U.S. government announcement that its Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and not the visa granted will determine the length of visitors stay on its soil upon arrival into the country has sparked reactions among Nigerians on social media. In a post on X on Friday, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria announced that “The length of time an international visitor is allowed to stay in the United States is determined by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer upon your arrival, NOT your visa expiration date. To see how long you can stay, check your I-94 (admit until date”
The post which has been seen by over 15,000 people, has garnered reactions from Nigerians on X.
An X user, @MrKceec asked, “But why on arrival. One should be able to know how long he stay before even proceeding. Not when one is there already and 1 rogue decides how long you stay.” @edu_brazeal said: “Enough of this, stop disturbing us with this nonsense every 4 market days, going to the US no longer interests us with your new dictator in chief.” Another X user, @owencapri said “If your intended trip is a one week holiday to see family and friends or business meeting, buy a return plane ticket, plan your accommodation, respect the rules of the country you are travelling to, and return home. Surprised it took this long for governments to make this change.”
This explanation followed the U.S. visa reciprocity limiting the validity of non-immigrant visas including B1/B2, F and J categories to three months with single entry for Nigerian applicants. The Nigerian government has promised to address the issue using diplomatic channels
Nigerians speak up as U.S. says border officers will determine visitors’ length of stay at entry ports
