US Suspends Work Visas For Nigerian and Foreign Truck Drivers Over Safety, Employment Concerns

The United States government has announced an immediate suspension of work visas for Nigerian and other foreign truck drivers.

The announcement was made on Thursday by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the move responds to safety concerns and the impact on American truckers’ employment.

“Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Rubio stated. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

The suspension is part of President Donald Trump’s renewed immigration policies since his return to office in January 2025. Under the new measures, foreign nationals from countries with high visa overstay rates or inadequate travel databases must now pay a bond of $5,000 to $15,000 before obtaining certain U.S. visas. The pilot programme, set for 12 months, aims to ensure travelers depart the country before their visas expire.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has instructed all visa applicants to provide social media usernames from the past five years. Failure to disclose this information could result in application rejection and potential ineligibility for future visas.