Following President Trump's Presidential Proclamation 10998 issued on December 16, 2025, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced on December 22 a partial suspension of visa issuance to nationals of Nigeria and 18 other countries, effective January 1, 2026. The security measure targets B-1/B-2, F, M, J visas, and immigrant visas, with exemptions for dual nationals, persecuted minorities, and others.
The announcement via the U.S. Mission Nigeria's official X account specifies the suspension applies to nationals outside the U.S. without valid visas as of January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST. Affected countries are: Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Key exemptions include: immigrant visas for persecuted ethnic/religious minorities from Iran, dual nationals using non-suspended passports, Special Immigrant Visas for U.S. employees, major sporting event participants, and Lawful Permanent Residents. Existing visas issued before the effective date remain valid and are not revoked.
Applicants can still apply and interview but face ineligibility risks. This builds on the proclamation's security rationale, as covered earlier, amid vetting gaps and threats like those from Boko Haram. Nigerian reactions express frustration over fees and travel disruptions, with some calling for alternative measures.
