Chris, an American married to Adenike, a Nigerian lady has lamented at how the travel ban policy by the United States (US) prevented his wife from joining him in the country since May 2024.
Speaking via his Instagram handle, @authentic_traveling specifically on the far-reaching implications of the recent travel ban, he said, “My wife and I have known each other for five years and she has never been able to come to the US. And now, it is essentially impossible…”.
“It is now extremely unlikely that my wife will visit the US anytime soon. I’ve been married to my wife, Adenike for the past year and a half. We have been waiting for a visa interview to come to the US since May 2024, and with the new presidential travel ban, she currently has no path to come. As of the presidential proclamation yesterday, the US will no longer issue immigrant visas to a Nigerian spouse”, he said.
“So many people have ties to the United States by way of family, friends and professional contact,” Thomas said. “This is going to affect a lot of people.”
Read also: US imposes travel ban on Nigerians over security, visa overstay concerns
“Previously, earlier travel bans had only focused on non-immigrant visas like student visas, business visas and tourist visas. People petitioning for their spouses and children were exempt and this is no longer the case. My wife has never met the majority of my relatives and she has never set foot in my home country of the United States”, Chris noted.
Implications of the new proclamation
US authorities have however cited several reasons for the new restrictions, such as: Falsifying student records and grades to gain entry, marriage fraud affecting green card applications, and visa overstays, which have contributed to the decision to curtail visitor visas.
According to The White House proclamation, titled ‘Restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals to protect the security of the United States’, it says, “Familial ties can serve… as unique vectors for fraudulent, criminal, or even terrorist activity.”
This means that family-based visas (such as those for spouses, children, or other relatives) are not automatically exempt from travel restrictions for nationals of countries deemed high-risk, including Nigeria.
In other words, US authorities have been concerned that allowing broad exemptions for family members could be exploited.
Read also: U.S. revokes over 80,000 visas, citing security concerns, criminal offences
They suggest that, in some cases, criminals or even terrorists could attempt to enter the country using family relationships as a loophole to bypass security checks.
Therefore, even if someone is married to a US citizen, their visa application might be subject to stricter review or denied unless a special national-interest exception is granted.
The implications for Nigerians seeking to relocate to the U.S., including those married to U.S. citizens, will generally require a case-by-case approval under national-interest exceptions. Ordinary family-based immigration may not automatically qualify due to the broad restrictions on nationals from Nigeria.
Read also: U.S widens its social media scrutiny to visa-waiver countries
“Broadly excepting most immigrant visa applicants from the countries whose risks and deficiencies most gravely threaten America is inconsistent with protecting our national security… Familial ties can serve… as unique vectors for fraudulent, criminal, or even terrorist activity.”
“Exceptions to the suspension of and limitation on entry… may be made on a case-by-case basis for individuals for whom the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, or the Secretary of Homeland Security finds, in their discretion, that the travel by the individual would serve a United States national interest.”
Exceptions are extremely limited and granted only through discretionary national-interest waivers.
