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General News of Tuesday, 26 January 2021

Source: pulse.ng

Biden reopens door for Nigerians to apply for US green card again, reversing Trump's ban

File photo: US president, Joe Biden File photo: US president, Joe Biden

New United States President Joe Biden has overturned a policy of the Donald Trump administration that prevented Nigerians from applying for immigrant visas.
Biden was sworn in as the 46th U.S. president on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, replacing Trump who had adopted a much-publicised "America First" policy, especially on immigration.

Moments after his Wednesday inauguration, Biden signed numerous executive orders including those that reversed some of Trump's most contentious policies.

The 78-year-old immediately reversed his predecessor's restrictions on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and overhauled his expansion on immigration enforcement.

Biden also overturned the Trump policy that banned Nigerian immigrants from seeking legal permanent residency in the US.

Trump's administration had in February 2020 imposed the immigrant visa ban on citizens of Nigeria, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Eritrea, Venezuela, and Tanzania.

Nigeria was banned for not complying with established identity-management and information-sharing criteria and failing to adequately share public-safety and terrorism-related information.

The Trump administration also accused Nigeria of presenting a high risk of terrorist travel to the U.S.

President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had been working to get the ban lifted by improving data intelligence, and ensuring a seamless sharing of information between both countries, among other conditions.

Biden in his inaugural speech assured American allies that the nation has rebounded from its political crisis and will once again rebuild its bridges with the world.