M10News International Desk |16, July 2025
The United States’ decision to impose new restrictions on Nigerian travelers — limiting them to single-entry, three-month visas — is triggering alarm across Nigerian-American communities, with many calling the move abrupt, unjustified, and harmful to long-standing cultural and economic ties.
The change, which came into effect last week, reverses a previous policy allowing Nigerian nationals to obtain five-year multiple-entry visas for business or tourism. The U.S. State Department claims the measure is aimed at achieving “visa reciprocity,” arguing that U.S. citizens face tighter restrictions when applying to enter Nigeria.
But Nigerian officials have pushed back, denying any imbalance and stating that five-year, multiple-entry visas for U.S. citizens remain in place under existing bilateral agreements.
“Contrary to misinformation and fake news circulating online, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never stopped issuing 5-year multiple-entry visas for US citizens,” the Nigerian government said in a statement.
The U.S. State Department declined to comment on the backlash, which has stirred widespread concern among Nigerian Americans — many of whom maintain family, property, and business ties to their country of origin.
“Unnecessary Hardship”
Olatunde Johnson, a 27-year-old photographer based in New Jersey, described the move as deeply disruptive.
His relatives in Nigeria manage Airbnb properties in Chicago, and their ability to visit regularly is now uncertain.
“They’ll have to keep reapplying and doing that again. Also, you’re losing money in the process,” Johnson said. “So it’s just unnecessary.”
Congressman Jonathan Jackson, a Democrat representing parts of Chicago with a significant Nigerian population, warned that the restrictions will undermine crucial people-to-people links.
“Many have deep roots here and equally deep ties to Nigeria — family, businesses and investments,” Jackson said. “When we make it harder for them to travel back and forth, we are weakening the very bonds that enrich both our nations.”
Costly and Time-Consuming
Applicants currently pay a $185 fee for tourist, business, student, or exchange visas. Starting October 1, an additional $250 Visa Integrity Fee will apply under the Big Beautiful Bill Act — a charge that will rise with inflation.
“It will cause hardship with all of the ballooning costs,” said Bobby Digi Olisa, a Nigerian American in New York, expressing concern over the financial strain it places on families.
Ovigwe Eguegu, a policy analyst at Development Reimagined, noted that the decision would disproportionately affect Nigerians with long-term U.S. connections, such as business owners needing to travel multiple times a year.
“The preference has always been for multiple re-entry over a long period of time,” he said. “Single entry visas are expensive and impractical for those needing frequent travel.”
Broader Context of Tighter Immigration Rules
Although Nigerians have not been banned from entering the U.S., they are among several African and Middle Eastern nationalities impacted by policies introduced under the Trump administration aimed at restricting immigration.
From 2015 to 2022, African nations experienced the highest denial rates for F-1 student visas globally, according to a recent study. In 2024, nearly 47% of Nigerian applicants for U.S. business visas were denied, per State Department data.
Jackson said the latest move undermines the values of effective diplomacy and mutual trust.
“True diplomacy is built on understanding, trust, and facilitating human connection,” he said. “We must find a way to address any legitimate security concerns without severing the cultural and economic bridges that link communities like Chicago with Nigeria.”
Johnson echoed this sentiment, calling the policy “stressful and unnecessary.”
“We the people, wherever you are, we’re always the ones losing when the government is playing games,” he said.
Still, Olisa remains optimistic. “This too shall pass,” he said. “We shall overcome.”
