US govt announces changes to visa for Nigerians from September 2026

The US Department of Homeland Security, DHS, has introduced a new rule that would impose fixed time limits on visas for Nigerian and other international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists.

This is another step in President Donald Trump’s broader immigration crackdown.

In a government notice published on July 16, the rule would replace the current system that allows holders of F visas for students, J visas for cultural exchange participants and I visas for foreign media to remain in the United States for the duration of their academic programme or employment.

The regulation is scheduled to take effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register, subject to congressional review.

The latest proposal comes as the Trump administration continues to tighten immigration policies after the president returned to office in January 2025.

Under the proposed changes, F and J visa holders would be granted admission for no more than four years.

Foreign journalists on I visas, whose stays can currently last for years, would be limited to a maximum of 240 days. Chinese journalists would face an even shorter limit of 90 days.

DHS said affected visa holders would still be able to apply for extensions.

The department said the changes were prompted by a sharp increase in the number of such visa holders entering the United States.