Nigeria Visa Issuance Partial Suspension Starts January 1, 2026

(UNITED STATES) The State Department said visa issuance for many Nigerians and other nationals will face a partial suspension starting January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST, under Presidential Proclamation 10998, “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States.” The measure covers nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas and F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas, plus all immigrant visas, with limited exceptions. The U.S. Mission in Nigeria said the rules apply only to people outside the United States on the effective date who do not already hold a valid visa, and it stressed that visas issued earlier will not be revoked. Applicants may still file cases and attend interviews, but officers can refuse issuance under the proclamation.

Scope and Effective Date

• Effective date: January 1, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. EST.
• Who is affected: Foreign nationals who are outside the United States at that moment and do not hold a valid visa.
• Who is not affected: People already in the United States at the effective time, and those abroad who do hold a valid visa at that moment.
• The mission emphasized:
  > “No visas issued before January 1, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. EST, have been or will be revoked pursuant to the Proclamation.”

Countries Named in the Proclamation

Nigeria is one of 19 countries listed. The full list:

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

(The proclamation is partial because it targets specific visa classes rather than a full entry ban. However, because it stops most immigrant visa processing, it reaches families and employers as well.)

Reasons Cited by U.S. Authorities

Background material tied to the announcement cited the following as motivating factors:

• Nigeria’s security crisis and activity by radical Islamist groups
• High visa overstay rates
• Difficulties with background verification
• Nigeria’s October 2025 re-designation as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations, a label that can trigger U.S. action

What Applicants Should Expect: Process and Practical Effects

• Applicants may still submit DS-160-based nonimmigrant visa applications and schedule interviews.
• However, after interviews consular officers may refuse visa issuance under the proclamation, leaving applicants with fees paid and documentation submitted but no guarantee of a visa.
• The State Department points the public to its visa information pages at travel.state.gov for general requirements and security screening rules.
• The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria’s visa services portal should be used for case-specific questions, appointment, and case inquiries.
• Travelers who have purchased plane tickets are urged to check validity dates and entry rules carefully.

Narrow Exceptions Carved Out

The proclamation contains a limited set of exceptions. Notable exemptions include:

• Lawful Permanent Residents (green card holders) — not barred by the new limits.
• Dual nationals — may avoid the suspension if they apply using a passport from a country not on the list.
• Special Immigrant Visas for certain U.S. government employees as defined at 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(27)(D).
• Entry allowed for participants in certain major sporting events.
• An unusual exception permits immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran (this reaches beyond the 19-country list).

Outside these categories, most Nigerian applicants for immigrant visas and for B-1/B-2, F, M, or J visas will be denied after the effective date even if they otherwise meet all requirements.

Changes from Prior Restrictions

• The notice flagged that relief previously available under Presidential Proclamation 10949 will not carry over.
• Examples of prior exceptions that are no longer available under Proclamation 10998 include:
  • Certain immediate family immigrant visas (e.g., IR-1 and CR-1)
  • Adoption visas
  • Afghan Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs)
• Consular posts can continue taking applications, but must deny most cases at the final step of visa issuance once the suspension is in force, unless applicants fall within the limited exemptions.

Visa Validity and Renewals

• The proclamation directs consular officers to shorten visa validity periods “to the extent permitted by law.”
• Practical consequences may include:
  • More frequent renewals
  • Additional consular interviews
  • Increased cost and longer waits for travelers
• The State Department did not publish new formulae for validity lengths; officers retain discretion within legal limits. Travelers may only learn the terms at visa issuance after an interview.

Impact on Students, Families, and Employers

• The proclamation affects the most common routes Nigerians use for travel to the U.S.: tourism, family visits, study, and short work trips.
• Student applicants face tight calendars — school start dates do not move, and missing early weeks can jeopardize admission, housing, and funding.
• Would-be immigrants may be separated from spouses, parents, and adult children for long periods even when petitions were approved earlier.
• Analysis by VisaVerge.com suggests restrictions that allow filing but block final approvals can swell backlogs, because cases keep entering the pipeline but cannot exit with a visa sticker.

Admission at the Border

• The proclamation also affects admission at ports of entry. A visa (old or new) does not guarantee entry.
• Travelers might obtain a visa in another category or travel on an older visa yet still be questioned by U.S. officers about applicability of the proclamation.
• The mission’s notice warned applicants they could be “ineligible for visa issuance or admission”, underscoring that a visa is permission to seek entry, not a guarantee.
• Because the rule hinges on where a person is located at 12:01 a.m. EST on January 1, 2026, attorneys expect:
  • Some travelers will carefully time departures/returns to avoid being abroad without a valid visa
  • Possible increases in last-minute rebooking at airports

Practical Advice and Recommended Steps

1. Document travel plans and keep copies of prior visas and supporting documents.
2. Use the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria’s visa services portal for appointment or case-specific inquiries.
3. Check the State Department visa pages at travel.state.gov for updates and requirements.
4. If you have already been issued a visa before January 1, 2026 at 12:01 a.m. EST, be aware that it will not be revoked under this proclamation.
5. If planning travel around the cutoff date, consider adjusting timings to avoid being abroad without a valid visa at the effective moment.

Key takeaway: For those who already hold valid visas as of the effective date, travel remains permitted. For everyone else, the proclamation can terminate the visa path at the final issuance step unless an applicant fits one of the narrow exemptions.

The mission did not provide individual case examples, but the categories affected are among the most frequently used pathways for travel to the United States. Practitioners recommend documenting travel and monitoring embassy guidance closely, because applications filed and interviews attended could still result in refusals based on the proclamation. The mission reiterated that inquiries should go through its visa services portal and advised applicants to watch for further Department of State updates as January 2026 approaches.