Recent claims that the U.S. has excluded the UK, Nigeria, and others from visa-free entry in 2025 are false. The UK remains on the Visa Waiver Program list, with specific residency conditions, while Nigeria has never been included. Romania was recently added to the program, affirming the ongoing eligibility of the UK and Taiwan. Media reports support these findings, mitigating the viral misinformation shared online.
Recent claims on social media assert that the United States has excluded the United Kingdom, Nigeria, and other nations from its visa waiver program for 2025. A post from an X user gathered significant attention, accumulating over 820,000 views and thousands of interactions by March 4, 2025, stating, “BREAKING NEWS: USA excludes UK, Nigeria and others from visa-free entry for 2025.” However, this assertion is incorrect.
The FactCheckHub investigated and found that the claim is false. Nigeria was never part of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP), whereas the United Kingdom has consistently been included since the program’s inception. The VWP enables citizens from participating countries to travel to the U.S. without a visa for up to 90 days.
A report from Reuters earlier in January 2025 revealed that Romania has been added to the program as part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations, marking it as the 43rd country under the VWP. To verify the status of countries in the program, The FactCheckHub consulted the U.S. Department of State, which confirms that the UK remains on the VWP list and has not been excluded.
Recent updates to the VWP indicate that eligibility provisions specifically for the UK require individuals to have permanent residency rights. For British citizens, this applies to residents in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and surrounding areas.
Similarly, the U.S. recognizes Taiwan under the VWP, adhering to the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, which confirms all references to “countries” include Taiwan. As established in 1986, the VWP aims to facilitate business and tourist travel, with Nigeria never being included in the program.
The verification process found no official announcements suggesting that the UK or any other countries were removed from the VWP, disproving the viral claims.
In conclusion, the assertion that the United States has excluded the United Kingdom and Nigeria from its visa waiver program for 2025 is unfounded. Both countries retain their status, with the UK subject to specific residency conditions, while Nigeria has never been part of the VWP. This highlights the importance of verifying information before sharing it on social media.
Original Source: www.icirnigeria.org
