Trump’s Travel Restrictions: US Contacts Nigerian Visa Applicants Affected, Prioritizes their Applications
- The US mission in Nigeria said immigrant visa applicants affected by Trump's travel restrictions are now being considered
- A statement by the mission indicates that the affected applicants have been contacted by the US consulate-general in Lagos
- The step by the mission follows President Biden's reversal of the restrictions imposed by his predecessor
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The United States Mission in Nigeria says it is now prioritising immigrant visa applicants in Nigeria who were affected by the travel restrictions previously imposed by former President Donald Trump in 2020.
This is contained in a statement on the embassy's website sighted by Legit.ng on Tuesday, March 16.
The US mission said it is taking the step following the proclamation by President Joe Biden which reversed the restrictions imposed by his predecessor.
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The statement indicated that the US consulate-general in Lagos has already contacted all immigrant visa applicants whose applications were affected and is prioritising the processing of these pending cases.
The US mission also described as inaccurate a recent media report claiming Nigerians who were denied visas on or after January 20, 2020, can now re-apply for free.
It clarifies that President Biden's proclamation applies only to certain immigrant visa cases, and does not apply to tourist, business, student, or other nonimmigrant visas.
The mission further disclosed that the consular sections in Abuja and Lagos are gradually restoring routine visa operations in accordance with COVID-19 safety mitigation protocols.
It added that the validity of nonimmigrant visa payments (known as the MRV fee) has been extended until September 30, 2022.
Legit.ng learns that the move is to allow all applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment as a result of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/or attend a visa appointment with the already paid fee.
Also, non-immigrant visa applicants who were previously refused and would like to apply again will need to submit a new visa application (DS-160) and pay a new visa application processing fee, the mission explained.
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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said President Biden’s revocation of immigrant visa restrictions on Nigeria was an affirmation of the close ties between Americans and Nigerians.
Blinken made this known when he spoke with Nigeria's foreign affairs minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Monday, March 1.
He spoke with Onyeama to highlight the importance that the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria.
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Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_
Source: Legit.ng
