The United States Embassy in Nigeria has confirmed that visa and passport services will not be stopped despite the partial shutdown of the US government.
In a notice posted on its official X account on Wednesday, the embassy said, “Due to the lapse in appropriations, this X account will not be updated regularly until full operations resume, with the exception of urgent safety and security information.
“At this time, scheduled passport and visa transit services in the United States and at U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas will continue during the lapse in appropriations as the situation permits.”
The embassy explained that its social media pages would only share urgent safety and security updates until the shutdown ends.
The message came after Nigerians raised fears that the shutdown could affect visa applications, student travel plans, and other consular services.
The shutdown began after US lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to agree on a budget deal. Reports say the disagreement came from Democratic lawmakers pushing for healthcare funding, which Republicans opposed.
Trump defended the shutdown, saying it could help him cut down programmes tied to Democratic priorities.
While the shutdown has affected many agencies, key services such as the military, postal service, and social welfare programmes like Social Security and food stamps will still function.
However, the Congressional Budget Office warned that as many as 750,000 federal workers could be forced to stay home daily without pay until an agreement is reached.
This is the first US government shutdown since the record 35-day closure nearly seven years ago during Trump’s first term. Since 1976, when the modern budget process began, the United States has gone through 21 shutdowns.
Nigerians seeking updates on visa or passport matters are advised to check travel.state.gov.
