The United States government has suspended issuance of work visas to Nigerians and other foreign truck drivers, citing job security concerns and safety risks for American citizens.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio disclosed this on Thursday, stating that the directive took effect immediately.
Rubio said the growing presence of foreign truck drivers on US highways threatened road safety and employment opportunities for American drivers.
“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio said.
The suspension was part of President Donald Trump’s renewed clampdown on immigration since returning to office in January 2025.
In addition, travellers from countries with high visa overstay rates or weak travel databases must post a bond of between $5,000 and $15,000 before obtaining specific visa categories.
LEADERSHIP recalls that the US Mission in Nigeria also issued fresh guidelines, mandating all visa applicants to disclose their social media handles from the past five years.
It warned that failure to comply could result in visa denial and possible ineligibility for future applications.
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