Travel & Visa News
Real policy and processing-time changes for Nigerian travellers — UK, Canada, USA and Schengen — pulled only from official government sources. No rumours, no forwarded WhatsApp messages.
This page is updated whenever we're asked to check for the latest — every item below links straight back to the official page it came from, so you can verify it yourself.
Latest updates
Still in effect: Presidential Proclamation 10998 (effective January 1, 2026) partially suspends entry for Nigerian nationals applying for B-1/B-2 visitor visas, F/M/J student and exchange visas, and immigrant visas. This is a separate, ongoing restriction — it has not been lifted.
Lifted: A different, narrower pause — on immigrant visa issuance for nationals of countries flagged for "public benefits reliance" screening, which Nigeria was also subject to from January 21, 2026 — was confirmed lifted by the State Department on August 21, 2026 following a court ruling in CLINIC et al. v. Rubio. No previously issued visas were revoked, and this specific pause never touched tourist (nonimmigrant) visas.
Also current: Nigeria is on the U.S. list of countries subject to visa bonds (up to $5,000–$15,000 for B-1/B-2 applicants) effective January 21, 2026, under a Temporary Final Rule — this is an active program, not a pilot.
Where to apply: Since 1 August 2026, routine U.S. visa services for Nigerians — including tourist and business visas — are handled only at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos; the Abuja embassy no longer processes routine applications. Existing Abuja appointments are being honoured or rescheduled, and unused, still-valid visa fee receipts can be used to book in Lagos.
Not the same as your visitor visa: A separate pause on immigrant visa (green card) interview appointments has been reported worldwide since early August 2026, for officer training on public-benefit screening. It does not cover tourist, student or work visas. As of reports from 8 September 2026, processing had resumed only in Hungary and Poland — check the State Department before relying on this.
Source: U.S. Department of State — Presidential Proclamations →
Source: State Dept — public-benefits pause lifted →
Source: State Dept — Countries Subject to Visa Bonds →
News report: Abuja routine visa services moved to Lagos (AllAfrica) →
Updated 23 October 2026
Since 25 February 2026, most visa nationals — including Nigerian applicants, per a statement from the UK High Commission in Abuja — who apply for a UK visit visa receive an eVisa only; no physical vignette sticker is issued. The application requirements and process itself are unchanged.
Processing times: for complete applications submitted outside the UK, UK Visas and Immigration's published standard is 90% decided within 3 weeks, 98% within 6 weeks, and 100% within 12 weeks for non-settlement visas (tourist, work, study). Settlement visas: 98.5% within 12 weeks, 100% within 24 weeks. Paid priority service typically returns a decision within 5 working days, and super-priority within 1 working day, where available.
UK–Nigeria dialogue: On 6 October 2026, at their annual Migration, Justice and Home Affairs Dialogue in London, the UK and Nigeria agreed to strengthen cooperation on visa fraud, document verification and border management. No change to visa rules or eligibility was announced — but applicants should expect careful document checks.
Source: GOV.UK — Visa processing times →
News report: UK–Nigeria migration dialogue (AllAfrica) →
Updated 23 October 2026 (processing times: 9 September 2026) · eVisa rule effective 25 February 2026 · UK–Nigeria dialogue: 6 October 2026
IRCC's processing-time figures as of 7 October 2026, for applications submitted from Nigeria: study permits about 10 weeks (up 1 week), work permits about 10 weeks (unchanged), visitor visas about 100 days (up 16 days from the 9 September figure), and super visas about 37 days (down 7 days). Study permits applied for from inside Canada: about 8 weeks. IRCC refreshes its tool weekly, so treat these as a snapshot — figures here are as reported by Immigration News Canada, so always check the live tool for your specific application type and visa office before finalising travel plans.
Study permits: IRCC's formal service standards are 60 days for applications made outside Canada and 120 days for those made inside Canada. Estimates are not guarantees — incomplete files, extra document requests, and security checks can add time, so apply as early as your Letter of Acceptance allows.
Source: IRCC official processing-time tool (canada.ca) →
Updated 23 October 2026 (IRCC figures as of 7 October 2026)
Nigerian passport holders still require a Category C (short-stay) Schengen visa to enter any of the 29 Schengen countries — Nigeria is not on the EU's visa-exempt list, so the ETIAS travel authorisation (not yet in operation — the EU has announced no launch date and is not accepting applications) does not apply to Nigerian travellers regardless. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), which digitally logs entries, exits and biometrics at the external border, has been live since 10 April 2026 and applies to short-stay travellers including Nigerians, in addition to the visa requirement. The standard visa fee is €90 for adults, and applications are handled through VFS Global centres in Lagos and Abuja.
Current as of 23 October 2026
We don't auto-publish unverified updates. Whenever there's reason to believe something has changed — or simply on a regular check-in — we pull the latest directly from each government's official page and refresh what you see here, keeping the source link visible so you can always double-check for yourself.
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