The United States Embassy in Nigeria has issued a clarification aimed at correcting a widespread misunderstanding about the validity and purpose of U.S. visas.
In a social media post shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) page, the embassy explained that a visa’s expiration date does not determine how long a visitor can stay in the U.S.
According to the statement, the actual length of stay permitted is decided by an officer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the point of entry, not by the visa itself.
“Reminder! The duration of stay granted to an international visitor is set by the CBP officer upon arrival in the United States, not based on when the visa expires,” the embassy posted, urging travellers to verify their official departure date through the I-94 form available at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
The embassy stressed that a visa only gives permission to approach a U.S. port of entry and request admission.
To avoid overstaying, travellers were encouraged to always check their I-94 arrival record, which shows the “Admit Until Date”—the actual deadline for leaving the country.
The message further clarified that the visa’s expiration date is unrelated to the length of an approved visit.
