The U.S. issued Africans 820 more agricultural worker visas in Fiscal Year 2025

  • U.S. nonimmigrant visa issuances to Africans fell by 23.6% to 413,259.
  • Twenty-five visa categories still recorded increases despite the overall decline.
  • C3 visas posted the largest numerical increase, rising by 949.
  • H2A agricultural worker visas increased by 820 to 15,623.
  • B1/B2 visitor visas recorded the biggest decline, falling by 109,653.

U.S. nonimmigrant visa issuances to Africans fell from 540,666 in Fiscal Year 2024 to 413,259 in Fiscal Year 2025, a decline of 127,407 visas, or 23.6%.

Despite the overall drop, 25 visa categories recorded increases. H2A visas for temporary agricultural workers rose by 820, from 14,803 to 15,623, the highest Fiscal Year 2025 issuance total among the categories shown. C3 visas for foreign government officials in transit recorded the largest numerical increase, rising by 949 from 284 to 1,233, while H4 visas for dependants of H-category workers increased by 556 from 2,879 to 3,435.

The data shows that the decline was not uniform across all visa types. B1/B2 visitor visas fell by 109,653, from 404,533 to 294,880, while F1 student visas declined by 8,577, from 29,246 to 20,669.

Source:

U.S. Department of State, Intelpoint calculations

Period:

FY 2025
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Nigerians have spent an estimated $193 million on U.S. visitor visa application fees since 2018
  • Estimated visitor visa fee spending reached $193 million between FY 2018 and FY 2025.
  • Applicants paid the fee whether their visas were approved or refused.
  • Estimated spending peaked at $49.8 million in FY 2018.
  • Spending recovered to $25.1 million in FY 2024 before falling to $23.2 million in FY 2025.
  • The estimates exclude transport, documents, agents, accommodation and other related costs.

14 African nations affected as the US expands temporary visa restrictions to include Nigeria
  • Africa is the hardest-hit region, with 14 countries under partial visa restrictions, including Nigeria, limiting travel for business, tourism, and study.
  • Temporary bans target B‑1/B‑2 visas for business and tourism, and may also affect F‑1 student, M‑1 vocational, and J exchange visitor visas, impacting students, trainees, and cultural exchange participants.
  • Other affected regions include the Caribbean, Asia, and South America, showing the temporary restrictions span multiple continents.
  • Exemptions exist for lawful permanent residents, diplomats, and travellers with valid pre-existing visas, so not all citizens from these countries are blocked from entering the US.
 

Nearly 2.8 million African-born immigrants live in the US as of 2023, led by Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Egypt
  • In 2023, the total number of African-born immigrants in the US was about 2.79 million.
  • Western Africa is the largest source region, contributing 1.08 million immigrants (39%), led by Nigeria (476k).
  • Eastern Africa is the second-largest source (28%), dominated by Ethiopia (278.2k).
  • Northern Africa accounts for 17%, mainly from Egypt (225.7k).
  • Central Africa contributes 8%, with Cameroon (90.7k) as the top country.
  • Southern Africa is smaller at 5%, almost entirely from South Africa (133.4k).
  • Five countries—Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, Cameroon, and South Africa—together make up nearly half of all African-born immigrants in the US.

H-1B visa programme shows rising demand with 427k petitions filed in 2024
  • Petitions peaked in 2022, with 474,301 filed, but only 442,043 approved, marking the widest gap in the five-year period.
  • 2021 was unique, as approvals (407,071) actually exceeded the number of petitions filed (398,269), reflecting carryovers or adjustments from prior years.
  • 2023 saw the lowest filings and approvals, at just under 387,000 each, signalling reduced demand or stricter caps.
  • By 2024, filings rebounded to over 427,000, but approvals lagged at 399,402, continuing the trend of more petitions being filed than granted.

Nigerian nationals received 880 H-1B visas in FY 2024, with the highest number of approvals recorded in December 2023
  • Nigeria received a total of 880 H-1B visas in FY 2024, averaging about 73 per month.
  • December 2023 was the peak month, with 118 issuances, while June 2024 recorded the lowest at just 46.
  • Issuances fluctuated throughout the year, reflecting no clear upward trend but significant month-to-month volatility.
  • Despite peaks and dips, overall activity remained steady, with most months ranging between 60–90 approvals.

Africa secured just 1.5% of the US Skilled Worker (H-1B) Visas in 2024 — Nigeria tops the list
  • Nigeria ranked first in Africa, with 880 H-1B visas issued in FY 2024, far ahead of Ghana (499) and Egypt (364).
  • East and Southern Africa featured prominently, with Kenya (320), South Africa (208), and Zimbabwe (132) among the top 10.
  • North African representation was modest, with Morocco (78) and Egypt (364) being the only countries in the region on the list.
  • Despite these numbers, Africa’s collective total is marginal globally, especially compared to India’s ~150,000 issuances and China’s large volumes.
  • President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee for new U.S. H-1B skilled worker visas will have limited impact on Africa, which has historically received only a small fraction of these visas.

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