and non‑immigrant visas, even for short‑term visits like tourism or business meetings.
- For them, the United States is effectively almost completely closed, regardless of individual background or purpose of travel.
- Nationals of partially restricted countries are seeing:
- Higher rates of refusals
- Longer security checks
- Repeated interview requests
- These impacts span categories from B‑1/B‑2 tourist visas to F‑1 student visas and certain work permits.
Wider human and economic impacts
If President Trump accepts Noem’s recommendation, the impact would spread to millions more people each year.
- Tourists and business travelers would face extra layers of doubt when planning trips.
- Students who already cleared admissions and funding could still have visas refused on nationality grounds.
- Skilled workers pursuing H‑1B visas might find passports — not skills — becoming the main obstacle.
- Families trying to reunite through marriage or parent‑child sponsorship could see plans halted by a single presidential signature.
For family‑based immigrants the situation is especially tense. Under U.S. law, U.S. citizens can sponsor their spouses, minor children, and parents through filings such as Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. While administration officials say certain exceptions for “immediate relatives” and existing lawful permanent residents technically survive under the 2025 travel ban, the December USCIS guidance makes clear that even these categories are under pressure.
- Officers are being instructed to treat any application from nationals or dual nationals of the 19 countries as a high‑risk security matter, even when the person has lived peacefully in the U.S. for years or has previously passed background checks.
Real-world examples of uncertainty
Students and global professionals describe a growing sense that the United States is becoming an unstable option rather than a long‑term plan.
- A computer engineer from Eritrea with an H‑1B job offer might now face both a consular visa denial abroad and a stalled change‑of‑status request inside the U.S.
- A Cuban graduate student admitted to a U.S. university could invest months in preparing documents only to be blocked by shifting interpretations of partial restrictions.
- Lawyers say the main challenge is not just stricter rules but uncertainty: people do not know whether their nationality will move from “partial” to “full” ban or whether new countries will suddenly join the list.
Effects beyond the listed countries
The impacts also reach far beyond the 19 countries themselves.
- Potential migrants from India, Nigeria, Brazil, and other non‑listed states are watching closely, wondering whether a broader expansion signals a long‑term move away from welcoming global talent.
- Multinational companies that transfer employees to U.S. offices must factor in the risk that a mid‑career move could be blocked by a sudden change in a worker’s home‑country status.
- Universities that recruit heavily from Africa and the Middle East are rethinking offers to students who might never obtain a visa.
For digital nomads and remote workers, the 2025 measures are another warning sign. The existing travel ban already means citizens of fully banned countries cannot rely on short‑term work trips, conferences, or holidays in the U.S. If the list widens to 30–32 countries, a much larger slice of the world’s population may need to remove the United States from their practical travel maps.
- Immigration planners say alternative destinations — such as Canada 🇨🇦, parts of Europe, and some Gulf states — are likely to see increased interest from people who no longer view the U.S. system as predictable.
Operational and legal dilemmas inside the system
Inside the U.S. immigration system, consular officers and USCIS staff face dilemmas.
- The administration’s tough rhetoric, including Noem’s reference to “killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies,” sends a clear political signal about framing security risks.
- At the same time, officers are legally required to:
- Weigh individual facts
- Apply existing statutory exemptions
- Respect court rulings
- Legal challenges are widely expected if the Travel Ban Expansion is finalized, especially if it sweeps in large populations without clear, evidence‑based justifications.
- Advocates point to earlier litigation over past travel bans, arguing that sweeping nationality bans can violate constitutional principles and U.S. treaty commitments.
What people are being advised to do now
For now, people from the affected 19 countries — and those who worry their nations could be next — are being urged to plan for delays, prepare extensive documentation, and consider backup strategies. Immigration lawyers commonly recommend:
- File as early as possible for benefits where eligible.
- Avoid last‑minute travel and plan for potential postponements.
- Keep full records of employment, studies, and family ties.
- Prepare evidence in case a pending rule change tightens screening.
They also warn that even a valid visa or green card is not an absolute guarantee of smooth entry if border officers receive new directives tied to security alerts or changes in Proclamation 10949’s scope.
Follow official DHS and State Department notices for any proclamation updates. Meanwhile, have backup travel plans and keep documentation ready, as policy changes can shift with little notice.
Official communications and next steps
Official details about the proposed expansion remain limited.
- The Department of Homeland Security has not posted a public draft of an updated proclamation or a formal list of the extra 11–13 countries that might be added.
- Noem’s office refers reporters back to White House decision‑making, and the White House stresses that President Trump will make the final call.
- People are being told to follow formal channels such as DHS and State Department announcements, rather than social media rumors or incomplete leaks.
The lack of clarity is already influencing behavior: some students are deferring start dates, workers are postponing U.S. job transfers, and families are accelerating or pausing sponsorship plans based on their own risk calculations.
Broader assessment and context
Advocacy groups and policy analysts say 2025 marks a turning point in how the United States uses nationality as a filter in its immigration system. Proclamation 10949, signed on June 4, 2025, was initially presented as a targeted measure against specific security risks.
- The December recommendation to extend that framework to 30–32 countries, paired with USCIS’s sweeping freeze on benefit adjudications for the existing 19 states, demonstrates how rapidly a “limited” ban can evolve into a broad barrier for whole regions.
- Whether or not President Trump signs a new proclamation in the coming months, the message many overseas applicants are hearing is that U.S. doors are more likely to close than open.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem recommended expanding Proclamation 10949 from 19 to 30–32 countries after a deadly attack in Washington, D.C. USCIS already paused adjudicating benefits for nationals of the 19 listed states, applying the freeze broadly, including dual nationals. The expansion could increase full and partial bans, affecting students, workers, families, universities and businesses. Officials have not published criteria or a draft list, creating legal questions and widespread uncertainty.
