The United States will begin enforcing a partial visa suspension for Nigeria and 18 other countries starting January 1, 2026.
As the new year approaches, Nigerians hoping to travel, study, or relocate to the United States face a dramatically changed landscape. Beginning January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, the US will implement a partial suspension of visa issuance to Nigerian nationals under Presidential Proclamation 10998, titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.”
The US Mission in Nigeria announced the policy Monday, confirming that Nigeria is among 19 countries affected by the measure. The list includes Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—representing over 60% of African nations.
What Visas Are Affected?
The suspension covers several critical visa categories that have traditionally been lifelines for Nigerian applicants seeking American opportunities.
Nonimmigrant visas affected include B-1/B-2 visitor visas used for tourism and business travel, as well as F, M, and J visas designated for students and exchange visitors. These categories represent the vast majority of Nigerian visa applications—from entrepreneurs seeking business partnerships to students pursuing American education.
The restriction also applies to immigrant visas, which provide pathways to permanent residency and eventual citizenship, though certain limited exceptions exist.
The US Mission’s statement was explicit: “Effective January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, 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 19 countries… for nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, J student and exchange visitor visas, and all immigrant visas with limited exceptions.”
Who Is Exempt?
Not all Nigerians will be affected equally. US officials clarified several important exemptions that provide relief for specific categories of travelers.
Existing visa holders are protected. The proclamation applies only to foreign nationals outside the United States on the effective date who do not hold valid US visas as of January 1, 2026. As the statement emphasized: “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.”
This means Nigerians who already possess valid American visas—including multiple-entry visas—can continue using them without fear of revocation.
Special categories exempt from the suspension include:
- Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran
- Dual nationals applying with passports from unaffected countries
- Special Immigrant Visas for eligible US government employees
- Lawful permanent residents of the United States (Green Card holders)
- Participants in certain major international sporting events
The Application Limbo
Perhaps most frustrating for aspiring travelers is the policy’s impact on pending and future applications. The US Mission noted that visa applicants from affected countries may continue submitting applications and attending interviews. However, such applicants “may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the US” under the new rules.
This creates a peculiar limbo where Nigerians can go through the expensive, time-consuming visa application process—paying fees, gathering documentation, attending interviews—only to face likely rejection based purely on nationality rather than individual merit or circumstances.
A Pattern of Restrictions
This latest measure represents the culmination of a troubling pattern in US-Nigeria relations over recent months. The announcement comes amid several policy decisions that have progressively narrowed opportunities for Nigerians seeking American visas.
In October 2025, the United States added Nigeria back to its list of countries accused of violating religious freedom, citing persistent insecurity and attacks on Christian communities. This designation carried both symbolic weight and practical consequences, signaling American dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s handling of sectarian violence.
That religious freedom designation was followed by Nigeria’s inclusion on a revised US travel ban list imposing partial entry restrictions. The tightening continued with changes to visa validity periods—earlier in 2025, the validity of most non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians was reduced to single-entry visas with three-month duration, a dramatic reduction from the multiple-entry, multi-year visas previously common.
Each restriction built upon the previous one, creating an increasingly difficult environment for Nigerian travelers. The January 2026 suspension represents not an isolated policy shift but the latest step in a deliberate recalibration of US-Nigeria immigration relations.
The National Security Justification
The official rationale centers on national security concerns and what the proclamation describes as “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that allegedly threaten US security and public safety.
US officials have pointed to concerns about Nigeria’s ability to properly vet travelers, share security information with American authorities, and maintain robust identity verification systems. The argument suggests that without confidence in these fundamental processes, admitting Nigerian nationals poses unacceptable risks.
Critics counter that these concerns, while perhaps valid, punish ordinary Nigerians—students, businesspeople, families—for systemic failures they neither created nor control. The policy makes no distinction between individuals based on personal history, background checks, or specific circumstances, instead applying broad nationality-based restrictions.
What This Means for Nigerians
For the millions of Nigerians who have built their plans around American opportunities—education, business expansion, family reunification, career advancement—this suspension represents a devastating blow.
Students who dreamed of American universities must now pivot to alternative destinations like Canada, the UK, or European institutions. Entrepreneurs seeking American partnerships face closed doors. Families planning visits or relocations must reconsider entirely.
The timing is particularly cruel, coming just as many had recovered from pandemic-era restrictions and were rebuilding their American aspirations. Those who invested in TOEFL exams, application fees, and visa interview preparations now face the prospect that their efforts were wasted.
The Path Forward
The proclamation allows for review and potential removal of countries from the restricted list based on improved cooperation and addressed deficiencies. This suggests the suspension isn’t necessarily permanent—but neither is it guaranteed to be temporary.
Nigerian authorities face pressure to engage diplomatically with American counterparts, address the stated security concerns, and work toward removal from the list. However, such processes typically move slowly, meaning the suspension could persist well beyond January 2026.
For individual Nigerians, the practical advice is clear: if you currently hold a valid US visa, it remains valid and usable. If you’re planning to apply, understand that approval is now highly uncertain. Consider alternative destinations or wait to see how the policy evolves.
As January 1, 2026 approaches, one thing is certain: the relationship between Nigerian citizens and American immigration policy has entered its most restrictive phase in decades. Whether this represents temporary security-driven caution or a longer-term recalibration of US-Africa immigration relations remains to be seen. But for now, America’s door has narrowed considerably for Nigerians seeking to pass through it.