The Trump administration announced on Tuesday a major expansion of U.S. travel restrictions, extending bans and limitations to 20 additional countries and the Palestinian Authority, effectively doubling the number of jurisdictions affected by tightened entry rules introduced earlier this year.

New Countries Added to Full Travel Ban

Under the revised policy, the United States has imposed a full entry ban on citizens of five additional countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria. Individuals traveling with documents issued by the Palestinian Authority are also now barred from entry, marking the latest restriction affecting Palestinian travelers.

South Sudan, which already faced extensive travel limitations, remains subject to strict controls under the updated framework.

The administration said the expanded ban is part of an ongoing effort to raise U.S. entry standards amid concerns over document reliability, criminal record verification, and cooperation with deportation procedures.

Partial Restrictions Extended to 15 More States

In addition to full bans, Washington introduced partial travel restrictions on citizens of 15 countries, including Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

These restrictions apply both to individuals seeking to visit the United States temporarily and those pursuing immigration pathways.

Exemptions and Implementation Timeline

The administration clarified that the measures do not apply to individuals who already hold valid U.S. visas, lawful permanent residents, or certain visa categories such as diplomats and professional athletes. Exemptions may also be granted to individuals whose entry is deemed to serve U.S. national interests.

According to the official notice, the expanded restrictions will come into force on January 1.

Security and Immigration Rationale

U.S. officials said the decision was driven by concerns over widespread corruption, fraudulent or unreliable civil documentation, and insufficient criminal record systems in many of the affected countries. High rates of visa overstays, refusal by some governments to accept deported nationals, and broader instability or weak governance were also cited.

Immigration enforcement, foreign policy considerations, and national security assessments were collectively presented as the basis for the expanded restrictions.

Continuation of a Signature Policy

The move revives and extends one of President Donald Trump’s most controversial policies from his first term. In June, Trump announced entry bans for citizens of 12 countries, alongside tighter restrictions for seven others.

Those earlier measures targeted Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen, while imposing additional limits on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.

The latest expansion underscores the administration’s continued push to sharply restrict U.S. entry amid heightened security and immigration scrutiny.