The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced the commencement of the implementation of the New Visa Policy (NVP) 2020 and new visa fees with effect from 1 October 2020 sequel to the approval of the Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. According to a statement issued by the NIS’ Public Relations Officer, the new visa fees are based on the principle of reciprocity.
It will be recalled that His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), signed the NVP 2020 on 4 February 2020 to provide new guidelines for entry and exit of migrants. The NVP 2020 is geared towards attainment of the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) and adoption of Security, Economy and Transparency as the government’s policy thrust on ERGP.
The announcement by the NIS of the implementation of the NVP 2020 is a welcome development. A key feature of the new policy is the expansion of the classes of visa from six (6) to seventy-nine (79) to accommodate migrants’ additional travel requirements. You can read details of the NVP 2020 in our Regulatory Alert Issue No. 3.2 of March 2020.
Given the many types of visas available, it is important that intending visitors to the country understand the nature of each visa category and apply for the right type of visa to avoid problems on arrival. Further, the government should establish appropriate mechanisms to prevent abuse of the new visa categories and ensure that only deserving individuals who meet the specified requirements are issued appropriate visas to enter the country.
