The United States has announced a sweeping new visa restriction that will affect Nigerian travellers, students and prospective migrants, with parts of the policy set to take effect from January 1, 2026.
In a statement released on Monday, the US Mission in Nigeria said the measure is anchored on a new presidential proclamation aimed at strengthening border controls and national security.
The directive, formally known as Presidential Proclamation 10998 and titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,” will come into force at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on the effective date.
Nigeria is among 19 countries listed under the new restriction regime. Others include Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Under the proclamation, the US will partially suspend the issuance of several categories of visas. Affected visas include nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M and J visas issued to students and exchange visitors. Certain immigrant visas are also covered by the suspension, although the policy allows for narrowly defined exceptions.
US officials stressed that the restrictions are not a blanket ban and will not apply to all Nigerian nationals. Exemptions include lawful permanent residents of the United States, dual nationals travelling on passports from non-affected countries, and holders of Special Immigrant Visas who qualify through employment with the US government. Participants in select major international sporting events are also excluded from the suspension.
Additionally, the proclamation makes provisions for immigrant visas granted on humanitarian grounds, including cases involving ethnic or religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.
The US Mission further clarified that the new rules only apply to foreign nationals who are outside the United States as of January 1, 2026, and who do not already possess a valid US visa.
“Foreign nationals, even those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998. No visas issued before January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation,” the statement said.
Applicants from affected countries, including Nigeria, may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews. However, US authorities warned that such applicants could ultimately be deemed ineligible for visa issuance or entry under the new security guidelines.
The latest announcement adds to a series of recent US policy decisions that have unsettled many Nigerians seeking to travel, study or relocate to the United States.
In October, Washington reinstated Nigeria on its watchlist for alleged violations of religious freedom, a designation US officials linked to ongoing insecurity and attacks on Christian communities. This was followed by Nigeria’s inclusion on a revised travel restriction list imposing partial entry limitations on its citizens.
Earlier this year, the US also reduced the validity of most nonimmigrant visas issued to Nigerians, limiting them to single-entry visas valid for just three months. Reports later emerged suggesting that some immigrant visa categories, including green cards, could face suspension under new executive directives.
While US authorities have since clarified that lawful permanent residents and holders of valid visas issued before January 1, 2026, will retain their status, the evolving restrictions continue to raise anxiety among Nigerians with educational, business and family ties to the United States.
