Abuja, July 9, 2025 — The U.S. Department of State has revised its visa policy for Nigerian citizens, effective immediately, significantly tightening terms for most non‑immigrant, non‑diplomatic visas. Under the new directive, applicants will now receive single-entry visas valid for just three months, a drastic change from the previous multiple-entry arrangements spanning years .
The policy shift applies solely to new visas issued from July 8, 2025, while existing visas issued before this date will retain their current validity and entry allowances .
According to the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, this change is part of a routine reciprocity review based on security benchmarks, including:
Issuing secure, verifiable travel documents
Effective management of visa overstays by Nigeria
Enhanced information sharing on criminal and security matters
The Embassy emphasised that it is collaborating with Nigerian immigration and security agencies to help the country meet these international standards .
Additionally, under a separate U.S. security directive from June 2025, individuals applying for F‑, M‑, and J‑category visas must now make their social media profiles public to aid vetting procedures .