The United States government has expanded its travel and immigration restrictions on Nigerians, including the suspension of legal immigration applications.
As a result, Nigerians are currently unable to apply for green cards, U.S. citizenship through naturalisation, or other permanent residency pathways. Processing of such applications has been placed on hold.
US Expands Immigration Suspension
According to a report by CBS News on Thursday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has widened the scope of its immigration suspensions. The action follows a recent proclamation issued by President Donald Trump.
Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that the proclamation imposed new travel restrictions on several developing countries.
US Imposes Travel Ban On Nigerians, Suspends Entry For Several Visa Categories (READ DETAILS)
Partial Travel Ban on Nigerians
Under the directive, the United States placed a partial travel restriction on Nigeria. The measure suspends entry for Nigerians seeking to enter the U.S. as immigrants.
It also affects several non-immigrant visa categories, including B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M, and J visas.
Other Affected Countries
The suspension of green card and citizenship applications also applies to nationals of Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. These countries were placed under a full U.S. travel ban earlier in the week.
In addition, the new measures impact people from Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The latest proclamation added 15 countries to seven others that had already been placed under partial restrictions in June.
Nationals of these countries are now barred from applying for U.S. permanent residency or citizenship during the suspension period.
US Cites Security Concerns
U.S. authorities said the travel bans are intended to protect the country from foreign terrorists and other security threats.
They also claimed difficulties in properly verifying the backgrounds and security risks of individuals from the affected countries.
The administration cited what it described as a general lack of stability and weak government control in those nations, making effective vetting challenging.
USCIS Explains Enforcement
In a post on X, USCIS said it is conducting a comprehensive review of individuals considered to pose security risks.
The agency noted that the review includes people identified under the president’s latest proclamation, which it said aims to restore law and order in the U.S. immigration system.
US Immigration Suspension for Nigerians: Nigeria Yet to Respond
The Nigerian government has not officially reacted to the latest U.S. action.
However, it has previously stated its willingness to work with U.S. authorities to address concerns and resolve grey areas in bilateral relations.
Leave a Reply