Nigerian visa
According to a report by Punch Metro, the Federal Government has
approved a reduction in visa charges payable by United States citizens
from $180 to $150.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, explained on
Wednesday, that the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service,
Muhammad Babandede, had been directed to implement the decrease in the
visa charges with effect from Thursday.
The development was sequel to the new visa regime announced by the US
Government on Tuesday, stating that Nigerians applying for US visas will
be required to pay a visa issuance fee, or reciprocity fee, with effect
from August 29.
The US Mission in Abuja had said that the reciprocity fee will be
charged in addition to the nonimmigrant visa application fee, also known
as the Machine Readable Visa fee, which all applicants pay at the time
of application.
It explained that the reciprocity fee was applicable to all approved
applications for nonimmigrant visas in B, F, H1B, I, L, and R visa
classifications, noting that Nigerian citizens whose applications for a
nonimmigrant visa were denied would, however,not be charged the new
reciprocity fee.
The Mission explained that both reciprocity and MRV fees are
non-refundable, and their amounts vary based on visa classification.
But the ministry in a statement by its spokesman, Mohammed Manga, said a
committee set up to conduct due diligence in line with the ministry’s
extant policy on reciprocity of visa fees had earlier engaged with the
US embassy on the issue, adding that the implementation of its
recommendations was delayed due to “transition processes in the ministry at the policy level.”
It said, “The committee had concluded its assignment and submitted a
report, but the issuance of authorisation for its recommendations was
delayed due to transition processes in the ministry at the policy level.
“The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has approved the
decrease of visa charges payable by US citizens in line with reciprocity
policy as recommended by the committee.
“Accordingly, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service,
Muhammad Babandede, has been directed to implement the decrease in
Nigeria’s visa charges to US Citizens with effect from August, 29,
2019.”