New Visa Regime: NIS Guarantee Travelers Fair Treatment
Sunday James, the Spokesman, Nigerian Immigration Service has disclosed in a statement on Friday in Abuja that the Service would ensure fair treatment for travelers to the country by respecting their fundamental rights.
James explained that the service would continue to practice citizens’ diplomacy with the new visa regime.“As a committed service, we will continue to practice citizens’ diplomacy both towards Nigerians and foreigners regardless of passport but on merit and integrity”.
He stressed that the quality of a national passport is not only in good finishing and look, but what determines its acceptance to the global communities is more on the integrity of the citizens which rubs on the integrity of the passport they are holding.
And dwelling on the new visa regime that President Muhammadu Buhari on Feburary 4th, 2020 officially flagged off by presenting the National Visa Policy 2020 (NVP) to the public at the State House Villa in Abuja, he said it is aimed at creating new visa categories for Ease of Doing Business.
The NVP 2020 expands the classes of visa from six to 79, to accommodate additional travel requirements for expatriates intending to travel to Nigeria. The NVP 2020 classifies travelers to Nigeria into two broad categories: Visa Free / Exemption and Visa Mandatory.
The new classes he said are categorized into Short Visit Visas (28 classes), these allow foreigners to visit Nigeria for a period of up to three months, for the purpose of tourism and short business meetings, among others.
Others are Temporary Residence Visas (36 classes), these allow individuals to reside in Nigeria for the purposes of employment, accompanying employed migrants and schooling, among others.
Another feature according to him is the Permanent residence Visas (15 classes): these confer permanent residence status on spouses of Nigerian citizens, Nigerians by birth who have renounced their Nigerian citizenship, and their spouses, investors who import an annual minimum threshold of capital, highly skilled individuals and some classes of retirees.