The administration of President Donald Trump has imposed new travel restrictions on Nigerians seeking to enter the United States, targeting visa categories that account for the majority of visas issued to Nigerians by U.S. consular authorities.
Under the new measures, Nigerians will be prohibited from entering the United States as immigrants or under several nonimmigrant visa categories, including B-1 (business), B-2 (tourism), B-1/B-2 combined, F (academic study), M (vocational study), and J (exchange program).
These categories make up the majority of visas issued each year by U.S. embassies and consulates in Nigeria and cover business, tourism, education, and exchange programs.
The White House announced the restrictions in a presidential proclamation posted on its website Tuesday.
“The entry of Nigerian nationals into the United States as immigrants and as nonimmigrants on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas is hereby suspended,” the proclamation states.
The U.S. government cited security concerns and the difficulty of vetting travelers as reasons for the decision, pointing to Nigeria’s long-standing security challenges.
“Islamic extremist terrorist organizations, such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State, operate freely in certain areas of Nigeria, making vetting and vetting significantly more difficult,” the White House said.
He also cited visa compliance data, saying that Nigeria recorded an overstay rate of 5.56% for B-1/B-2 visas and 11.90% for F, M and J visas, according to the US Overstay Report.
The Trump administration said U.S. consular officials in Nigeria have been directed to shorten the validity of other nonimmigrant visas issued to Nigerians “to the extent permitted by law.”
The restrictions follow Washington’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” regarding religious freedom. Nigerian authorities have rejected claims that religious persecution is causing the country’s security crisis, insisting that the violence is rooted in broader crime and insurgency.
Despite this move, diplomatic relations between the two countries continue. On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Richard Mills met with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tugar to discuss matters of mutual concern.
Restrictions extend to other countries
The declaration also imposed partial travel restrictions on 14 other countries, expanding the list first introduced in June.
The countries being added are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Ivory Coast, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The White House said the restrictions go into effect Jan. 1 and apply only to foreign nationals outside the United States who do not hold a valid visa as of the effective date.
“The restrictions and restrictions imposed by this proclamation are necessary to obtain cooperation from foreign governments, including reducing overstay rates among their nationals, enforcing immigration laws, and furthering national security and counterterrorism objectives,” the statement said.
Lawful permanent residents, diplomatic visa holders, athletes participating in major international events, and certain special immigrant visa holders are exempt from the restrictions. The United States also granted immunity to ethnic and religious minorities persecuted by Iran.
Complete travel ban imposed on five countries
In addition to partial restrictions, the United States has imposed full travel bans on Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger, Syria, and Sudan.
The administration said these countries are subject to the blanket ban due to concerns about fraudulent or unreliable civil documents, weak criminal records systems, and corruption and instability that complicate the vetting process.
The declaration also announced a ban on holders of passports issued by the Palestinian Authority due to the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hamas’ presence in Palestinian population centers.
In June, President Trump imposed a total travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, while tightening restrictions on Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.
U.S. officials said the travel ban is aimed at protecting the country from terrorism and other security threats by restricting entry from countries that cannot ensure adequate testing and information sharing.
