Japa: Report Claims 7 Out of 10 Nigerians, Others Denied US Visa for Studies in 2022

• Report shows that 71% of Nigerians and other West African nations were denied visas to the US for studies in 2022
• All over the world, Southern Africa has some of the lowest visa denial rates at 16%
• African students face difficulties from visa interviews to subsequent processes of traveling abroad

A study by the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration has found that 71% of students from Nigeria and other West African nations had their visa requests denied by the United States in 2022.

This follows the announcement of higher processing fees for non-immigrant visa (NIV) applications by the US Embassy in Nigeria.

The embassy said on its website that the revised rates for various visa categories will take effect on June 17, 2023.

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Highest denial found in West Africa

In 2022, West Africa had the greatest incidence of visa denials on the continent, according to the publication "Shorelight" in a Punch report.

Similarly, the refusal rates for Central Africa were 61%, Northern Africa was 49%, Eastern Africa was 48%, and Southern Africa was 16%.

The analysis also highlighted Southern Africa's visa denial rates as among the lowest in the world, equivalent to those in Europe. The research argues that the denial rate for the rest of Africa rises to 57% if Southern Africa is taken out of the equation.

The figures for foreign students who receive financial aid to study in the U.S. have a similar pattern, according to the association of American college and university executives.

In spite of being accepted and having the necessary financing, Mpower statistics points to only roughly 60% of the 3,000 students from Sub-Saharan Africa who were admitted for graduate studies at a top US university in 2022 received a student visa.

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Due to this, 40% of applicants were denied admission, as opposed to 30% of students from India and 10% of students from China and Brazil.

According to MPOWER, African students have reported a variety of difficulties with the visa interview procedure.

Some of these include finding visa interview slots in the first place, having to go to another nation because there aren't enough interview slots in Nigerian cities, and finally being held to a higher standard by U.S. immigration authorities than their peers from other emerging economies.

Nigerians Sell Their Cars, Houses, Other Properties on Facebook, Instagram to Raise Funds to "Japa"

In the last few years, there has been a resurgence of Nigerians trying to leave the country for greener pastures abroad, according to Legit.ng earlier report.

A common local slang term, "Japa," which denotes someone who has migrated from Nigeria to another region of the world, was created as a result of this wave.

Harsh economic situations, including increased unemployment and exorbitant living expenses, among others have forced many Nigerians to seek for greener pastures in Europe and America.

Source: Legit.ng