The United States has placed a temporary halt on Green Card and citizenship applications linked to Nigerians.
This action follows a new expansion of Washington’s immigration restrictions and affects several other countries recently added to a broader travel control policy.
The suspension targets legal immigration filings, including applications for permanent residency and naturalisation.
Many of those affected are Nigerians already living in the United States who were in the process of adjusting their status or applying to become citizens.
Under the new directive, immigration authorities have stopped processing petitions from nationals of countries covered by the latest travel restrictions.
This includes both full bans and partial entry limits, depending on the country involved.
Nigeria is among the countries facing partial restrictions. As a result, immigration-related requests tied to Nigerian nationals are now subject to the pause, creating uncertainty for families, workers, and students awaiting decisions on their applications.
Other African countries impacted by the policy include Benin, Senegal, Ghana, Gambia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Côte d’Ivoire, among others.
Some nations face complete entry bans, while others, like Nigeria, are under limited restrictions that still affect immigration processing.
The move is part of a wider immigration clampdown introduced in recent weeks. Authorities have also frozen asylum decisions and halted the processing of certain visa and immigration requests from specific nationalities.
US officials say the decision is linked to a security review of immigration systems.
According to the immigration agency, “USCIS is conducting a comprehensive review of anyone from anywhere who poses a threat to the US, including those identified in the President’s latest proclamation to restore law and order in our nation’s immigration system.”
Taken together, the latest policy changes affect a large portion of African countries and several nations in Asia and other regions. Analysts estimate that more than half of Africa is now impacted in one form or another.
The development has sparked strong reactions among Nigerians at home and abroad. Many have criticised the decision, describing it as unfair and damaging to long-standing diplomatic and people-to-people ties between Nigeria and the United States.
Concerns have also been raised about the economic and social impact of the suspension, especially for families separated by immigration delays and professionals whose careers depend on legal residency status.
Former senator, Shehu Sani, reacted to the development, describing it as “a clear signal that migrants from developing countries are no longer welcome.”