The United States (US) Embassy in Nigeria has assured Nigerians that visas issued before January 1, 2026, will remain valid despite new US travel restrictions affecting the country.
The reassurance followed concerns after the US government placed Nigeria among 15 mostly African countries under partial travel suspensions on December 16. Other affected countries include Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, and The Gambia.
According to US authorities, the decision was based on security concerns linked to the presence of radical Islamic terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State, in parts of Nigeria.
The US government said these conditions create “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
The US also cited visa overstay rates as a factor. Officials reported a 5.56 percent overstay rate for B-1/B-2 visas and 11.90 percent for F, M, and J visas issued to Nigerians.
However, the partial suspension affects both immigrant and non-immigrant visa categories commonly used by Nigerians.
These include B-1 visas for business travel, B-2 visas for tourism, combined B-1/B-2 visas, F and M visas for academic and vocational students, and J visas for exchange visitors.
The travel restrictions are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026.
In a statement released on Monday, the U.S. Embassy clarified that the proclamation does not apply to certain groups.
These include immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, dual nationals traveling with passports from unaffected countries, special immigrant visa (SIV) holders who worked for the US government, participants in major international sporting events, and lawful permanent residents (LPRs).
The embassy emphasised that the restrictions apply only to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid visa at that time.
“No visas issued before January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation,” the embassy confirmed.
Visa applicants covered by the proclamation may still submit applications and attend interviews. However, the embassy noted that such applicants could be found ineligible for visa issuance or entry into the United States under the new rules.
