Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed in a 5-December television interview that the administration will issue a new presidential proclamation in the coming days adding “well over a dozen” nations to the travel ban first re-imposed in June. Officials say the revised list will cover more than 30 countries judged either unable or unwilling to share terrorist-screening data with Washington. Both immigrant and non-immigrant visas—including visitor and business (B-1/B-2), student (F-1) and work visas—will be suspended for nationals of the listed states.
The expansion follows the 26-November shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., allegedly by an Afghan parolee. President Trump responded by ordering a 90-day review of all humanitarian admissions and instructing DHS to recommend broader restrictions. Noem told Fox News that the new ban is designed to “pause entry from Third-World countries that cannot vet their own citizens.” Reports indicate Afghanistan, Somalia and Iran will remain on the list, while several West African and Middle-Eastern countries will be added.
![U.S. to Expand Trump-Era Travel Ban to More Than 30 Countries]()
For corporate mobility programs the move raises immediate red flags. Multinationals employing nationals from the targeted countries will need to identify alternative travel routings or accelerate adjustment-of-status filings for staff already in the United States. Business travelers who hold dual citizenship may still qualify if they use a passport from a non-listed country, but consular backlogs are likely as officers work through nationality questions.
Airlines are bracing for last-minute cancellations and have asked the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for clarifying guidance on boarding procedures. Human-rights groups, meanwhile, argue that the blanket ban violates the Immigration and Nationality Act’s anti-discrimination clause, and several lawsuits are expected within days of publication.
Practical take-away: Global mobility managers should (1) compile employee head-counts by nationality, (2) freeze non-essential travel for affected staff, and (3) prepare contingency assignments in Canada or the EU where feasible. Companies relying on short-term project visas (e.g., B-1 in lieu of H-1B) should assume those options will not be available for the newly banned nationalities until further notice.
The expansion follows the 26-November shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., allegedly by an Afghan parolee. President Trump responded by ordering a 90-day review of all humanitarian admissions and instructing DHS to recommend broader restrictions. Noem told Fox News that the new ban is designed to “pause entry from Third-World countries that cannot vet their own citizens.” Reports indicate Afghanistan, Somalia and Iran will remain on the list, while several West African and Middle-Eastern countries will be added.
For corporate mobility programs the move raises immediate red flags. Multinationals employing nationals from the targeted countries will need to identify alternative travel routings or accelerate adjustment-of-status filings for staff already in the United States. Business travelers who hold dual citizenship may still qualify if they use a passport from a non-listed country, but consular backlogs are likely as officers work through nationality questions.
Airlines are bracing for last-minute cancellations and have asked the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for clarifying guidance on boarding procedures. Human-rights groups, meanwhile, argue that the blanket ban violates the Immigration and Nationality Act’s anti-discrimination clause, and several lawsuits are expected within days of publication.
Practical take-away: Global mobility managers should (1) compile employee head-counts by nationality, (2) freeze non-essential travel for affected staff, and (3) prepare contingency assignments in Canada or the EU where feasible. Companies relying on short-term project visas (e.g., B-1 in lieu of H-1B) should assume those options will not be available for the newly banned nationalities until further notice.
