Despite a blanket ban on business, tourist and student visa applications from Nigerians and other nationals, an internal memo shows that the U.S. government has deliberately continued to bleed intending travellers of hundreds of thousands of naira as application fees for visas that will ultimately be denied.

According to an internal memo seen by Peoples Gazette, the State Department specifically directed embassies in affected nations to continue accepting payment for visa applications and scheduling interview appointments, knowing well that applicants would be automatically refused under an active presidential proclamation banning visa processing in those categories.

“Post should not counsel applicants or advise them in advance of the interview that they are subject to the PP — This could be seen as pre-adjudication,” stated the memo seen by The Gazette.

The questions were posted by consular officers around the world who wanted to advise citizens and residents of affected countries not to bother paying visa fees since they would be denied anyway.

But the Department cautioned officers against discouraging applicants from paying the non-refundable fees, arguing that information about the proclamation was already in the public domain.

“Information on the PP is widely available on Post websites and travel.state.gov,” the memo stated.

The Department directed visa officers to post information about the ban on social media and via other public messaging channels.

In December 2025, the White House issued a proclamation restricting visa processing for Nigerians intending to travel to the U.S. for business, tourism and academic purposes, citing concerns over visa overstays and absence of a reliable security framework to vet applicants.

The proclamation applies to Nigerian scholars and students in the F, M and J categories as well as to business and tourism visa classes that gulp a large chunk of annual approvals worldwide.

Despite the explicit restrictions, the State Department has refused to suspend the visa applications in these categories, deliberately scheming money off hapless citizens of affected countries.

While Washington and Abuja have found a common ground to fight Boko Haram and other terrorists with a recent deployment of 100 U.S. troops to train the Nigerian military, far less progress has been made in addressing the travel ban that limits the entry of students, businessmen and tourists from the West African nation.

Instead, people continue to apply, pay non-refundable visa fees, make travel plans for interviews and deploy other personal resources only to be denied without any practical exceptions.