Outlook Business Desk
New travel and immigration rules for non-US citizens, including green-card holders, came into force on December 26, 2025, allowing stricter border checks and expanded biometric identification at all US entry and exit points.
Under the updated rule, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) must collect facial biometrics from all non-US citizens every time they enter or leave the United States, across airports, land borders, seaports and authorised departure points.
Earlier exemptions have been scrapped. Children under 14, adults above 79, diplomats and most canadian visitors will now undergo biometric checks, which were previously limited to select pilot programmes and specific age groups.
Biometric collection has been extended beyond airports to include sea exits, private aircraft, vehicle crossings and pedestrian departures, marking a significant expansion of monitoring across all major travel modes.
US Customs and Border Protection officers may also gather fingerprints and iris scans, which will be verified against existing travel documents using the Traveller Verification Service to confirm traveller identity.
Travellers unwilling to undergo facial biometric screening can inform a CBP officer or airline staff and complete a manual passport inspection instead, as required under international travel procedures.
Green-card holders from 19 countries flagged for security concerns will face tougher reviews, with authorities closely tracking international travel and reassessing permanent residency under enhanced scrutiny.
US immigration authorities plan to re-review and re-interview immigrants from these countries, potentially reassessing applications filed as far back as 2021, while border questioning is expected to become more detailed.
Meanwhile, from January 1, 2026, the US will fully bar entry from 12 countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Somalia and Yemen, while partially restricting travellers from seven others such as Cuba, Venezuela, Burundi, Togo and Turkmenistan.