The United States government has announced an indefinite suspension of immigrant visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Nigeria.
The suspension takes effect on 21 January and applies to immigrant visas only.
These visas are used by people seeking to live permanently in the United States through family sponsorship, employment, or other long-term immigration routes. Temporary visas for tourism, business, and short-term travel are not affected.
The decision was communicated through a State Department cable issued on Wednesday and applies to countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Eastern Europe.
According to the U.S. State Department, the suspension is based on concerns that some applicants from the affected countries may become a “public charge,” a legal term used to describe individuals considered likely to depend on government welfare and public benefits after entering the United States.
“The State Department will use its long-standing authority to deem ineligible potential immigrants who would become a public charge on the United States and exploit the generosity of the American people,” said Tommy Pigott, Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department.
The department, under the leadership of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said immigrant visa processing will remain paused while officials reassess procedures aimed at preventing the entry of foreign nationals who may rely on public assistance.
Under the directive, consular officers have been instructed to refuse cases where immigrant visas have already been approved but not yet printed. Limited exceptions apply to dual nationals holding passports from countries not on the list, or applicants whose travel is judged to serve U.S. national interests under the administration’s “America First” policy.
Nigeria is among several African countries affected by the suspension. Others include Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Countries outside Africa named in the directive include Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Haiti, Cuba, Russia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, and Jamaica, among others.
Recall that restrictions were introduced by the Trump administration in November, following a shooting in Washington, DC, in which an immigrant from Afghanistan was charged in connection with the deaths of two National Guard members. After that incident, entry restrictions were imposed on nationals of 19 countries, later extended in December to five additional countries and travellers using documents issued by the Palestinian Authority.
The current suspension also affects asylum processing, green card applications, and citizenship procedures for nationals of countries covered by earlier bans.
President Donald Trump, who returned to office this year, has made reducing both illegal and legal immigration a central part of his policy agenda. His administration says the latest measure is intended to limit public spending, strengthen national security, and tighten oversight of the immigration system.
For Nigeria, the suspension is expected to delay or halt family reunification cases and employment-based immigration, potentially affecting remittances and long-term migration plans. However, Nigerian citizens remain eligible to apply for non-immigrant visas, including tourist, business, and student visas.
The State Department said the suspension will remain in place until further notice, and no timeline has been given for a review or possible lifting of the restrictions.
