The State Department’s decision to limit Nigerian travelers to three-month, single-entry visas last week has sparked outrage among Nigerian Americans and immigrant communities as they try to adjust to this sudden policy change.
The State Department’s action is part of the Trump administration’s plan to enhance immigration controls to the United States, which includes a complete ban on travel from 12 countries, mainly from Africa and the Middle East. These new restrictions impact nonimmigrant and nondiplomatic travelers, who previously could enter the U.S. multiple times for five years on each visa.
Rep. Jonathan Jackson, a Chicago-based congressman and member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, opposes the restrictions. The Democrat discussed how the new restrictions will affect Nigerian immigrants in the city.
“Many have deep roots here and equally deep ties to Nigeria — family, businesses and investments,” Jackson said. “When we make it harder for them to travel back and forth, to manage their affairs, or even just to visit loved ones, we are not just impacting individuals, we are weakening the very bonds that enrich both our nations,” Jackson told NBC News.
Nigerian American Bobby Digi Olisa told the outlet he’s concerned that the new restrictions, which come with increased fees, might prevent his family, who visit him in New York each year, from entering the country.
Visa applicants currently pay a $185 fee to enter the U.S. on tourist, business, student, or exchange visas. Starting Oct. 1, the government will add a $250 Visa Integrity Fee, which will increase with inflation under the Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The State Department cited “visa reciprocity” as the reason for the policy change. However, Nigerian officials denied the claims that there is a policy imbalance between the two countries.
“Contrary to misinformation and fake news circulating online, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never stopped issuing 5-year multiple-entry visas for US citizens, in accordance with the principle of subsisting bilateral agreements and reciprocity,” the Nigerian government said in a statement.
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