The United States is halting visa services at its embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger, as reported by Reuters, citing a State Department representative and an internal telegram from the agency.
The telegram dated July 25 does not specify the reasons for this decision, but the State Department official stated that the suspension, which applies to all categories of immigrant and non-immigrant visas, will remain in effect until Washington resolves "issues with the government of Niger." However, it was noted that diplomatic and official visas are generally exempt from these restrictions.
The State Department emphasized that the Trump administration is focused on protecting the nation and its citizens by ensuring the highest standards of national security and public safety through its visa policy. The telegram instructs consular staff in other countries to exercise "increased scrutiny" when processing visa applications from Nigerien citizens, highlighting that the overstay rate for tourist visas is 8%, while it reaches 27% for student and exchange program visas.
It also states that consular officials should make efforts to reduce the number of overstays on non-immigrant visas, with a particular emphasis on applicants from Niger. The State Department representative added that the US embassy in Niamey has notified all affected individuals about the decision.
Earlier in July, the US required Nigerian citizens applying for non-immigrant F, M, and J visas to set their social media privacy settings to public. F, M, and J visas are non-immigrant visas issued to individuals entering the US for education and exchange programs.
In June, The Washington Post reported, based on a memo from the US State Department, that the Trump administration might limit entry into the United States for citizens of an additional 36 countries, including 25 African nations. Nigeria was included in this new list of African countries that may face visa issuance restrictions or other limitations.
