The United States government has suspended visa processing for Nigerians and citizens of 74 other countries, marking the latest round of travel restrictions imposed under the administration of President Donald Trump.
The development means that the US will no longer accept or process visa applications from Nigerians seeking to travel to the country, though the duration of the suspension remains unclear.
A report by Fox News on Wednesday revealed that the decision was contained in a memo issued by the US State Department, directing the suspension of visa processing for applicants from 75 countries, including Nigeria, Russia, Somalia, Brazil and Afghanistan.
The move comes barely a week after the US introduced a new travel policy requiring Nigerians applying for B1/B2 visitor visas to post bonds of up to $15,000 as a guarantee of compliance with immigration rules.
However, the bond requirement had not yet taken effect before the Trump administration imposed the broader visa suspension.
PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported that the bond policy was scheduled to take effect on January 21, the same date the visa processing suspension is expected to commence, a development that may effectively override the bond requirement.
Last month, the US had also barred Nigerians seeking entry as green card holders or on B-1, B-2, B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas, citing high rates of visa overstays and security concerns.
The US government has, in recent months, imposed partial and full travel bans on several countries across Africa, Latin America and Asia, as part of stricter immigration controls.
More details on the scope and duration of the suspension are expected from US authorities.
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