US Embassy Issues Fresh Update on Visa Restrictions on Nigeria, Other Countries
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has reiterated the implementation of visa restrictions affecting nationals of 19 countries, including Nigeria, with effect from January 1, 2026.
The reminder was issued on Wednesday through the embassy’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.
According to the embassy, the policy is in line with Presidential Proclamation 10998 and remains in force.
In the post, the embassy stated, “Reminder to Non-Immigrant Visa Applicants: Effective January 1, 2026, in line with Presidential Proclamation 10998 on ‘Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,
“The Department of State is partially suspending visa issuance to nationals of Nigeria for B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas.”
It would be recalled that on December 19, 2025, the United States announced a partial suspension of visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries.
The affected countries are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
The suspension applies to non-immigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas, as well as all immigrant visa categories.
However, the US government listed several exemptions to the policy. 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 under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(D), participants in certain major international sporting events, and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs).
