The United States government has announced a new set of visa restrictions that will affect Nigerian nationals beginning January 1, 2026, as part of a broader policy shift tied to border control and national security concerns.
The US Mission in Nigeria disclosed that the policy will take effect at exactly 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 10998, a directive issued to regulate and limit the entry of foreign nationals into the United States in the interest of national security.
Nigeria is listed among 19 countries impacted by the proclamation. Other affected nations 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 United States will implement a partial suspension of visa issuance across multiple categories. These include nonimmigrant visitor visas under the B-1 and B-2 classifications, as well as F, M and J visas issued to students and exchange programme participants. The restrictions also extend to certain immigrant visa categories, although specific exemptions apply.
US authorities clarified that the measure is not a blanket ban and does not affect all Nigerian travellers. Exemptions outlined in the proclamation cover lawful permanent residents of the United States, dual nationals who apply using passports from countries not included in the restrictions, and eligible applicants for Special Immigrant Visas linked to US government service.
Additional exemptions apply to individuals participating in designated major international sporting events, as well as specific humanitarian cases. The proclamation also makes provision for immigrant visas issued to ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran.
The US Mission emphasised that the new restrictions apply strictly to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid US visa as of January 1, 2026.
According to the statement, individuals who already possess valid US visas issued before the commencement date will not be affected. “Foreign nationals, including those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998. No visas issued prior to January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, will be revoked under the proclamation,” the mission stated.
Despite the new policy, visa application processes will remain operational. Applicants from affected countries, including Nigeria, may continue to submit applications and attend scheduled interviews. However, US officials warned that such applicants could be deemed ineligible for visa issuance or admission under the revised entry rules.
The development comes amid growing anxiety among Nigerians seeking to travel, study or relocate to the United States, following a series of immigration-related policy adjustments by Washington in recent months.
In October, the US government re-designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations, citing ongoing insecurity and targeted attacks on Christian communities. This was followed by Nigeria’s inclusion in a revised US travel restriction framework that imposed partial entry limitations.
Earlier in the year, US authorities also reduced the validity period of most nonimmigrant visas issued to Nigerians, limiting them to single-entry visas valid for three months. More recently, concerns emerged over the potential suspension of certain immigrant visa categories, including green card processing, although officials have reiterated that lawful permanent residents and holders of valid pre-2026 visas remain unaffected.
