Published on: Jan 04, 2026 11:00 am IST
The DHS is putting a pause on immigration applications from an additional 20 countries after an expansion of travel restrictions took effect January 1, 2026.
The Department of Homeland Security is putting a pause on immigration applications from an additional 20 countries after an expansion of travel restrictions took effect January 1, 2026. In a memo released Thursday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said that it would pause the review of all pending applications for visas, green cards, citizenship or asylum from immigrants from the additional countries.
DHS pauses immigration applications from additional 20 countries to protect ‘national security or public safety’(Pexel)
The memo further outlines plans to re-review applications of immigrants from these countries as far back as 2021.
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The list comprises mainly countries in Africa, including Angola, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
In December, the Trump administration increased the US from 19 to as many as 39, as well as the Palestinian Authority.
“USCIS remains dedicated to ensuring aliens from high-risk countries of concern who have entered the United States do not pose risks to national security or public safety,” the memo states. “To faithfully uphold United States immigration law, the flow of aliens from countries with high overstay rates, significant fraud, or both must stop.”
Exceptions in the memo
The memo outlines some exceptions, including athletes and members of their teams competing in the World Cup and Olympics.
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The Trump administration first indicated its plans to expand the restrictions after the arrest of Rahmanullah Lakanwal, who was accused of shooting two members of the West Virginia National Guardsmen in Washington, DC, one fatally. The suspect immigrated from Afghanistan into the United States in 2021, CNN reported.
The DHS started taking steps to further pause and review legal avenues of migration toward the end of 2025. The USCIS announced that it would re-review the status of everyone who was admitted into the United States as a refugee under the Biden administration.
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