The United States has dismissed claims made by the Nigerian government over its recent visa reduction policy.
The U.S. government, through its Embassy in Nigeria, asserted that the latest policy was not linked to pressures over illegal migrant deportations, particularly involving Venezuelan nationals.
The U.S. Embassy in Nigeria in a statement issued on Friday, July 11, 2025, also maintained that the reduction of non-immigrant visa validity for Nigerians from five years to three months for single-entry is part of a global review, not a response to Nigeria’s stance on deportations or its affiliations with groups like BRICS.
The statement reads: “This reduction is not the result of any nation’s stance on third-country deportees, introduction of e-visa policies, or affiliations with groups like BRICS.
“The reduction in validity is part of an ongoing global review of the use of U.S. visas by other countries using technical and security benchmarks to safeguard U.S. immigration systems.
“Reaffirming its partnership with Nigeria, the U.S. government expressed a willingness to work closely with Nigerian officials and the public to help meet the necessary criteria for restoring longer visa validity.
The statement also emphasized that the decision should not be viewed as punitive or retaliatory, but rather as part of standard immigration policy enforcement applied globally.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that the controversy erupted when Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, suggested during an interview that the recent visa reduction policy of the U.S. was in response to Nigeria’s stance of not accepting Venezuelan deportees.
Tuggar argued that Nigeria, already grappling with its own challenges, could not accommodate such immigrants, stating: “We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees.”
