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2025-12-20 11:10:00
In a report published by The Punch, a US official said the Trump administration has directed USCIS to suspend green card and citizenship applications for nationals of newly added countries on an expanded travel-ban list, including Nigeria.
The development is tied to a security-driven review of screening and vetting, with affected applicants facing uncertainty over processing timelines and eligibility across immigration categories.
For Nigerian families, students and professionals, the immediate impact is a backlog effect—cases already in the pipeline may slow as adjudications are paused or subjected to heightened scrutiny.
NPR reported USCIS would pause reviewing pending applications for green cards, citizenship, or asylum for immigrants from the listed countries, noting it “would pause reviewing all pending applications.” Reuters also reported the policy shift as part of a broader tightening, describing it as a “pause” tied to national security screening.
Echotitbits take:
Diaspora communities should expect rapidly evolving guidance. Watch for official USCIS notices, legal challenges, and any changes to country lists or categories—plus what US consulates communicate about downstream impacts.
Source: The Punch — December 20, 2025 (https://punchng.com/full-list-us-stops-nigerians-others-from-applying-for-green-card-citizenship/)
The Punch 2025-12-20
