Presidential Proclamation Dec 16, 2025: Expansion on Travel Bans

Dear students & alumni,

On December 16, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation which expands the country-specific limitations for entry into the United States, and will be effective as of January 1, 2026.

In addition to the 19 countries with full or limited restrictions specified in PP 10949 published on June 4, 2025, the following countries have been added with full or partial restrictions on travelling to the United States:

Full Travel Ban (Entry suspended for immigrants and all nonimmigrants)

• Burkina Faso, Laos (moved from partial ban to full ban), Mali, Niger, Sierra Leone (moved from partial ban to full ban), South Sudan, Syria, and individuals with travel documents issued or endorsed by Palestinian Authority

Partial Travel Ban (Entry suspended for immigrants, and on B-1, B‑2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas**)

• Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d ‘Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• ** Turkmenistan (moved from full ban to partial ban) has resumed entry for all non-immigrant statuses, but immigrant statuses are still subject to restriction.

What does this mean for your ability to enter the U.S. from abroad as a national of these countries?

If you are outside of the U.S. on the effective date of this proclamation (January 1, 2026), and you do not have a valid immigrant or nonimmigrant visa as of that date, you are not likely to be able to obtain a visa or enter the U.S. while this proclamation is in effect, unless you have an exception.

• Entry into the U.S. by nationals in F-1/F-2, J-1/J-2 status and B-1/B-2 from all listed countries, who do not already have a visa is prohibited. Limited exceptions and waivers exist and are further detailed in Section 3 and 5 of the proclamation.
• Entry into the U.S. by nationals of the partial ban countries is allowed for other visa categories including H-1B/H-4, O-1, and others.
• Legal permanent residents and dual nationals who are entering the U.S. with the passport of a country not listed above may enter the U.S.

I’m a new student for spring 2026, and I already have a visa. Will I be able to enter the U.S.?

Already issued visas will not be revoked. If you are outside the U.S., and have a visa issued prior to January 1, 2026,  this ban should not apply to you, and you should be able to enter the U.S. as planned.

I am an admitted student, will I be able to apply for and receive a student visa to study in the U.S.?

At this time, it is unlikely that you will be unable to receive a student visa and enter the U.S. until these bans and restrictions are lifted. However, this is a ban on entry and not on visa issuance. It is possible that you can obtain a visa for future entry to the U.S., however, this point is uncertain.

I’m a current student or alumni, what does this update mean for me?

• If you are inside the United States these bans and restrictions will not affect your ongoing nonimmigrant student status while you are in the U.S. regardless of whether the visa stamp in your passport is valid or not.
• If you are travelling abroad and you have a valid visa that was issued prior to January 1, 2026, these bans likely do not apply to you, and you should be able to travel and re-enter the U.S. with your valid visa. However, due to some ambiguity in the wording of the proclamation, it may be safest to avoid unnecessary travel outside of the U.S. while these bans are in effect during your studies.
• If you are travelling abroad and planning to re-enter the U.S. after the proclamation effective date (January 1, 2026), and you have an expired visa, you will NOT be able to re-enter the U.S. under your nonimmigrant student status until the restrictions are lifted. Please reach out to the ISSO through our advising services if you are in this situation so that we can discuss your options.

What about my F-2/J-2 dependent spouse and/or children?

• The same rules impact your F-2/J-2 dependents. Those who are outside the U.S., and don’t have a valid visa prior to January 1, 2026, will not be able to enter the U.S. until the ban and restrictions are lifted.

How long will these restrictions be in effect?

These entry restrictions will be reviewed within 180 days of the date of the proclamation, and every 180 days thereafter, to determine whether these travel restrictions should be lifted/terminated, continued, modified, or supplemented. ISSO will continue to keep relevant students and alumni apprised of any updates to these policies.

The ISSO is here for you.

The ISSO will continue to keep you informed to the best of our ability and support you on your journey as an international student and beyond. You can reach out through your iComet Portal, join us for a Live Chat online, or schedule an appointment.

Warm regards,

International Students and Scholars Office

The University of Texas at Dallas

isso.utdalls.edu/advising/