By Charles Pemu 
Abuja — The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a strong advisory warning Nigerian nationals against overstaying their visa limits, stating that violations could lead to deportation and a permanent U.S. travel ban.
The warning, posted on the official U.S. Mission X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, July 14, comes amid sweeping immigration reforms recently reintroduced under former President Donald Trump’s renewed campaign platform and policies.
“If you remain in the United States beyond your authorized period of stay, you could be deported and could face a permanent ban on traveling to the United States in the future,” the U.S. Mission stated.
This follows new visa restrictions announced last week, including a three month, single-entry limit for non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian applicants. The U.S. cited reciprocal policy enforcement, frequent visa overstays, and national security concerns as key reasons behind the changes.
In addition, the U.S. introduced a mandatory $250 Visa Integrity Fee for categories including:
- B-1/B-2 (tourist/business),
- F & M (students),
- H-1B (workers),
- J (exchange visitors).
Extra travel related surcharges include a $24 I-94 entry fee and a $13 ESTA charge for eligible travelers. Only diplomatic visa categories (A and G) are exempt.
Also effective immediately is a new social media screening directive for F, M, and J visa applicants. All applicants must now list their usernames and set their social media accounts to “public” for full transparency during the vetting process.
“Every visa adjudication is a national security decision,” the U.S. Mission emphasized.
These updates are part of a broader immigration tightening under Trump’s era policies, focused on stricter enforcement, identity verification, and deterrence of unauthorized stay.
Nigerians intending to travel to the United States are advised to strictly adhere to visa rules to avoid harsh penalties.