By our reporter
“If you overstay your U.S. visa, you could face a permanent ban on travelling to the United States as well as criminal prosecution.”
In clear, no-nonsense language, the United States (US) warned visa holders of the severe consequences of overstaying their visa.
The warning came today, March 24, from the US Mission in Nigeria in a statement.
The US stressed that her Consular Officers have full access to individuals’ immigration history and any past violations, warning, sternly, that any excuse such as “honest mistake” is not acceptable.
“Consular officers have full access to your immigration history and will know about past violations.
“There is no such thing as an “honest mistake” – it is your responsibility to use your visa correctly,” the statement emphasized.
It is noteworthy that since President Donald Trump came to power, American immigration laws and policies have transformed significantly, resulting in ongoing deportations and relentless search for immigrants deemed as staying in the US illegally.
Many have been deported to countries other than their native countries, with some of the receiving nations treating the deportees as criminals and promptly jailing them.
Even during his first term in office (2017-2021), Trump oversaw the emergence of strict immigration enforcement measures, which continued under the Joe Biden presidency,though on softer terms.
Trump’s previous and current administrations have dopted an official policy of “zero tolerance”, leading to prosecution of all illegal border crossings and spawning separation of family members from one another.
The Trump regime,in 2019, introduced stricter public charge rules, making it tougher to obtain a US green card.
The government continued to warn individuals on legal compliance, enforcing the regulations without batting an eyelid.
