Partial suspension of US visa issuance to Nigerians commences January 1

By John Ogunsemore

The United States Mission in Nigeria has announced it would partially suspend issuance of certain visa types to Nigerians effective January 1, 2026, in compliance with Presidential Proclamation 10998.

The announcement was made in a statement published on the mission’s website on Monday.

US President Donald Trump made the proclamation titled “Restricting and lLimiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States” on December 16, 2025.

The mission said the Department of State is also partially suspending visa issuance to nationals of 18 other countries, including 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 presidential proclamation imposes a partial suspension on the issuance of nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas.

It equally applies to immigrant visas, with limited exceptions.

The statement reads, “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).

“Foreign nationals, even those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998. No visas issued before January 1, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation.

“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 measure is the latest among a series targeted at Nigeria since the Trump administration redesignated the nation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations in October.

This was followed by Nigeria’s inclusion on a revised US travel ban list, imposing partial entry restrictions on Nigerian nationals.

Earlier this year, the US government also announced reductions of the validity of most non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians to single-entry visas with a three-month duration.