New US visa rules not meant to punish Nigerians, says envoy

The United States says its recent visa policy changes for Nigerians are not meant to punish applicants but to improve security and service delivery.

The US embassy in Nigeria had announced a major change to its visa policy for Nigeria, reducing the validity period and entry allowance for most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja, at a joint press briefing with Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, Richard Mills, US ambassador to Nigeria, said the measures were part of a global review of US visa operations.

The ambassador noted that the US still welcomes Nigerians for study, business, tourism, medical visits and family reunions, but expects visitors to obey visa regulations.

“Myself and the minister just had a very useful and productive discussion about US visa laws and how to communicate to the Nigerian people the importance of compliance with US visa laws,” Mills said.

“Let me be clear, the United States values its very strong relationship with Nigeria and the many kinds of connections that exist between our two countries.”

The envoy said the US now requires more rigorous background checks, including access to Nigerian criminal records, to close security gaps.

Mills warned that overstaying or giving false information could lead to deportation or a lifetime ban.

He urged applicants to be truthful, noting that “visa compliance is a cornerstone of mutual trust and respect between our two nations”.

“US visas play a vital role in keeping these countries going and strengthening them. Both governments want visitors to respect our national laws and regulations,” he added.

“If you overstay, it can result in deportation and a lifetime ban on future travel to the US, which we don’t want to see Nigerian citizens face.

“We needed to address some of the security vulnerabilities that we saw in our visa processing.

“The Nigerian government is working to find a mechanism so that we can have a better understanding of who’s before us when they apply for a visa.”

On his part, the minister refuted claims of discrimination in the new visa process.

The minister described Nigerians as frequent travellers to the US and emphasised the need for accessible information on visa processes.

He reiterated that the ministry will keep working with the US mission to ensure transparency and public education on consular issues.

“Let me recognise the mutual respect and partnership between Nigeria and the United States and its embassy to keep Nigerian travellers well informed about its visa and consular services,” Idris said.

“Before coming to this office, we had engagements with Ambassador Mills, and what he has told me is that this is in no way punitive. It’s just to enhance service delivery between the two countries.

“So what I want to say here is that Nigerians must continue to demonstrate, as they do, a better sense of patriotism about their country and also show better compliance with not just our laws, but laws of other countries.”