Green card holders from countries banned by US may face more scrutiny— here's how to prepare for re-examination | Today News

Beginning January 1, US President Donald Trump's administration imposed a total and partial ban on foreign nationals from 39 countries. "The United States is fully or partially suspending entry for and visa issuance to nationals of 39 countries," a statement on December 19 read.

On December 16, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation restricting entry to the US by nationals of 39 countries plus individuals travelling on Palestinian Authority (PA)-issued travel documents.

This proclamation, which took effect January 1, 2026, expands on the one from June 4, 2025, which suspended the entry of certain foreign nationals from 19 countries.

The list included countries whose nationals are subject to "full suspension" and "partial suspension".

Initially, in June, foreign nationals from 12 countries were fully restricted those from seven countries were partially restricted from entering the US.

In December, the list expanded to include full restrictions and entry limitations on five additional countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, and Syria.

The new list included Laos and Sierra Leone -- which were earlier subject to partial restrictions — in countries slapped with full restrictions and entry limitations.

It also added partial restrictions and entry limitations on 15 additional countries: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The new list, however, removed Turkmenistan from June's "partial restrictions". It, however, said, “This new Proclamation lifts the ban on its non-immigrant visas, while maintaining the suspension of entry for Turkmen nationals as immigrants.”

Here's what the new list of 39 countries facing full and partial restrictions in the US looks like: Green-card holders were among the exceptions in this case. The administration's fact sheet read, "The Proclamation includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents [Green Card holders], existing visa holders, certain visa categories like athletes and diplomats, and individuals whose entry serves US national interests."

However, the Trump administration had said in November, before revising the June list, that it would re-examine green cards issued to individuals who migrated to the US from 19 countries.

The head of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph Edlow, said on X that, “at the direction” of the president, he had ordered “a full-scale, rigorous re-examination of every green card for every alien from every country of concern”.

In a video posted on December 31, 2025, a US attorney said there's a major immigration update, especially for those who are from one of the banned countries.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is now applying broader discretionary scrutiny to cases filed by nationals of certain banned countries, the caption of the video stated.

This affects the adjustment of status, change of status, and extensions of status.

"Immigration just changed the way that they're going to adjudicate adjustment of status, change of status, extension of status for any individual from a banned country," said Brad Bernstein, who claims to have 30+ years of experience and is part of the lawyers' team at Law Offices of Spar and Bernstein.

He said, "Even if you qualify for adjustment of status, say you're from Haiti and marry a US citizen and adjust your status, or from Nigeria and want to extend your student status...Immigration is now going to add on to the adjudication of your application."

Bernstein said there will be "additional hurdles" — looking at positive and negative factors to determine whether a person even deserves an immigration benefit just because they "were born in one of those countries".

The attorney said these factors could include things like employment history, immigration history, violating status, community involvement, and arrest records (even if they ended up being dismissed).

This means, according to the video, even if someone qualifies under the law, the USCIS can still deny a case based on positive and negative discretionary factors, including immigration history, employment, family ties, community involvement, and country-specific security concerns.

If you are outside the United States, there's still a ban on entering the US for individuals from these 19 banned countries.

But, if a person is inside the US, you can file — but expect more scrutiny, more RFEs, and longer delays. For nationals of travel-ban countries, immigration cases are no longer routine. Strategy and preparation matter more than ever.

Bernstein, an immigration attorney, said if you're in the US and would want to adjust or extend your status or change your status, "be proactive."

"File all these positive equities in advance with your application. Things like family ties, employment history, showing you've tried to follow the rules, letters of recommendation and good moral conduct. Letters from employers, families, friends, neighbours. Prove you've paid your taxes," he said.

Bernstein said strategy matters and advised: "Don't just fill out some forms."