The US has announced drastic changes to non-immigration visa policies in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana and Nigeria, reducing the length and conditions for most travelers from those countries to enter.
The US State Department says that almost all non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of four countries are single enrolments and will be valid for just three months.
This is part of the “reorganization of global interactions,” a rapid shift from previous visa conditions, often allowing multiple entries over two or more years.
Nigeria has denied reports that it will provide US citizens with a single input E-Visa for only three months.
President Onanuga, a spokesman for the president, said Thursday that Nigeria continues to provide multiple entry visas to American citizens for five years.
“We repeatedly hope that the US government's claims of mutual relations as a reason for the current visa policy towards Nigeria do not accurately reflect the actual situation,” he said.
Similarly, US citizens can obtain a visa for up to one year in Cameroon and a 90-day in Ethiopia.
Authorities from both countries have not yet commented, but according to a statement from the Ghanaian government, West African countries have issued more than 28,500 multiple entry visas to US citizens this year.
Authorities said they wanted an “early resolution” to the issue and expressed “solid solidarity” with all inconvenient Ghanaians.
The Nigerian government also expressed concern, describing the move as disproportionate and called for a reconsideration.
It added that the restrictions could hinder cultural and educational exchanges that have long been the basis of US-Nigeria relations.
The State Department says visa policies remain “under ongoing reviews” and may change depending on evolving diplomacy, security and immigration benchmarks.
In a statement, the US government said it is working closely with authorities from the three countries to ensure that it meets key international standards.
These include:
More stricter measures were imposed last month on Eritrea, Somalia and Sudan. The United States has suspended all immigrant and non-immigrant visas to citizens of those countries.
On Friday, the US embassy in Abuja denied the proposal that the Trump administration is engaged in strict tightening of visas as a punishment that has not succumbed to Nigeria's demands. He said the real reason for the visa restrictions was a “technical and security benchmark” that had to be respected.
The United States has already ordered that all foreigners applying for a visa be vetted for social media accounts to examine “signs of hostility towards citizens, culture, government, institutions, or the American establishment principles.”
Nigeria was the US's seventh largest international student and the highest source in Africa, according to the 2024 Open Door Report on International Education Exchange.
A report released by the US Department of State and Education and Culture showed an increase of 13.5% from 2023.
Aide to former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said he believes the US is not reciprocating but showing dissatisfaction with Nigeria.
Bashir Ahmad posted on X that President Bola Tinubu's recent visit to Brazil for a BRICS gathering was behind the movement.
“This isn't merely reciprocity, but rather it appears to reflect an increase in the global realignment of Nigeria, particularly the increased discomfort for us with the warm acceptance we receive from BRICS,” he writes.
Immigration lawyer Godwin Oke thought differently, telling the BBC:
“The US issued multiple input visas for Nigerians for five years, while Nigeria provided Americans with only short-term single input visas. From a policy perspective, it was only a matter of time before the imbalance was addressed.”
In March this year, Nigeria's US mission issued a harsh warning, saying that staying in excess of visas could lead to permanent travel bans and potential criminal prosecutions.
There is no official data showing the number of Nigerian travelers to the US where visas are continuing.
However, Nigerians are worried that the number of visas will fall under President Donald Trump's strict immigration policy.
Many young Nigerians want to leave a country called what is called Japa (meaning to escape in Yoruba), and the US continues to be one of their most desirable destinations.
Additional reports by Paul Njie of Yaoundé and Hanna Temuari of Addis Ababa
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