U.S. Accused of Collecting Over $100 Million from Nigerians Amid Visa Processing Freeze — Report
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A new report by the Cato Institute has alleged that the United States government collected more than $100 million in immigration-related fees from Nigerians without processing their applications, raising concerns over fairness and transparency in the system.
According to the report, approximately 179,000 Nigerians paid for various immigration services despite an existing policy that halted the processing of applications tied to immigrant visas and permanent residency. The restriction, which affects Nigeria and several other countries, reportedly extends to employment-related benefits, leaving many applicants unable to renew work permits or complete residency procedures.
The institute’s Director of Immigration Studies, David Bier, criticised the continued acceptance of payments under such conditions, describing it as a major failure within the immigration system. Data cited in the report indicates that over $1 billion was collected from applicants across affected countries, with Nigerians contributing about 10 percent of that amount.
The policy has left thousands of Nigerians in the United States in uncertain situations, particularly those awaiting decisions on work authorisation, family sponsorships, and naturalisation processes. Many applicants reportedly continued submitting payments, unaware that their cases would not be processed.
Internal directives within U.S. immigration authorities allegedly discouraged officials from informing applicants in advance about the restrictions, further complicating the situation for those affected.
The report also highlighted similar impacts on applicants from other countries, including Cuba and Venezuela, where hundreds of thousands of pending applications have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in fees.
Legal challenges have begun to emerge, with affected individuals arguing that indefinite delays and blanket restrictions based on nationality are unjust. In one case, a U.S. court ordered immigration authorities to make a decision on pending applications after ruling that prolonged delays were unjustified.
The Cato Institute has called on the U.S. Congress to intervene, urging authorities to process all paid applications and ensure that immigration decisions are handled fairly, regardless of applicants’ country of origin.
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