US Visa Issuance To Nigerians Falls To Four-Year Low

The number of United States visas issued to Nigerians has fallen to its lowest level in four years, according to an analysis of US Department of State data published by BusinessDay. Non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerian applicants dropped by 50.2 percent, from 97,369 in 2022 to 48,669 in 2025.

The decline gathered pace over the period. Issuances rose by 14.8 percent between 2022 and 2023 before falling through 2024 and 2025, leaving last year’s total of 48,669 as the lowest since 2021, when 30,679 visas were issued. The 2025 total also sits well below the 111,770 peak recorded in 2023.

The analysis covers more than 40 non-immigrant visa classes and traces the drop to a series of immigration and consular policy shifts that followed the start of the second Trump administration in January 2025. Among the most significant was the July 2025 decision to limit most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerians to single-entry permits valid for three months, ending the multiple-entry access many business travellers, tourists and students had relied on.

Visa issuance fell almost continuously through 2025, from a peak of 7,386 in March to 1,422 by September. The analysis ties the slowdown to tighter screening, including the partial travel restrictions the administration imposed on Nigeria and several other African countries, which officials linked to security vetting and intelligence-sharing concerns.

The drop has also become more expensive for applicants. The analysis puts total spending on approved US visas at 13.8 billion naira in 2025, up 110.8 percent from 6.59 billion naira in 2022, as the naira’s fall against the dollar raised the local cost of approval fees.

The trend adds to earlier changes in US visa handling for Nigerians. Routine visa processing moved from the US Embassy in Abuja to the consulate in Lagos under a regional realignment here, while a separate rule now requires some applicants to post a visa bond of up to $20,000 here.

Travel operators quoted in the analysis say interest is already shifting toward alternative destinations, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Morocco, Greece and Australia, and warn that the consolidation of US visa services in fewer centres could worsen appointment delays that already stretch to several months.

Sources: BusinessDay