US student visa delays: Over 300 Nigerians cry out

US Visa

More than 300 Nigerians who have gained admission into universities in the United States have expressed frustration over their inability to obtain student visas, despite undergoing embassy interviews after a month and weeks.

The students, in a WhatsApp group with 301 members, lamented the prolonged visa delays, stating that they faced an uncertain future.

The delay comes amid President Donald Trump’s administration efforts to control immigration, which brought changes into how international student visas are reviewed and issued.

The US government had ordered a suspension of student visa processing, the Trump’s administration also moved to bar Harvard University from admitting non-Americans.

In May, the US government halted the scheduling of all new F-1, M-1, and J-1 visa interviews worldwide.

The move was to accommodate new vetting protocols that include expanded screening of applicants’ social media histories.

Starting from June 18, students were required to submit all social media handles used in the last five years and set those accounts to public visibility.

Any activity that consular officers interpret as anti-US, antisemitic, or linked to extremism can be grounds for denial without a detailed explanation.

Compounding the pressure, a newly introduced $250 “Visa Integrity Fee”, signed into law as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” by Trump is now required in all non-immigrant visa categories, including student visas.

There is also a revived push to cap student visa terms at two to four years, ending the long-standing “duration of status” policy that allowed students to stay as long as they maintained valid academic enrollment.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that many of the affected applicants may struggle to meet school resumption deadlines, with most institutions set to resume on August 1 (yesterday).