The United States has expanded its travel ban, suspending green card and citizenship applications from Nigeria and several other countries following what it described as serious national security and immigration vetting concerns.
A US government official disclosed that the directive was issued to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) after President Donald Trump signed a new proclamation tightening immigration controls.
The order affects countries newly added to the US travel restriction list and places further limits on nationals from previously affected states.
According to the official, the decision was based on persistent weaknesses in screening, vetting and information-sharing systems, which US authorities say pose risks to public safety and national security.
Countries placed under full US travel ban
Under the new order, nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are now completely barred from entering the United States. The ban also applies to South Sudan and Syria, which US officials said failed to meet updated security benchmarks. Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions, have now been moved to a full travel ban category.
The proclamation also places Nigeria under partial travel restrictions, a move that has resulted in the suspension of green card and citizenship applications for Nigerians.
The same restrictions apply to Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as Dominica and Gabon.
Other countries affected by the partial restrictions include Gambia, Malawi and Mauritania, alongside Senegal and Tanzania. Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe were also listed among the countries facing limited access to US immigration benefits.
The US government said the new action builds on earlier measures that already applied to Afghanistan, Burundi and Chad, as well as Cuba and the Republic of the Congo. Restrictions also remain in force for Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea and Haiti, alongside Iran and Libya.
Further countries previously listed include Myanmar, Somalia and Sudan, as well as Togo, Turkmenistan and Yemen. Venezuela also remains under earlier US travel and immigration controls.
US officials noted that the suspension of immigration applications would remain in place while a comprehensive review of vetting procedures is conducted.
