Trump Extends Travel Ban

The USA’s ever expanding travel ban list has just recently been updated to exclude another six countries from applying for certain types of immigration visas. The controversial list was initially set up by President Trump in 2017, shortly after he came into office. Citizens of Iran, Libya and  North Korea were some of the original countries listed, but with the addition of six more countries, the full list now stands at 13. As of February 22nd, 2020 citizens from Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Kyrgyzstan and Myanmar will also face restrictions. US Homeland Security has stated that the banned countries were unable to satisfy their information-sharing requirements relating to terrorism and/or did not have updated passport systems.

Out of the newly restricted countries, Nigeria is likely to feel the most severe effect. In 2018 approximately 8,000 immigration visas were issued to Nigerian citizens by US Government, which was 50% more than any other African country.

High Net Worth Nigerians have always shown strong demand for second citizenship and La Vida has experienced this first hand having helped many Nigerian investors gain second residency and passports. Despite the above restrictions, there are some US options still available to Nigerians citizens, such as the E2 Visa. The E2 Visa has proven to be a hugely popular alternative to the EB-5 Green card programme. Investors must firstly obtain citizenship in an E2 Treaty country such as Grenada and they can then later apply for the US E-2 Investor Visa.

It should be noted that Malta has also recently announced that they will no longer be able to accept Nigerians for their Citizenship by Investment programme, due to their links with the US. This is a prime example of how US legislation can also influence other countries immigration laws. Whilst there are many countries still accepting Nigerian citizens, the window of opportunity could be about to narrow.  We urge Nigerian investors to proceed with their investment migration plans before it is too late.

For those who are simply looking to increase their visa-free travel options, there are a number of Citizenship by Investment programmes which can help. Antigua, Dominica, St Kitts and St Lucia will all enable the passport holder to access more than 130 countries worldwide, including the Schengen Zone and the UK. For more details on how we can assist you, please contact us.