The President Donald Trump-led administration has directed the United States of America Citizenship and Immigration Services to reject green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of other countries recently added to the expanded US “travel ban,” citing national security concerns and an ongoing review of immigration vetting processes.
(USCIS)
A US government official disclosed this, according to CBS News.
The directive is coming on the heels of a proclamation signed by President Trump on Tuesday, which further restricts entry into the United States for nationals from countries considered to be high-risk due to what it described as “demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing” that threaten US national security and public safety.
Nigeria is one of the 15 additional countries newly subjected to partial restrictions by the US government.
Recall that on October 31, Trump declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern” following allegations of a Christian genocide in the country.
Here is the full list of countries affected by the suspension of green card and citizenship applications:
Countries affected
Full travel ban
Burkina Faso
Mali
Niger
South Sudan
Syria
Laos
Sierra Leone
Partial travel restrictions
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Benin
Côte d’Ivoire
Dominica
Gabon
Gambia
Malawi
Mauritania
Nigeria
Senegal
Tanzania
Tonga
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Previously affected countries
Afghanistan
Burundi
Chad
Cuba
Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Haiti
Iran
Libya
Myanmar
Somalia
Sudan
Togo
Turkmenistan
Yemen
Venezuela
This latest suspension expands earlier restrictions announced in June, under which nationals of several countries faced partial limits on immigration processing.
But in the latest proclamation, Laos and Sierra Leone, previously facing partial restrictions, were slammed with full entry ban, prompting USCIS to extend the freeze on immigration petitions, including green card and citizenship applications.
