The United States (US), has announced a major change to its visa policy for Nigeria, reducing the validity period and entry allowance for most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens.
In a statement on Tuesday, the US embassy in Nigeria said most of the affected visas will now be limited to single-entry with a three-month validity period.
The change takes immediate effect.
But the embassy said visas issued before July 8 will remain valid under their original terms.
It noted that the revision is part of its global visa reciprocity process, where its visa policies are aligned with how its own citizens are treated by other countries.
The US embassy added that the policy is subject to regular review and may result in adjustments to visa validity or entry allowances.
It noted that Nigeria still needs to meet certain criteria to improve the visa reciprocity standing, which include issuing secure travel documents with verifiable identities, effectively managing visa overstays, and sharing relevant security and criminal record information with US authorities.
“The US Mission is working with the Government of Nigeria to ensure that Nigeria can meet the criteria,” the statement reads.
Despite the tightening of visa terms, the US reiterated its commitment to maintaining strong ties with Nigeria.
Earlier, the embassy asked all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas to adjust their social media privacy settings to public.
The directive applies to individuals seeking to study or participate in academic and vocational exchange programmes in the US.
According to the notice, the measure is part of enhanced vetting procedures aimed at verifying the identities and admissibility of applicants under US law.
