On Thursday, June 5th, President Donald Trump signed a new executive order enforcing travel restrictions on 19 countries. The measure, framed as a national security initiative, targets nations with inadequate border controls, high visa overstay rates, and insufficient government oversight. The updated travel policy is set to take effect on June 9th at 12:01 a.m.
Countries facing the strictest penalties include Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen, Myanmar, Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Citizens from these nations will no longer be eligible for any U.S. visas—whether for temporary visits or permanent immigration. U.S. immigration officials pointed to Chad’s 49.5% visa overstay rate as an example of why such countries were included in the ban.
Meanwhile, partial restrictions have been introduced for seven others: Turkmenistan, Togo, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Laos, Cuba, and Venezuela. While not completely barred, nationals from these countries will be denied access to specific visa types such as student, tourist, or cultural exchange programs. These limitations apply only to individuals outside the U.S. who do not already hold a valid visa.
Exceptions to the ban include green card holders, diplomats, adopted children, and individuals traveling for certain international sporting events. Those applying for family-based immigration or covered under the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program may still qualify—if they can prove identity and eligibility. Iranian religious minorities fleeing persecution may also receive humanitarian consideration.
In a video message posted to Truth Social, Trump referred to a recent antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, as justification for the policy, warning that visa overstays and insufficient vetting put Americans at risk. Federal authorities added that intelligence from the National Counterterrorism Strategy highlighted issues like poor identity verification and lack of cooperation on deportations as driving factors behind the decision.
According to government records, over 360,000 individuals from the affected countries entered the U.S. in 2022—more than two-thirds of them from Venezuela. Officials confirmed that the list of restricted nations may change depending on future cooperation or evolving threats.
