The United States of America has issued a stern warning to Nigerians against overstaying their visas, stating that such violations could lead to deportation and a permanent ban on future travel to the US.
This warning comes in the wake of a series of recent travel restrictions and visa curbs targeting Nigerians, announced by the US government as part of its broader immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The US Mission in Nigeria made the announcement in a post shared via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday.
“If you remain in the United States beyond your authorised period of stay, you could be deported and could face a permanent ban on travelling to the United States in the future,” the US said in ....
Earlier last week, the US revised its visa reciprocity policy for Nigerians, limiting non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas to three-month single-entry approvals. The move, according to US officials, was prompted by concerns around reciprocity, visa overstays, national security, and fraudulent documentation.
In addition, the US government introduced a $250 mandatory Visa Integrity Fee for applicants seeking student, work, or tourist visas.
The new policy also includes several non-waivable travel-related surcharges. These include a $24 I-94 fee and a $13 Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) fee for travellers using the Visa Waiver Program. The charges will apply to visa categories such as B-1/B-2 (tourist/business), F and M (students), H-1B (workers), and J (exchange visitors). Only diplomatic visa applicants under categories A and G are exempted.
These changes come on the heels of additional requirements mandating social media screening for applicants, especially those applying for study-related visas.
As part of this policy, visa applicants are now required to submit all social media usernames and remove privacy settings to allow for full vetting.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States,” the US Embassy in Nigeria said in the announcement.
Since assuming office, President Trump has pursued an aggressive immigration agenda, including the enforcement of executive orders calling for tighter visa screening and removal of illegal immigrants.
Trump’s policies have emphasized that only individuals who pose no threat to the US or its citizens will be admitted, and that immigrants already in the US should neither support foreign terrorist groups nor exhibit hostility towards the country.