An American man, Chris, has raised concerns over the recent United States travel ban, which has prevented his Nigerian wife, Adenike, from joining him in the country since May 2024.
Chris, who spoke via his Instagram handle @authentic_traveling, described the far-reaching effects of the new travel restrictions on families like his.
The new policy has been attributed to several security concerns, including falsified student records, marriage fraud affecting green card applications, and visa overstays.
U.S. authorities said the issues have prompted stricter screening for foreign nationals, including family-based immigrants from high-risk countries such as Nigeria.
According to a White House proclamation titled “Restricting and limiting the entry of foreign nationals to protect the security of the United States,” family ties can, in some cases, be exploited as channels for fraudulent, criminal, or even terrorist activity.
Immigration experts said the new rules mean that Nigerians married to Americans may have their visa applications subjected to more stringent review as only those granted a national-interest exception may be allowed entry, while ordinary family-based petitions could face denial.
