US says Nigerians overstaying their visas face permanent ban, criminal prosecution
The United States (US) government has warned travelers against overstaying their visas, threatening to permanently ban them from coming into the country, as well as face criminal prosecution.
It stated that consular officers have full access to immigration history and will know about past violations.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued by the US mission in Nigeria on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, where it noted that excuses such as ‘honest mistake’ will not be tolerated.
The mission also stated that it is the responsibility of individuals to use their visas correctly.
What the US mission in Nigeria is saying
The US mission in Nigeria, in its statement, said, ‘’If you overstay your U.S. visa, you could face a permanent ban on traveling to the United States as well as criminal prosecution. Consular officers have full access to your immigration history and will know about past violations. There is no such thing as an “honest mistake” – it is your responsibility to use your visa correctly.’’
This seems to have reinforced the tough stance of the US President, Donald Trump, since he got into office for his second term, vowing mass deportation of “criminal aliens” who illegally gained entry into the United States.
This is coming several weeks after the US government suspended the visa drop box service in Nigeria, a move that now requires all visiting visa applicants to attend in-person interviews for renewals.
What you should know
The statement from the US mission in Nigeria underscores the consequences of overstaying a US visa, emphasizing that these immigration violations are taken seriously with severe penalties.
- In a related development, the US had, in a policy change in early February, suspended its visa dropbox service in Nigeria.
- The dropbox system previously allowed eligible applicants, particularly those with a recent US travel history, to submit their passports without attending interviews, significantly reducing wait times and streamlining the visa application process.
- This development is coming amid a backlog of visa applications, with many applicants waiting months to secure drop box appointments before this removal.
- Analysts had linked the policy change to the raging effects of Donald Trump’s hardline immigration approach. During his first administration, Trump introduced various restrictive measures, including travel bans targeting predominantly African and Muslim countries.
Since coming into power for its second term, the Trump administration has already carried out mass raids at homes, schools, workplaces, and shopping centres where undocumented immigrants were picked up and deported to places like India and Guatemala, among others.
There have been reports that the sweeping crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the US has triggered palpable fear among Nigerians living in the North American country.
