The Donald Trump administration has announced that Nigerians who submit fake documents and other requirements in their visa applications will be permanently banned from entering the country.

In a statement on Monday, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria said that Mr Trump’s government was doubling down on illegal immigration, warning that “those who commit visa fraud will be banned for life.”

Additionally, the administration will henceforth prosecute individuals and entities harbouring illegal Nigerians and other nationalities in a new measure to deter visa overstays. 

The Mission stated, “We will pursue criminal charges against those who engage in visa fraud and those who bring in and harbour illegal aliens.’’

Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department introduced a mandatory $250 integrity fee for foreigners granted non-immigrant visas. The fee, part of Mr Trump’s newly passed Big Beautiful Bill, is payable only upon visa approval and refundable if visitors comply fully with the terms of their stay although the government has yet to state the modalities for a refund.

Additionally, the State Department recently revised its travel rules to limit visa issuance to only three-month single entry to the U.S., halting the multiple-entry five-year visas previously issued to Nigerian non-immigrants