New Rules For Green Card Holders, Non-US Citizens From December 26 And January 1: What Changes Now?

(MENAFN- Live Mint) 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.

Rule to advance the Biometric Entry/Exit Program

As per the rule effective December 26, 2025, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will be required to collect biometric data/facial biometrics from all non-US citizens upon entry and exit at airports, land ports, seaports, and other authorised points of departure from the US.

Now on, all non-US citizens

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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.'

Also Read | January 2026 US Visa Bulletin: Key deadlines for applicants released

US citizens

Tougher Green-card reviews

New rules will soon bring tougher reviews for green-card holders from certain countries. Having a Green Card allows you to live and work permanently in the United States.

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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.

What new rules mean?

As per an NPR report from December 3, the Citizenship and immigration agency plans to re-review and re-interview immigrants from these countries, potentially going as far back as 2021, amid sharper scrutiny of those who have followed the legal steps to seek permanent status in the US.

"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.

Also Read | Trump administration expands travel ban to additional countries

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.

Also Read | Trump Administration expands travel ban, adds five more countries

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.

New rules from January 1, 2026 | 19 countries on travel ban list

In June this year, US President Trum 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.

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