Nigerians Spend Over N50bn on US Visa Applications as Rejection Rates Rise

(VISA. Facebook/instablog9ja)

Nigerians spent more than N50 billion on United States visa applications between 2023 and 2024, even as approval rates declined amid tighter immigration rules and stricter screening processes.

An analysis by Intelpoint, based on US State Department data, shows that 201,200 non-immigrant visas were issued to Nigerians within the period.

At the standard application fee of $185 per applicant, total spending is estimated at $37.2 million equivalent to approximately N50.7 billion at N1,360 to the dollar.

Visa issuance dropped significantly over the period, falling by 23 per cent from 113,900 in 2023 to 87,300 in 2024 a reduction of 26,600 visas. Data for 2025 was not available at the time of the analysis.

Business and tourism visas under the B1/B2 category accounted for 83 per cent of approvals in 2024, while student visas made up about 7 per cent, with other categories covering the remainder.

Nigeria accounted for approximately 0.8 per cent of global US non-immigrant visa issuances in 2024.

Experts say Nigerians’ strong travel culture continues to drive demand, though approvals have become increasingly difficult to secure due to policy changes and more rigorous screening.

Following Donald Trump’s return to office in 2025, new measures were introduced, including limiting most Nigerian visas to single-entry with a three-month validity period and requiring applicants to disclose social media handles from the past five years.

Further restrictions announced in December 2025 expanded travel limitations affecting Nigeria and several other countries from January 2026.

Travel agents report higher rejection rates, particularly for first-time applicants. Many Nigerians have since turned to alternative destinations such as the United Kingdom and parts of Europe, although those regions have also tightened their own visa requirements.