President Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump is issuing a directive to restrict immigration from six additional countries, citing security concerns, administration officials said on Friday.

The six nations are: Nigeria, Myanmar, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Sudan and Tanzania.

The countries will face tailored restrictions, the official said.

The new rules come into effect on February 22.

The new rules stop short of a blanket travel ban and will still allow certain visits to the U.S., notably those for non-immigration purposes, which raised questions about how the administration was defining security concerns.

The restrictions are largely focused on immigration visas that can lead to the ability to settle permanently in the U.S., and not on visits for familiar purposes or for business, in most cases.

The rules are being imposed ahead of elections later this year and come three years after Trump slapped a travel ban on several Muslim-majority nations, sparking an uproar.

The ban, which was modified, was later upheld by a court ruling.

The problems facing the latest six countries to be hit with restrictions largely stem from deficiencies in sharing intelligence with the U.S. and Interpol, in addition to technological issues pertaining to passports and databases, the officials said.

Officials said the nations could make moves to improve their status.

One country that nearly ended up on the list was able to improve its systems in advance of the new directive and sidestep the restrictions, the officials said.

Trump has made restricting immigration, particularly from Muslim and poorer countries, a cornerstone of his policy as president.

When he launched his campaign for the White House in 2015, Trump called for a shutdown of all Muslim migration to the U.S.

The president is expected to formally sign and issue the new directive as early as Friday. (dpa/NAN)

*UPDATED