The federal government has called on Nigerian citizens to avoid traveling to the United States of America except on very essential matters until more clarity is obtained on new immigration rules in the country.

Special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on foreign affairs, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said in a statement on Monday that Nigerians “without any compelling or essential reasons” should consider delaying.

She said: “In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry US visas being denied entry and sent back to Nigeria.

“In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.”

The Presidential aide noted that “no reasons were given for the decision by the US immigration authorities”.

She added that the recommendation to postpone trips to the US has become necessary “until there is clarity on the new immigration policy” from Washington.

A report published by the Pew Research Center in February this year indicated that out of the 2.1 million African immigrants living in the United States in 2015, 327,000 were born in Nigeria.

Recall that US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order on January 27 to bar people from seven, Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the United States for 90 days. Nigeria is not included on this list.

The executive order also placed a 120-day ban on all refugees entering the US and a permanent ban on Syrian refugees.

The ban immediately became a huge source of controversy, not only in the US but across the globe.

It was later set aside by a US court.Trump is expected to sign a revised travel ban on Monday.