The U.S. Department of State has changed its five-year visa policy for Nigerians applying for non-immigrant and non-official visits to the United States, now offering only three-month visas to these applicants.
This action is a response to what is perceived as similar treatment given to American citizens by the Nigerian government.
A memo from the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria released on Tuesday noted that the Trump administration is implementing this reduction in visa duration to address concerns about visa overstays.
It emphasized that visas issued prior to Tuesday, July 8, will still be valid and unaffected by this new policy. Non-immigrant categories, which mainly include tourism and business visas, represent the majority of annual visa approvals for Nigerian applicants.
For several years, the U.S. allowed non-immigrant visas to be valid for two years; however, in 2022, this was extended to five years in response to feedback that two years was insufficient. Now, with the new regulation reverting to just three months, many Nigerians might reconsider if acquiring a U.S. visa is worthwhile.
This announcement follows the Trump administration's recent designation of Nigeria, alongside about thirty other nations, for visa restrictions, based on allegations that these countries were corrupt or failing to properly vet their citizens.
Additionally, Trump requested a 10 percent increase in tariffs on Nigerian exports, citing the West African country's links to BRICS.