The United States Department of Homeland Security has released a staggering figure for the number of Nigerian who continued to stay in the United States even after the expiration of their visas in 2018.
According to the report which captured data from October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018, a total of 29, 723 Nigerians who were granted tourism/business visas flouted the provisions made for them.
The figure makes the percentage of Nigerian culprits to be 15.18% out of the 195,785 persons that were expected to have departed.
The report equally explained that a visa overstay is when a nonimmigrant exceeds their approved period of admission as indicated in their visa.
Further findings also show that 719 of this category of offenders waited until their visas expired before they left the United States, while 29,004 did not register in the country’s departure records.
The rate at which Nigerians overstay their visa must have probably contributed to the US’ decision to suspend interview waiver for Nigerians seeking to renew their visas.
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