New travel and immigration rules for non-US citizens, including Green Card holders, came into effect on December 26, 2025. What changes now?
The rules will allow stricter checks at US borders and boost the use of biometric identification such as photographs, fingerprints, and eye scans. They also bring tougher reviews for green-card holders from certain countries.
Now on, all non-US citizens will have their photograph taken every time they enter or leave the US. Earlier, biometric collection (like facial photos and fingerprints) at exit from the US was limited to pilot programs at select ports.
Children under the age of 14 and adults over 79 are no longer exempt, even though they were previously not required to go through biometric checks.
The new rule eliminates prior exemptions, including those for diplomats and most Canadian visitors. It also removes limitations on pilot programs and expands biometric collection to new transportation modalities, including sea exit, private aircraft, vehicle entry/exit, and pedestrian exit.
The US Customs and Border Protection officers may also collect fingerprints and iris scans. These details will be matched with existing travel documents through the ‘Traveller Verification Service.’
US citizens are not covered by this rule, but they may continue to voluntarily participate in the facial biometrics process at entry and exit. US citizens who prefer to opt out of the facial biometrics process may simply notify a CBP officer or airline representative and undergo manual inspection of their passport, as required for international travel.
According to Newsweek, under the new system, federal authorities can track international travel by non-US citizens. Extra attention will be given to green-card applicants and holders from 19 countries that the US government flagged for security concerns.
Earlier, Trump's administration imposed a travel ban on these countries after briefly halting the visa process.
"The Trump Administration is making every effort to ensure that individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right," a DHS spokesperson told NPR in a statement.
Meanwhile, the latest rules mean that people who already hold green cards will be photographed and may also be fingerprinted or scanned every time they travel to or from the US.
Border questioning is expected to be more detailed, the Financial Express reported. Officials may ask more questions about travel history, residence, or documentation, it added.
Green-card holders have been advised to keep all paperwork updated and easily accessible, as authorities may ask for documents at short notice. Those with pending or future visa and green-card applications should also be prepared for delays.
On December 2, 2025, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said it would pause reviewing all pending applications for green cards, citizenship, or asylum from immigrants from 19 countries listed in a previous travel ban.
In June this year, US President Trump announced the travel ban against 12 countries, and partial restrictions against seven others, after a firebombing attack in Colorado.
The US government fully restricted and limited the entry of nationals of 12 countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The government partially restricted the entry of nationals of the following 7 countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
This proclamation is effective at 12:01 am eastern standard time on January 1, 2026.