The United States government has issued a stern warning to visitors overstaying their visas, cautioning that such infractions could lead to immediate deportation and a permanent ban from re-entering the country.
This warning followed a series of new immigration policies and visa restrictions targeting Nigerian travellers, rolled out under the administration of President Donald Trump as part of his hardline immigration agenda.
In a post shared via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the US Mission in Nigeria said: “If you remain in the United States beyond your authorised period of stay, you could be deported and could face a permanent ban on travelling to the United States in the future.”
The announcement came on the heels of recent changes to US visa policy for Nigerians. Just last week, the US revised its visa reciprocity framework, limiting non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas for Nigerians to three-month, single-entry permits. The decision, US officials said, was influenced by factors such as visa overstays, national security concerns, and documentation discrepancies.
In a more sweeping move, the US also introduced a new $250 mandatory “Integrity Fee” for applicants of tourist, student, and work visas. The fee, non-waivable and compulsory, is now part of a broader cost package imposed on various visa categories.
Additionally, the US rolled out several new surcharges, including a $24 I-94 fee and a $13 ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) fee for travellers under the Visa Waiver Program. These charges will affect applicants for B-1/B-2 (business/tourist), F and M (student), H-1B (temporary workers), and J (exchange visitor) visa categories.
Only diplomats and officials applying under the A and G visa categories are exempted from the new regulations.
In another measure aimed at tightening security vetting, the US Embassy also announced mandatory social media screening for all F, M, and J visa applicants. According to the embassy:
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their personal social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States.”
Applicants are now required to submit all usernames across social media platforms and ensure their profiles are publicly viewable for proper background checks.
Since taking office, President Trump has pushed forward a string of executive orders designed to fortify the U.S. immigration system. His administration has consistently advocated for tighter screening of visa applicants and the removal of undocumented immigrants.
Trump has repeatedly stated that these policies are intended to prevent the entry of individuals who pose threats to national security or show hostility towards the US.
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