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The United States Embassy in Nigeria has quietly begun revoking valid visas previously issued to Nigerian citizens, a move that has left professionals, entrepreneurs, frequent travellers, and families stranded with disrupted plans and mounting costs.
Reports indicate that dozens of Nigerians have received formal letters from the U.S. Consulate in Abuja and Lagos requesting the submission of their passports. Upon compliance, many discovered their visas had been cancelled, often without explanation.
The notices, citing Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 41.122, vaguely state that “new information became available after the visa was issued.” However, no evidence or appeal process has been provided, leaving affected applicants in limbo.
Among those impacted are journalists, heads of government agencies, entrepreneurs, and frequent travellers with clean records who rely on U.S. visas for business, education, family reunions, and medical treatment. Some discovered the cancellations at airports or boarding gates, with a few even briefly detained by immigration authorities before being turned back.
The development comes weeks after the U.S. introduced stricter visa policies for Nigerians, reducing most approvals to short-term, single-entry visas in place of the previous multi-year permits.
Analysts suggest the cancellations may reflect broader U.S. immigration tightening targeted at high-migration countries. Critics, however, have described the move as arbitrary and unfair, calling on Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to intervene by seeking clarity and redress.
So far, neither the U.S. Embassy nor the Nigerian government has issued a public statement on the matter.
Source: Guardian
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