The United States government has ordered the suspension of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of several other countries newly added to an expanded US travel ban.
According to a report by News, a US government official disclosed that the directive was issued by the Trump administration to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) over national security concerns and an ongoing review of immigration screening and vetting procedures.
The development follows a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday, which further restricts entry into the United States for nationals of countries described as high-risk.
The proclamation cited what it called persistent and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting and information-sharing processes that pose threats to US national security and public safety.
Nigeria is among 15 additional countries placed under partial travel restrictions. Earlier, on October 31, Trump had designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern,” citing allegations of persecution against Christians.
Full travel ban:
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos, Sierra Leone.
Partial travel restrictions:
Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Previously affected countries:
Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Yemen, Venezuela.
The latest suspension expands earlier restrictions announced in June. Under the new proclamation, Laos and Sierra Leone, which were previously under partial restrictions, have now been placed on a full entry ban.
As a result, USCIS has extended the freeze on immigration petitions, including green card and citizenship applications, for affected countries.
The move has sparked concern among immigrants and prospective applicants, particularly Nigerians, many of whom rely on family- and employment-based immigration pathways to the United States.
