The United States has announced a partial suspension of the issuance of certain visas to Nigerian nationals, with effect from January 1, 2026, citing border control and national security concerns.
In a statement released on Monday, the US Mission in Nigeria said the restrictions would take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time under Presidential Proclamation 10998, titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.”
Nigeria is among 19 countries affected by the measure. Others include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela and Zambia.
Under the proclamation, the US will impose a partial suspension on the issuance of nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M and J visas for students and exchange visitors. The restrictions also extend to immigrant visas, with limited exceptions.
However, several categories are exempted from the suspension. These include immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, dual nationals applying with passports from countries not affected by the suspension, Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for eligible US government employees, participants in certain major international sporting events, and lawful permanent residents (LPRs).
The US Mission clarified that the suspension applies only to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid US visa at that time.
“Foreign nationals, even those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998. No visas issued before January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation,” the statement said.
Despite the new rules, Nigerian visa applicants may still submit applications and attend interviews. However, the US Mission warned that applicants “may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States” under the proclamation.
The announcement comes amid a series of recent US policy actions affecting Nigerian nationals. In October, the US added Nigeria back to its list of countries accused of violating religious freedom, citing persistent insecurity and attacks on Christian communities. This was followed by Nigeria’s inclusion on a revised US travel ban list that imposed partial entry restrictions on Nigerian citizens.
The development is expected to generate concern among Nigerians seeking to travel to the United States for tourism, education and exchange programmes.
