The United States government has announced an immediate suspension of work visas for Nigerian and other foreign truck drivers.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement on Thursday, citing safety concerns and the impact on American truckers.
“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Rubio said. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”
The move is part of President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration clampdown since his return to office in January 2025. Under the new measures, foreigners from countries with high visa overstay rates or weak travel records will be required to pay a bond ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 before certain U.S. visas are issued. The policy, introduced as a 12-month pilot program, aims to ensure travelers depart the country before their visas expire.
Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has instructed applicants to provide all social media usernames used in the past five years when completing visa forms. The embassy warned that failure to disclose this information could result in visa denials and potential ineligibility for future applications.
