U.S. Hits Nigeria With Partial Visa Ban From January 1

The United States has announced a partial suspension of visa issuance to Nigerians and nationals of 18 other countries effective from January 1, 2026.

The announcement was made on Monday by the US Mission in Nigeria in a statement posted on its official X account.

According to the statement, the measure is being implemented under Presidential Proclamation 10998 and affects several categories of visas.

The suspension covers nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M and J student and exchange visitor visas, as well as most immigrant visas. However, certain categories of applicants are exempted.

“Effective January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, in line with Presidential Proclamation 10998 on ‘Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States,’ the Department of State is partially suspending visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries,” the statement said.

The affected countries are Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The US Mission explained that the suspension includes all immigrant visas, alongside the specified nonimmigrant categories, but noted that limited exceptions apply.

These include immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, dual nationals applying with passports from non-affected countries, Special Immigrant Visas for eligible US government employees, participants in certain major international sporting events, and lawful permanent residents.

It further clarified that the proclamation applies only to foreign nationals who are outside the United States on the effective date and who do not hold a valid US visa as of 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2026.

“Foreign nationals, even those outside the United States, who hold valid visas as of the effective date are not subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998,” the statement said, adding that no visas issued before the effective date have been or will be revoked as a result of the policy.

According to the US Mission, affected applicants may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but may ultimately be found ineligible for visa issuance or admission into the United States.

The security-focused policy, issued on December 16, 2025, targets countries deemed to pose higher security risks and is detailed in the Federal Register. The measure however, does not invalidate existing visas.