Wetin to know as Nigeria govment give illegal foreigners until September 30 to regularise dia visa
Wia dis foto come from, Nigeria Immigration Service
Di Nigeria govment don announce amnesty programme for foreigners for di kontri wey no get correct immigration papers or di ones wey still dey di kontri but dia visas don expire.
Dis initiative wey dem call di 'Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty)' na by di Ministry of Interior and di Nigeria Immigration Service, to give foreigners wey dey live for Nigeria illegally, grace window make dem regularise dia immigration status witout wahala.
According to di NIS, dis grace period bin start since May dis year and e bin suppose to end on 31 August, but govment extend di deadline by one month wey be 30 September.
"Once di amnesty period finish, we go start to implement di law 100 percent and of course penalty go dey for overstaying for Nigeria," Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo bin tok.
"By October 1, we go start ogbonge enforcement against foreigners wey dia papers no dey up to date," anoda announcement by NIS tok.
Who go dey eligible?
Dis amnesty programme dey applicable to pipo wey fall under di following category:
- Pipo wey don overstay dia visa or wey violate dia conditions
- Foreign nationals wey dia Visa on Arrival don expire
- Pipo wey dia single-entry or multiple-entry visa don expire
- Individuals wey dia Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC), don expire pass 30 days post-expiration
Some categories of visas no follow for dis amnesty initiative, but di NIS say pipo wey hold dis visas gatz make sure say dem do dia renewal or extension on time to avoid enforcement actions and inconvenience.
Di visa classes wey dey excluded na:
- Accredited Diplomat Visa
- Employment (Expatriate) Visa
- Employment Visa – Expatriate (Free Zone)
- Employment – Expatriate (Government Official) Visa
- Employment (INGO) Visa
- Employment (Cleric) Visa
- Student Visa
- Academic Exchange Programme (AEP) Visa
How to apply
Foreigners wey dey affected go apply via di Nigeria Immigration amnesty website within di grace period, or else penalty go follow.
Individuals go dey required to register wit dia email for di amnesty website wia dem go provide some personal details, dia passport information, and di reasons why dem wan benefit from di amnesty.
Den go upload dia relevant identification documents, including copies of di visa wey bin don expire. Also dem go select weda dem wan continue to dey stay for Nigeria legally abi dem wan comot from di kontri voluntarily.
Afta submitting di application, di pesin go get confirmation message and e also fit dey track di progress of di process weneva e sign in to di website.
E no dey clear how long di process dey take.
Why govment roll out dis amnesty?
Di Nigeria govment say dis amnesty programme dey necessary to make sure say di kontri immigration system dey secure, transparent, effective and predictable.
E go also help govment to get beta data of who dey live for dia kontri sake of internal security issues.
Afta di deadline, individuals wey dia papers still neva dey up to date fit face outright deportation weneva law enforcement gbab dem, and dem fit ban dem from entering Nigeria eva again.
Companies and businesses wey get expatriates wey dia papers no correct fit face fines, deportation of di affected expat or disruption of dia business operations.
Dis no be di first time di Nigeria govment go roll out amnesty for illegal foreigners for di kontri to regularise dia immigration status.
For July 2019, under di govment of late President Muhammadu Buhari, e bin announce a six month amnesty period for illegal foreigners wey dey live for Nigeria to update dia papers witout payment or penalty.
