US Limits Study Time Frame From Nigeria, Other Countries To Two-Years—A new policy has been issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) restricting the time frame for study in the US to two years as a measure to cut down overstay rate (an overstay is seen as a non-immigrant lawfully admitted to the US for an authorized period, but remained in the country beyond his/her authorized period of admission).
Nigeria had a total overstay rate of 13.43%, and suspected in-Country overstay rate of 11.12%. This new guideline would affect natives or citizens of countries on the State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST) List, citizens of countries with more than 10% overstay rate, students of unaccredited school and those of schools that does not use E-Verify though a start date is yet to be issued.
The new measures were published in the U.S. federal register proposing a “maximum admission period of up to 2 years for certain students”. “If an immigration officer finds that an alien violated his or her status prior to or during the course of an EOS adjudication and denies the EOS request, the alien generally would begin accruing unlawful presence the day after issuance of the denial”, it added.
Nigeria’s overstay rates for non-immigrants admitted (on B1, B2 visas) for business or pleasure via air and sea- Expected Departures – 177,835, Out-of-Country Overstays – 764, Suspected in-Country Overstays – 16,802, Total Overstays – 17,566, Total Overstay Rate – 9.88%, Suspected in-Country Overstay Rate – 9.45%.
