- Says such practice ruins others’ chances
United States of America says visa overstay by Nigerians is capable of ruining chances for fellow citizens seeking to travel abroad for business or study purposes.
The caution is coming against the backdrop of ongoing immigration crackdown and travel restrictions being implemented by the US government under President Donald trump.
A post shared on X yesterday by the US Mission in Nigeria said strengthening compliance will certainly protects other responsible travelers and called on Nigerians to report visa fraud to AbujaFPU@state.gov or LagosFPU@state.gov.
The Mission said: “Visa overstay by Nigerian travelers can affect opportunities for their fellow citizens. Strengthening compliance helps protect access for students, business travelers and families, who travel responsibly. If you are aware of visa fraud, please report to AbujaFPU@state.gov or LagosFPU@state.gov.”
Already, the US government is implementing measures to crackdown on visa overstays, particularly targeting nationals from countries with high rates of overstay, including Nigeria.
Available information indicate that as part of the crackdown, it partially suspended the issuance of certain visa categories to Nigerian nationals, including B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas, as well as immigrant visas. This restriction took effect on January 1, 2026.
While citing security concerns, difficulties in vetting travelers, and high rates of visa overstays as reasons for the decision, the Mission specifically stated that Nigeria recorded a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of 5.56 per cent and an overstay rate of 11.90 percent for F, M, and J visas.
The restriction applies only to foreign nationals who are outside the US on the effective date and do not hold a valid visa while Nigerians who already possess valid visas issued before January 1, 2026, will not be affected.
