CEM REPORT, MIGRATION | Nigerians who have hoped to “japa” via the United States Diversity Visa Program should shed their hopes as Nigeria has been confirmed on the list of excluded countries to apply for the program.
The US Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, in a press statement announcing the commencement of the Diversity Visa Program for the fiscal year 2025 stressed that Nigeria remains on the list of countries ineligible to apply.
Moreso, the statement includes a clause that allows persons of Nigerian origin to apply sobeit that such person was born outside Nigeria or have parents born outside of Nigeria. In other words, those who were born in Nigeria to Nigerian parents are not eligible.
However, Nigeria isn’t the only country on the excluded list as 17 other countries are also on the excluded list. Notably, the statement added that for the FY2025 program, individuals from countries who have sent more than 50,000 of their nationals to the United States in the past five years are ineligible to apply.
Excluded countries include:
Bangladesh
Brazil
Canada,
China (including mainland and Hong Kong)
Colombia
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Haiti
Honduras
India
Jamaica
Mexico
Nigeria
Pakistan
Philippines
Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Venezuela, and
Vietnam
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The US Diversity Visa Program (DV Program) is an annual lottery that provides the opportunity to get a green card for citizens of nations with low rates of immigration to the US. The US State Department distributes 55,000 diversity visas (DVs) per year, with the allocation split among six geographical areas.
