The United States has announced a significant reduction in visa privileges for Nigerian citizens, limiting non-immigrant visas to single-entry permits valid for three months. This marks a major policy shift from the previous arrangement, which allowed Nigerians to receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years.
The new directive, disclosed in a statement on the website of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, took immediate effect. The embassy emphasized that visa reciprocity — the principle of matching visa policies between countries — is an ongoing global process and subject to review at any time.
“We wish to underscore that as is standard globally, visa reciprocity is a continuous process and is subject to review and change at any time, such as increasing or decreasing permitted entries and duration of validity,” the statement read.
The decision effectively rolls back a longstanding visa policy that benefited Nigerian travellers and businesspeople who frequently visited the United States for temporary purposes, including tourism, conferences, medical care, and education.
Although the embassy did not specify the precise reasons behind the change, the policy shift comes amid heightened diplomatic and security scrutiny. In June, the Trump administration placed Nigeria on a list of 36 countries at risk of new travel restrictions if certain concerns are not addressed within two months. These concerns reportedly include issues around security cooperation, border control, and data sharing.
A Nigerian official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, speaking anonymously to local media, noted that Nigeria does not impose similar visa restrictions on U.S. citizens, suggesting a lack of reciprocity that may have triggered the review by Washington.
According to reports, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar has not issued any public comment or response regarding the change, despite inquiries.
According to data from the U.S. State Department, Nigeria accounted for nearly one-fifth of all non-immigrant visas issued to African countries in the 2024 fiscal year, making it the second-highest recipient behind South Africa.
