Nigerians Spent Over N50bn on US Visas in Two Years as Approvals Drop 23%
By Aboki Forex —
Nigerians spent more than N50 billion on United States visa applications between 2023 and 2024, even as approval rates fell sharply. Washington tightened immigration controls and increased scrutiny of applicants during the period.
An analysis of the Intelpoint report, based on data from the US Department of State, shows that 201,200 non-immigrant visas were issued to Nigerians over the two years. At a standard application fee of $185 per applicant, Nigerians paid approximately $37.2 million. That is equivalent to N50.7 billion at an average exchange rate of N1,360 to the dollar.
Visa issuances declined by about 23 per cent. They fell to 87,300 in 2024 from 113,900 in 2023, a reduction of 26,600 visas. The PUNCH could not obtain comparable figures for 2025 at the time of reporting.
Business and Tourism Lead Approvals
Business and tourism travel dominated approvals in 2024. B1/B2 visas accounted for 83 per cent of total issuances. Student visas, or F1 visas, represented about seven per cent. Exchange visitor visas, known as J1 visas, and other temporary categories made up the remainder.