What the U.S. Partial Travel Ban on Nigerians Means

The White House announced a Partial travel ban on Nigerians in an update published on its website on Tuesday. 16th of December 2025.

The Donald Trump administration is once again on the neck of Nigerians, and this time it has imposed travel restrictions on Nigerians. This means that Nigerians pursuing the American dream will definitely face pushback. This is mainly because the new restriction bars entry for Nigerians seeking to enter the U.S. as green card holders, or on B‑1, B‑2, B‑1/B‑2, F, M, and J visas.

The USA may have closed its gates, but here are major beautiful countries you can visit with your Nigerian Passport.

What Does the U.S. Travel Ban Mean for Nigerians?

The new White House announcement introducing travel restrictions on Nigerians affects major migration routes and common visa categories. Nigerians are barred from entering the U.S. on:

1. B-1 (business)
2. B-2 (tourism),
3. B-1/B-2, F (academic students)
4. M (vocational students),
5. J (exchange programmes)
6. Other immigrant/green-card visas.

This means that if you are planning to visit or relocate to the USA for tourism, education, exchange programmes, or permanent residence, you will face denials or entry restrictions.

Additionally, if you are already in the U.S. legally (e.g., you hold a valid visa or green card), this order may not immediately affect your ability to remain in the U.S. Still, future renewals could be affected by policy updates.

Can Any Person or Category of People Still Enter the USA?

The policy is a partial restriction, not a total ban, so it does not apply to every possible visa category. Even though restrictions and limitations may still apply, some exceptions may exist. Categories excluded include:

• Diplomatic or official government travel,
• humanitarian cases
• And special waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis.

For most Nigerians, however, the usual pathways to enter the United States are now significantly restricted unless the policy is reviewed or lifted in the future.

Read Also: How to Apply for an International Passport in Nigeria

Why Did the U.S. Government Place a Travel Ban on Nigeria?

• The U.S. government says the decision is based on security concerns and difficulties in vetting Nigerians, which many can honestly see why.
• The security crisis: The U.S. government found it difficult to properly check or verify the backgrounds, security, or risk of people from those countries.
• It also stated that Nigerians have a high rate of visa overstays in the U.S. In fact, according to the Overstay Report, Nigeria had a B-1/B-2 visa overstay rate of approximately 6% percent and an F, M, and J visa overstay rate of roughly 12%.

As for Nigeria, it is no news that despite fighting for years, the Radical Islamic terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State operate freely in certain parts of Nigeria, which creates substantial screening and vetting difficulties.

The restrictions come weeks after the U.S. designated Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern,’ after President Donald Trump accused Nigeria of supporting Islamic extremists persecuting Christians in Nigeria and threatened Nigeria with potential military action. The Nigerian government has denied the accusation, stating that the security crisis in the country is more complex.

List of Every Country Affected by U.S. Travel Ban

As of December 16, 2025, the U.S. travel policy now affects a total of 39 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, with either complete bans or partial restrictions on entry starting January 1, 2026.

Nigeria was not the only country affected by the U.S. travel restrictions; the proclamation imposed restrictions on 14 other countries, bringing the total to 15, including Nigeria, which will now be added to seven others that had been placed under partial limits on June 8, 2025.

The 15 countries with a Partial travel ban as of December 16, 2025, on the list include:

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Dominica
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Countries Already Under Partial Restriction (Continued)

In addition to newly listed countries, these seven countries were slammed with partial restrictions on June 8, 2025:

• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Venezuela
• Turkmenistan

U.S. Full Travel Ban (No entry on most visas)

These countries now face complete suspension of entry for both immigrant and most non-immigrant visas due to security and vetting concerns:

• Afghanistan
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen
• Burkina Faso (new)
• Mali (new)
• Niger (new)
• South Sudan (new)
• Syria (new)
• Laos (moved from partial to full)
• Sierra Leone (moved from partial to full)
• Individuals using Palestinian Authority travel documents are also fully barred.