The United States Embassy in Nigeria has assured Nigerians that all visas issued before January 1, 2026 remain valid and will not be revoked despite the new travel restrictions announced by the U.S. government.
The embassy gave the clarification following widespread concerns after Nigeria was listed among 15 countries placed under partial travel suspension by the United States on December 16.
Other affected countries include Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon and The Gambia.
In a statement released on Monday, the embassy made it clear that the proclamation does not cancel or invalidate visas already issued before the effective date of the policy.
“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 stated.
The United States government explained that the decision to impose partial restrictions was based on security concerns, including the activities of radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in parts of Nigeria.
According to U.S. authorities, these conditions create what they described as “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
The U.S. also cited visa overstay rates as a contributing factor. Officials disclosed that Nigeria recorded an overstay rate of 5.56 percent for B-1 and B-2 visas issued for business and tourism, while F, M and J visas issued to students and exchange visitors had an overstay rate of 11.90 percent.
Under the new policy, 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 and B-2 visas, F and M visas for academic and vocational studies, as well as J visas for exchange programmes.
The travel restrictions are scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026. However, the embassy emphasised that the rules 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.
The embassy further clarified that certain categories of travellers are exempted from the proclamation.
These include lawful permanent residents, dual nationals travelling with passports from countries not affected by the restrictions, special immigrant visa holders who worked for the U.S. government, participants in major international sporting events, and immigrants facing ethnic or religious persecution in Iran.
While visa applicants covered by the proclamation may still submit applications and attend interviews, the embassy noted that such applicants could be found ineligible for visa issuance or entry into the United States under the new rules.
