The Digest:
The United States has placed Nigeria under new partial travel restrictions, significantly impacting applicants for key visa categories including tourism, student, and work visas. The policy, enacted by President Donald Trump, cites deficiencies in Nigeria’s screening and information-sharing systems and imposes stricter vetting and temporary suspensions on several non-immigrant pathways.
Key Points:
- The restrictions are partial, not a total ban, but target specific visa categories.
- Suspended categories include B-1/B-2 (tourism/business), F (student), M (vocational), and J (exchange program) visas.
- Immigrant visas (for permanent residence/Green Cards) are also blocked, though marriage-based visas are not listed.
- Applicants should expect stricter background checks, longer processing times, and higher denial rates.
- Holders of valid visas are largely unaffected, but renewals may face tougher screening.
- The move pressures Nigeria to improve identity management and security data coordination.
- Nigerian students and professionals are advised to explore alternatives like Canada or the UK.
Sources: Leadership, Vanguard
