Recent reports from the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany show significant activity in visa policies, with stricter enforcement in some countries and improved processing plans in others.
The United States Department of State has confirmed the revocation of more than 80,000 visas belonging to foreign nationals, including Nigerians. The announcement was made on Thursday as part of an ongoing immigration enforcement programme under President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to the department, the cancellations were linked to offences such as driving under the influence (16,000 cases in 2024), assault (12,000), and theft (8,000). Other reasons included violations of visa rules, public safety concerns, and links to extremist activity. A senior State Department official said the three main offences accounted for almost half of all cancellations recorded this year.
The visa actions are part of wider policies introduced since the start of the administration, including tighter screening and expanded checks on applicants’ online activity. In August, more than 6,000 student visas were cancelled over rule breaches, overstaying, or suspected security issues. A small number were revoked due to social media posts considered sensitive or linked to security concerns.
Visa cancellations have also affected public figures. Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka read out a notice dated 23 October from the United States Consulate in Lagos requesting his passport for “physical cancellation” of his visa. The visa had been issued last year under the previous administration.
In the United Kingdom, members of the Nigerian community have raised concerns over a rise in visa withdrawals involving couples. Some spouses have reportedly contacted the UK Home Office to report their partners for immigration or legal violations following relationship disputes. Several women involved said they acted due to domestic abuse. A former president of the Nigerian community in the UK stated that such reports had become more frequent, with cases “now appearing almost weekly”.
One message from the Home Office to a Nigerian dependent spouse informed the recipient that their stay under the Skilled Worker route had been cancelled and would end on 3 January 2026.
Meanwhile, Germany has announced plans to reduce visa waiting times for Nigerians. The Consul-General in Lagos, Daniel Krulls, said the goal is to limit processing to a maximum of three weeks for all visa categories. He said the Lagos office currently handles over 10,000 applications a year, and more staff and visa counters would be added to improve efficiency. The consulate also intends to introduce academic document verification to speed up student applications.
Krulls said partnerships with external service providers will support the reforms, adding that a similar verification system in New Delhi had produced faster decisions for student applicants.
