Nigerians who entered the United States on B1/B2 business or tourist visas and later applied for asylum could be caught in President Donald Trump’s planned mass visa revocation programme. Up to 200,000 foreign nationals may eventually lose their visitor visas, but the measure does not target Nigerians alone and would not automatically mean that affected asylum seekers are immediately deported.
The Trump administration confirmed on Monday that the State Department is working with the Department of Homeland Security to identify foreigners who entered the US as temporary visitors before seeking asylum.
The proposal covers B1 and B2 visas issued between 2016 and 2026 to people who subsequently applied for asylum or are currently seeking protection in the United States.
For Nigerians, the key point is simple: having a valid B1/B2 visa does not by itself put someone among the 200,000 people being targeted. The proposed action is aimed specifically at visitor-visa holders who later sought asylum.
New Daily Prime first reported the planned revocations in its coverage of Trump’s latest immigration crackdown. Read New Daily Prime’s original report on the 200,000 visa plan
Who could be affected?
A B1 visa is normally issued for temporary business travel, such as attending meetings or conferences, while a B2 visa is commonly used for tourism, family visits and some medical trips.
Both are non-immigrant visas, meaning applicants are normally expected to show that their stay in the United States will be temporary.
The new policy is aimed at people who were granted one of those visas and later asked the US Government for asylum.
Asylum is different from a visitor visa. It is a form of protection available to people who say they would face persecution if returned to their home country.
State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said Washington was working with Homeland Security to identify visitors who later filed asylum applications to remain permanently.
The State Department has not itself confirmed that exactly 200,000 visas will be revoked. That figure comes from government documents and officials cited by the Associated Press.
Pigott said the number would remain “dynamic” because revocations would take place on a rolling basis.
That means the headline figure should be understood as up to 200,000, not as 200,000 cancellations that have already happened.
Does this mean Nigerians will lose their US visas?
No. There is no indication that all Nigerian B1/B2 visa holders will lose their visas under this particular measure.
A Nigerian who obtained a visitor visa, travelled to the US for the permitted purpose and did not subsequently seek asylum would not appear to fall within the group described by US officials.
However, a Nigerian who entered on a B1 or B2 visa and later applied for asylum could potentially be affected if their visa falls within the period being reviewed.
This distinction is important because Nigerians already face separate US visa restrictions, including a visa bond programme affecting some business and tourist visa applicants.
New Daily Prime reported in January that Nigerians who are otherwise eligible for some B1/B2 visas may be required to post bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on the decision made during the visa process. Read: US imposes visa bond requirement of up to $15,000 for Nigerians
That policy and the proposed 200,000 revocations are not the same measure.
The visa bond concerns some people seeking visitor visas, while the latest crackdown concerns existing B1/B2 visa holders who later sought asylum.
Visa revocation does not automatically mean deportation
For Nigerians already pursuing asylum cases in America, one of the most important points is that the cancellation of a B1/B2 visa would not necessarily result in immediate deportation.
Officials cited by AP said most people with asylum cases still pending could be placed into another immigration classification while their cases continue. They would, however, lose their status as business or tourist visitors.
In other words, cancelling the visa used to enter the United States is not necessarily the same as rejecting the asylum application.
The outcome of an asylum case would still depend on the immigration process applying to that individual.
Anyone directly affected should therefore avoid assuming that a visa revocation notice means their asylum claim has automatically failed.
Affected Nigerians should read any notice they receive carefully and seek advice from a properly qualified US immigration lawyer, particularly before leaving the country or making new travel arrangements.
Why is Trump doing this?
The Trump administration says some foreigners are using temporary visitor visas as a route into the United States before filing asylum applications to remain permanently.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has argued that asylum should not become a way of bypassing normal immigration rules.
But the policy is likely to face legal challenges.
Critics point out that a person’s circumstances can change after receiving a visa or arriving in the United States. War, political persecution or other threats may arise after travel, meaning a later asylum application does not automatically prove that the person lied when originally applying for a visitor visa.
AP reported that, if fully implemented, the measure could become the largest single mass visa revocation in US history.
Reuters also reported that rights groups have criticised Trump’s wider immigration measures over concerns about due process and civil liberties.
Wider scrutiny of US visa holders
The new proposal is part of a much broader tightening of US immigration enforcement.
The State Department says more than 175,000 visas have already been revoked during the past 18 months for a range of reasons, including alleged criminal activity and other grounds for visa ineligibility.
New Daily Prime previously reported that Washington was also conducting continuous vetting of more than 55 million visa holders to determine whether they remained eligible for their visas.
Read: US to review 55 million visa holders for possible violations
That review can consider information that becomes available after a visa has been issued, including immigration and law-enforcement records.
The administration has also revoked thousands of student visas as part of its wider enforcement drive.
Read: Trump administration revokes more than 6,000 student visas
Taken together, the measures show that securing a US visa no longer means scrutiny ends once the document has been issued.
What Nigerians should do now
Nigerians should first establish whether the new policy actually applies to them before reacting to reports of mass cancellations.
Ordinary B1/B2 holders who have not sought asylum should not assume their visa is among those targeted by this particular proposal.
Nigerians with pending asylum applications who originally entered the United States on B1/B2 visas should pay close attention to official communication from US immigration authorities and the State Department.
They should also be cautious about international travel if their visa status changes, because a revoked visitor visa cannot simply be relied upon for re-entry.
Most importantly, people affected should rely on official notices concerning their own immigration status rather than viral social-media posts suggesting that Washington is cancelling all Nigerian visas.
Related news
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US to review 55 million visa holders for possible violations
Trump administration revokes more than 6,000 student visas
Trump to cancel 200,000 visas held by B1/B2 visitors who later seek asylum
