TIMELINE: How US visa policies have affected Nigeria since Trump’s return to office
Immigration crackdown has been a central feature of US President Donald Trump’s second-term agenda since he assumed office in January 2025. This priority has led to deportations, visa restrictions, and enforcement expansions to shape both domestic security goals and foreign negotiations.
These policies have particularly reshaped US-Africa relations, with Trump prioritising transactional deals that put American interests first and penalising countries that resist. Under this approach, Nigeria has arguably taken one of the hardest hits on the continent.
Visa suspensions due to terrorism risks, conflicts, and religious freedom violations, and high deportation pressures have rattled relations between Nigeria and the US. While some of the consequences stem from broader visa policies, others have been directly targeted at Nigeria.
Here is a timeline of US visa policies that have affected Nigeria since Trump’s second term began.
JANUARY 2025: ‘END’ OF BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP
Hours after his inauguration as president, Trump signed an executive order terminating the privilege of birthright citizenship.
Trump has long argued that foreign nationals take advantage of the law, bringing their families to procreate in the US, driving up migration numbers. But some 18 states and rights groups blocked the president’s move by filing court cases.
Trump’s appeal to reinstate his order was denied after three federal judges stopped it from taking effect.
In a July advisory, the US embassy in Nigeria cautioned Nigerians against travelling with the primary intention of giving birth and claiming US citizenship for their children.
The US embassy in Nigeria said such travel applications would be denied if consular officers have reason to believe that birthright citizenship is the main motivation.
Birthright citizenship is especially valuable for Nigerians due to the country’s weak passport, ranked among the world’s least powerful with visa-free access to just 44 countries. US citizenship offers a strong passport, family sponsorship, and economic opportunities that Nigerians can’t easily secure otherwise. These benefits have made birth tourism a global trend.
The US supreme court has yet to rule on the matter, leaving birthright citizenship constitutionally protected.
APRIL 2025: NEW VISA INTERVIEW REQUIREMENT
Last April, the US mission announced changes to its visa interview requirements for Nigerian travellers.
Applicants in Abuja and Lagos were instructed to take along a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number that begins with “AA” followed by two zeroes.
The changes were introduced to curb application fraud, reduce no-shows, and streamline processing amid surging demand and backlogs.
Previously, applicants often submitted DS-160 forms after booking appointments or used mismatched/old forms, causing consular confusion, invalid interviews, and wasted slots.
Earlier in 2025, from January 1, all visa applicants were also mandated to visit the consulate general in Lagos twice as part of the application process.
MAY 2025: US HALTED STUDENT VISA INTERVIEWS
Last May, the Trump-led administration ordered US embassies and consular sections to pause scheduling new interviews for student visa applicants.
The order was in preparation for a proposed vetting of social media accounts to ensure students with ideologies of “terrorism” and “antisemitism” were kept out of the US.
The crackdown came weeks after dozens of foreign students had their visas revoked without reason. Some Nigerian students were said to be affected by the sudden revocations.
JUNE 2025: TRUMP CONSIDERED ADDING NIGERIA TO TRAVEL BAN LIST
Nigeria was among 36 mostly African countries considered for a travel ban, an internal memo signed by Marco Rubio, secretary of state, showed.
In March of the same year, a list of countries was considered for visa restrictions, but Nigeria did not make the cut at the time.
According to the June memo, Nigeria was asked to meet new requirements laid down by the state department within 60 days. The details of those requirements — and the rationale behind them — were not made public.
JULY 2025: STUDENT VISA APPLICANTS ASKED TO MAKE SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES PUBLIC
Shortly after the memo asking embassies to pause student visa interviews, the US embassy in Nigeria asked all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas to adjust their social media privacy settings to public.
The F visa covers academic study, the M visa is for vocational study, while the J visa applies to exchange visitor programmes.
The state department said every visa adjudication was a national security decision.
REDUCTION IN VISA VALIDITY, ENTRY ALLOWANCE
Hours after the changes to the student visa applications, the US embassy in Nigeria announced that most non-diplomatic and non-immigrant visas would be limited to single-entry with a three-month validity period.
The embassy said the revision was part of its global visa reciprocity process, where its visa policies were aligned with how its own citizens are treated by other countries.
Before the change, Nigerian applicants were typically granted multiple-entry visas depending on the visa category. For example, tourist and business visas (B1/B2) often allowed multiple entries for up to five years, student visas (F1) usually covered the full duration of the academic programme, with room for extensions, while exchange visitor visas (J1) varied by programme but often allowed multiple entries.
Nigeria also retained its visa terms for US citizens, which allows validity to range from three months to five years, with either single or multiple entry permitted depending on the category.
But in the updated visa policy, the US embassy said Nigeria still needs to meet certain criteria to improve the visa reciprocity standing, which include issuing secure travel documents with verifiable identities, effectively managing visa overstays, and sharing relevant security and criminal record information with US authorities.
The ministry of foreign affairs urged the US to reconsider its decision in the spirit of partnership, cooperation, and shared global responsibilities.
VISA CLAMPDOWN LINKED TO NIGERIA’S REFUSAL TO HOUSE ASYLUM SEEKERS
TheCable later learnt that Nigeria’s refusal to accept asylum seekers from the US was partly responsible for the visa restrictions imposed on the country.
Diplomatic sources told TheCable that the US president had been putting pressure on many countries to serve as temporary homes for asylum seekers until their cases are treated, and this usually takes up to seven years.
While some countries agreed, Nigeria refused to be part of the arrangement.
The specifics of the arrangement were not disclosed, but diplomatic sources confirmed that discussions took place and were unsuccessful owing to Nigeria’s unwillingness to accept non-citizens, many of whom had a number of years left to finalise their asylum applications.
A large number of the deportees were also believed to be convicted prisoners.
TheCable learnt that the US also pushed for the option of allowing its citizens to electronically apply for Nigeria’s five-year visa without visiting an embassy.
But sources familiar with the negotiations said Nigeria was not open to the request, citing concerns over reciprocity, as similar American visa privileges are not extended to Nigerians.
In addition, TheCable understood that the US wanted access to Nigeria’s criminal database so that Nigerians with previous criminal records who were living in the US could be identified for deportation.
AUGUST 2025: VISA APPLICANTS TO DISCLOSE SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVITY
Last August, the US mission in Nigeria directed non-immigrant visa applicants to provide details of their social media accounts from the past five years, including usernames or handles across all platforms used within the period.
The mission warned that omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.
The move expanded the policy beyond international students to a broader range of visa applicants.
Rubio said free speech was among the most cherished American rights, and vowed to tackle foreign governments and officials clamping down on their citizens.
SEPTEMBER 2025: TRUMP HIKED H-1B VISA FEE TO $100,000
Trump signed a proclamation imposing an annual $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications.
The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa classification in the US that allows employers to hire foreign workers in specialised fields like medicine, tech, and engineering.
Before Trump’s proclamation, H-1B visas cost employers around $1,500 in administrative fees, and were valid for three to six years.
The new policy was expected to significantly affect Nigerian professionals, particularly doctors and tech experts, who often rely on the programme to secure employment in the US.
The US tech sector relies heavily on foreign workers, including Nigerians, with government figures showing that roughly two-thirds of H-1B jobs are computer-related. The visa is also used to hire engineers, educators and healthcare workers.
It was later reported that doctors could be exempted from the new $100,000 fee.
US WARNED HIGH-PROFILE CORRUPT INDIVIDUALS COULD FACE VISA BANS
The US mission in Nigeria warned that high-profile individuals who engage in corruption could be barred from receiving visas.
The warning came as Ola Olukoyede, chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), expressed concern that Nigeria is regarded as a nation with entrenched corruption and impunity in Africa.
The US often imposes visa bans as a strict measure to punish offenders of its values in partner countries.
In the past, the US had imposed visa restrictions on individuals in Nigeria who disrupted general elections.
NOVEMBER 2025: US CONGRESS SOUGHT VISA BAN FOR MIYETTI ALLAH
A US Congress resolution recommended visa bans and asset freezes as targeted sanctions on individuals and entities who they said were responsible for severe violations of religious freedom in Nigeria.
The resolution named the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as erring entities.
The recommendations came as lawmakers vowed to hold Nigerian officials accountable over claims of a Christian genocide, an allegation that led to the US bombing “Islamist hideouts” in Sokoto state on Christmas Day.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected these allegations, maintaining that religion is not a major factor in the country’s insecurity conundrum. However, the US has insisted otherwise.
DECEMBER 2025: MORE VISA SANCTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS INVOLVED IN RELIGIOUS FREEDOM VIOLATIONS
In an official state position, Rubio said the US would ensure visa restrictions affect those who “knowingly direct, authorize, fund, support, or carry out violations of religious freedom”.
He said the visa policy applied to Nigeria and other governments or individuals that persecute people for their religious beliefs.
According to the secretary of state, the move was part of the US’s decisive action in response to the “atrocities and violence against Christians” in Nigeria and around the world.
US ADDED NIGERIA TO LIST OF COUNTRIES FACING PARTIAL TRAVEL BANS
On December 16, 2025, the US added Nigeria to a list of 15 countries facing partial travel restrictions, citing “security and documentation” concerns.
Nigeria particularly faced a double whammy as the travel ban list included Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica — two Caribbean nations, both popular among wealthy Nigerians for offering citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programmes without long-term residency requirements.
The White House cited a CBI pattern as justification for adding Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica to the list.
The proclamation took effect January 1, 2026.
2026.
JANUARY: NIGERIANS TO POST TRAVEL BONDS OF UP TO $15,000
The US introduced new travel restrictions that could require Nigerians applying for a B1/B2 visa to post bonds of up to $15,000.
Visa bonds are financial guarantees required by the U.S. State Department for certain foreign nationals from high-risk countries applying for B1/B2 visas (business or tourism visas).
The implementation date for Nigerian travellers was set for January 21.
The bonds also restricted Nigerian travellers from entering the US only through designated airports, including Boston Logan, John F. Kennedy in New York, and Washington Dulles in Virginia.
The policy was considered in June 2025.
The US noted that payment of a bond did not guarantee visa issuance.
FEBRUARY: VISA BAN PROPOSED FOR KWANKWASO
US lawmakers added Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano, to a list of “individuals or entities responsible for severe religious freedom violations” in Nigeria.
The list initially comprised MACBAN and the Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore.
The Kano assembly kicked against the decision and asked the federal government to intervene.
APRIL: US UPDATED NIGERIA TRAVEL ADVISORY — THEN CLOSED FOR VISA APPOINTMENTS
On April 8, the US State Department authorised non-emergency government employees and government employee family members to leave its embassy in Abuja due to the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria.
In an updated travel advisory, Plateau, Jigawa, Kwara, Niger, and Taraba states were added to the ‘Do not travel’ list “due to terrorism, crime, and kidnapping”.
A day after the advisory, the US embassy in Abuja announced closure for visa appointments.
Nigeria played down the urgency of the travel advisory, saying the US decision was only a “routine precaution guided by internal protocols” which does not reflect the country’s situation.
US ANNOUNCED VISA BANS FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM VIOLATORS IN EFFECT
On April 10, Mark Walker, US principal adviser for global religious freedom, said the country had implemented the policy, which allows the state department to restrict visa issuance to individuals responsible for religious freedom violations in Nigeria.
Walker said the US will continue to subject perpetrators to additional scrutiny, without naming the affected entities.
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