The United States Embassy in Nigeria has issued a public reminder clarifying a widespread misunderstanding regarding U.S. visa rules.

The advisory was shared on July 17 via the embassy’s official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Reminder! The length of time an international visitor is allowed to stay in United States is determined by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer upon your arrival, NOT your visa expiration date. To see how long you can stay, check your I-94 (admit until date) at… https://x.com/USinNigeria/status/1946128081820733676?t=iQx9cVpJ5dEwcIznB0FE5Q&s=19

— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) July 18, 2025

According to the embassy, the duration of stay granted to a traveller is not determined by the expiration date on the visa. Instead, it is set by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the U.S. port of entry.

“Reminder! The length of time an international visitor is allowed to stay in United States is determined by the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer upon your arrival, NOT your visa expiration date. To see how long you can stay, check your I-94 (admit until date) at i94.cbp.dhs.gov,” the embassy stated in its post.

The embassy stressed that a visa only allows a traveller to approach a U.S. port of entry and request admission—it does not automatically grant entry or dictate how long the visitor can remain in the country.

Travellers were advised to check their I-94 form, which contains the official “Admit Until Date” assigned by the CBP officer upon entry. This date determines when a visitor must leave the U.S.

In response to a common question, “I have a U.S. visa. How long can I stay in the United States?, the embassy clarified “A U.S. visa allows you travel to a U.S. port of entry and request permission to enter. How long you are allowed to stay in the United States is not your visa’s expiration date. The CBP officer determines your ‘Admit Until Date’ upon your arrival and you can check the date by which you must depart online at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/search/compliance-search .”

This advisory is part of the U.S. mission’s continued efforts to educate Nigerian travellers on immigration procedures and to prevent visa overstays that could jeopardize future travel opportunities. (Vanguard)