The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced that the U.S. government will partially suspend visa issuance to Nigerian nationals, effective January 1, 2026, as part of a broader measure affecting 19 countries.
In a press statement, the Mission said the action is being taken “in line with Presidential Proclamation 10998 on ‘Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.’”
According to the statement, the suspension will take effect “January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST,” and will apply to nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas as well as F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas. The measure will also affect “all immigrant visas,” subject to limited exceptions.
Nigeria is among the 19 countries listed in the proclamation, alongside Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The U.S. Mission clarified that the suspension is not absolute, noting that several categories of applicants who will be exempt. These include “Immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran,” “Dual nationals applying with a passport of a nationality not subject to a suspension,” and “Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for U.S. government employees under 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(D).”
Other exemptions listed are “Participants in certain major sporting events” and “Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs).”
The statement further explained the scope of the proclamation, stressing that “Presidential Proclamation 10998 only applies to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date AND do not hold a valid visa on the effective date (January 1, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. EST).”
It added that “Foreign nationals, even those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998.” The Mission also reassured current visa holders that “No visas issued before January 1, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation.”
However, the U.S. government noted that while applications will still be accepted, approval is not guaranteed.
“Visa applicants who are subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998 may still submit visa applications and schedule interviews, but they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States,” the statement said.
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