Travel Alert: US Shortens Visa Validity for Nigerian Citizens

The period and restrictions under which most Nigerian travelers can visit the United States have been reduced as part of the country's comprehensive reforms to its non-immigrant visa policy.

According to the US Department of State, nearly all non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas granted to Nigerian nationals will be single-entry and have a validity period of three months, starting on July 8.

According to the article, this represents a significant change from earlier visa conditions, which frequently permitted multiple entries over a period of two years or longer, and is part of a global realignment of reciprocity.

For visitors from the US, Nigeria also offers single-entry visas that are valid for three months.

Visa laws are still "subject to ongoing review" and may change in response to evolving security, diplomatic, and immigration standards, the State Department said. In order to make sure Nigeria adhered to important international standards, the US government said it was working closely with Nigerian officials.

These consist of:

issuing safe travel documents

Controlling visa overstays and exchanging criminal or security information for public safety

Additionally, "any indications of hostility toward the citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles of the United States" must be checked on the social media accounts of all foreign applicants for visas, including those from Nigeria, according to an order from the US.

According to the 2024 Open Doors report on international education exchanges, Nigeria was the largest source of international students in Africa and the eighth-largest source of international students to the United States.

A 13.5% rise from 2023 was reported in the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

A former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's assistant expressed his opinion that the US was expressing disapproval of Nigeria rather than responding.

Bashir Ahmad wrote on X that the action was motivated by President Bola Tinubu's recent trip to Brazil for the BRICS meeting.

"Reciprocity is not the only issue here. Instead, it seems to be a reflection of the United States' growing unease with Nigeria's expanding global realignment, especially the hospitable attitude we are getting from the Brics," he added.

"This is a classic case of visa reciprocity under international diplomatic practice," said Godwin Oke, an immigration lawyer, in an interview with the BBC. Nations frequently match Visa requirements to indicate reciprocal treatment.

"While Nigeria only provided Americans with short-term, single-entry visas, the US has been granting Nigerians five-year multiple-entry visas. The disparity was eventually going to be rectified from a policy perspective.

The US mission in Nigeria warned that extending a visa might result in a permanent travel restriction and possible criminal charges in March of this year.

The number of Nigerian visitors to the US who overstay their visas is not officially recorded.

However, Nigerians are concerned that President Donald Trump's strict immigration policy would affect the number of visas granted.

The US remains one of the most popular destinations for young Nigerians seeking to leave the country, a phenomenon known as 'Japa,' which translates to 'escape' in Yoruba.