The United States Embassy in Nigeria has reportedly begun quietly revoking valid visas previously issued to Nigerian citizens, disrupting travel plans for professionals, entrepreneurs, frequent travellers, and families, and imposing significant financial and logistical burdens
Olufemi Soneye, former Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd, highlighted the issue in an article titled ‘The Quiet Revocation: Why Is the U.S. Silently Cancelling Nigerians’ Visas?’
According to Soneye, several affected individuals have received official letters from the embassy in recent weeks instructing them to submit their passports at the Lagos or Abuja consulates. Upon submission, their visas were cancelled without explanation. The notices cited Title 22, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 41.122, stating vaguely that “new information became available after the visa was issued,” but provided no further details, evidence, or avenues for appeal.
Among those impacted are a prominent journalist, the head of a federal government agency scheduled to deliver an international address, and an Abuja-based entrepreneur with a spotless travel record. Others include professionals and frequent travellers relying on visas for education, family reunions, medical treatment, and essential business engagements.
Several victims were forced to cancel overseas trips at short notice, refund tickets, and inform partners of their inability to attend important meetings. In some cases, travellers discovered the cancellations only at airports, with a few briefly detained by immigration officials before being turned back.
Despite the scale of the problem, neither the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria nor Nigerian authorities have issued a public statement addressing the wave of cancellations, leaving affected citizens in limbo.
Those impacted insist they have never overstayed visas, violated immigration rules, or posed security concerns. The sudden revocations have sparked fears of a targeted tightening of U.S. visa policy against Nigerians.
Analysts note that applicants from high-migration countries, including Nigeria, have historically faced heightened scrutiny. Policy documents from previous U.S. administrations encouraged consular officers to apply stricter review standards to certain nationalities, suggesting that the current wave of cancellations may be a continuation of that practice.
