Why US reduced Nigeria’s Visa validity to 3 months, sparking concerns

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The US has reduced the validity of visas for Nigerians from five years to three months, effective July 8, 2025. This decision has sparked concerns among Nigerians, with Ambassador Joe Keshi, a retired top career diplomat to the US, stressing the need for Nigeria to negotiate and build a cordial relationship with the US.

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The US Mission in Nigeria initially cited reciprocity as the reason for the action but later reversed itself, stating that it was not a reciprocal action. Instead, the embassy claimed that the measure is “part of an ongoing global review of the use of US visas by other countries using technical and security benchmarks to safeguard US immigration systems.

The Federal Government has faulted the US action, with officials suggesting different reasons but saying the US action was not justified. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, linked the new policy to the rejection of Venezuelan deportees from the US, saying, “It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own.”

Ambassador Keshi expressed concerns about the impact of the policy on Nigerians, saying, “The worst part is that this policy would increase the corruption in the process. No embassy, particularly in Nigeria, would tell you that there’s no corruption in visa issuance. There’s huge corruption. So Nigerians pay a lot, and with this new policy, we probably have to pay more.”

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The policy change is expected to affect Nigerian businesses, tech innovators, and students who will now have to renew their visas every three months, increasing the cost and administrative burden.

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