4 hours ago
1
The United States Mission Nigeria says Nigerian students and exchange visitors holding valid visas will not be affected by the partial visa suspension under Presidential Proclamation 10998.
The US Mission made this disclosure in a statement posted on its X handle on Monday.
“Nigerian students and exchange participants with currently valid F1 and J1 visas are not affected by Presidential Proclamation 10998.
“Students and exchange participants with visas can continue to contribute to learning, research, and innovation at US colleges and institutions,” it stated.
DAILY POST reports that F1 and J1 are non-immigrant visas for foreign nationals studying or training in the United States.
Recall that the statement came a few months after the United States announced that it would partially suspend the issuance of certain visas to Nigerian nationals starting January 1, 2026, following Presidential Proclamation 10998 on border and national security.
The US Mission in Nigeria had said that the restrictions would take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, under the proclamation titled “Restricting and Limiting the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States”.
DAILY POST reports that Nigeria is among 19 countries affected by the measure, alongside Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Venezuela, and Zambia.
The proclamation imposes a partial suspension on the issuance of nonimmigrant B-1/B-2 visitor visas, as well as F, M, and J student and exchange visitor visas.
The presidential proclamation equally applies to immigrant visas, with limited exceptions.
Exemptions include immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing persecution in Iran, dual nationals applying with a passport from a country not affected by the suspension, Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) for eligible US government employees, Participants in certain major international sporting events, and Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs).
The suspension applies only to foreign nationals outside the United States on the effective date who do not hold a valid US visa at that time.
The United States Department of State, in January, introduced a $15,000 refundable visa bond beginning January 21.
The measure placed Nigeria among 38 countries whose nationals would be subject to the new bond requirement.
In Nigeria’s case, the US cited the presence and operations of radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in certain parts of the country, resulting in “substantial screening and vetting difficulties.”
Nigerian students with valid visas not affected by presidential proclamation — US Mission
