President Donald Trump has issued a new Presidential Proclamation expanding the United States’ travel ban to 39 countries, with Nigeria now officially included on the Partial Entry Ban list.
The directive, signed on December 16, 2025, and set to take effect at 12:01 AM EST on January 1, 2026, introduces significant hurdles for Nigerians seeking to move to or study in the U.S., while also freezing benefit processing for those already in the system.
Unlike countries under a “Full Ban” (where almost all entry is barred), Nigeria is subject to specific restrictions aimed at immigrant and certain non-immigrant categories.
The issuance of all new immigrant visas for Nigerians is suspended. This includes family-sponsored visas (spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens) and employment-based green cards.
Additionally, new visas for students (F-1/M-1) and exchange visitors (J-1) are suspended. The U.S. cited Nigeria’s high visa-overstay rate, allegedly exceeding 10% for these categories, as a primary reason for this restriction. Just as new applications for standard business and tourism visas have also suspended.
For any non-immigrant visa categories not explicitly banned (such as H-1B specialty workers), consular officers have been directed to reduce the validity period (the length of time the visa is active) to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Furthermore, in a related and immediate move, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a policy memorandum (PM-602-0192) that directly affects Nigerians already within the U.S. or with pending applications.
USCIS has placed an immediate hold on the processing of several benefit applications for nationals from restricted countries. This includes, Form N-400 on applications for Naturalization (Citizenship); Form I-485 for the Adjustment of Status (Green Card applications), and Form I-90 & I-751 for Green card replacements and removals of conditions.
Pending cases are being “re-opened” for a thorough national security re-review. This may involve second interviews, new biometric requirements (including potential DNA testing), and deeper social media mining.
However, the proclamation includes several critical exceptions. The ban does NOT apply to anyone holding a valid U.S. visa issued before January 1, 2026, is not subject to the ban and should be permitted to enter.
Exemptions also cover existing Green Card holders are exempt from the entry ban (though their pending citizenship applications may still be on “hold”); Nigerians traveling on a passport from a non-designated country (e.g., a Nigerian-British citizen using a UK passport), and special categories like diplomats, asylees, and athletes/staff traveling for the 2026 World Cup.
