The United States government has taken immediate action to suspend the issuance of work visas for foreign truck drivers, a measure that notably impacts Nigerian drivers among others. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this significant decision on Thursday, emphasizing its immediate effect. The primary justifications cited for this policy change are concerns regarding job security for American citizens and potential safety risks posed by the increasing presence of foreign truck drivers on U.S. highways.

Rubio articulated the government's stance, stating, “Effective immediately, we are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. 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.” This move underscores a broader initiative by President Donald Trump's administration, which has intensified its clampdown on immigration since his return to office in January 2025.

In conjunction with this suspension, new, stringent immigration measures are being implemented. Travelers originating from countries identified with high visa overstay rates or possessing weak travel databases will now be mandated to pay a substantial bond, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, before they can obtain certain categories of visas. Furthermore, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has issued a directive requiring all visa applicants to disclose their social media handles from the past five years. The embassy has explicitly warned that failure to comply with this new requirement could lead to the denial of their visa applications and potentially render them ineligible for future visas.