In addition to the designated countries – Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria – citizens of 15 other countries will face stricter entry restrictions, the White House announced.
In a post on social media, the White House writes that the measure is being taken because President Donald Trump wants to "increase the security of the United States."
The US has previously put asylum and visa applications from 19 “high-risk” countries on hold. Citizens of those countries who are already in the US may be affected.
In June, Trump imposed a travel ban on citizens from twelve countries, but the stricter rules in recent weeks are referenced in the shooting near the White House in November, when an Afghan man killed a National Guardsman and injured another.
