The Federal Government has protested the new visa restrictions imposed on Nigerian citizens by the United States.
Nigeria has dubbed the measures ‘harsh and inconsistent’ with longstanding diplomatic ties.
It would be recalled that the US government cut the validity of B1/B2 (business/tourism), F (student), and J (exchange) visas of Nigerians to just three months with only a single entry permitted.
The policy, which took effective from July 8, was, according to the U.S. government, part of a global visa reciprocity review.
It replaces the previous multi-year, multiple-entry arrangement that Nigerians had hitherto enjoyed.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now called on the U.S. to reconsider the policy in the interest of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
The Federal Government warned that the new development could adversely affect cultural, academic, and professional exchanges between Nigeria and the US.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, led a government delegation to meet with the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard M. Mills Jr in his office over the issue.
Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria remained committed to securing travel protocols, curbing visa overstays, and sharing critical security data with America.
He also seized the opportunity to talk about the government’s new e-visa system for foreign visitors as part of its efforts to improve transparency.
The US ambassador explained that the new rules applied only to visas issued after July 8 and would not affect already-issued visas.
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