US bars Nigerians from green card and citizenship applications
The United States government has temporarily barred Nigerians and nationals of several other countries from applying for U.S. green cards and citizenship as part of a broader immigration policy change tied to an expanded travel ban issued by President Donald Trump. Under this new directive, processing of legal immigration applications filed by Nigerians and other affected nationals has been suspended, including petitions for permanent residency (green cards) and naturalisation applications, according to recent reports.
The move is linked to a travel ban expansion announced on December 16, 2025, that added Nigeria to a list of countries facing partial restrictions under the U.S. security-focused immigration policy. Nationals of these countries now face delays or suspensions in immigration processing, as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) conducts reviews of screening procedures and national security vetting before resuming normal adjudication of cases.
Officials have described the suspension as a temporary measure tied to concerns about vetting and security, rather than a permanent ban, but it affects Nigerians both inside the U.S. seeking to adjust status and those applying from abroad. The policy also forms part of a wider crackdown on legal immigration that includes adjustments to asylum and refugee processing and visa issuance.
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