PRESSURE MOUNTS: FG slashes visa fees for U.S. citizens
Afnews Editor
Feb 06, 2020
The Federal Government has slashed its visa application charges for citizens of the United States from $180 to $160.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the old amount comprised $160 as visa fee and $20 as "processing and expedient feesÔÇØ.
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According to the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Mr Muhammad Babandede, the reduction followed a review of the U.S.' visa reciprocity policy for Nigeria.
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Babandede stated this in a Feb. 5 memo marked NIS/HQ/CGI/806/7 and addressed to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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In August, 2019, the U.S. government imposed additional visa fees on Nigerians in retaliation for the "treatment afforded to U.S. citizensÔÇØ by the Nigerian government.
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The policy required successful applicants for nonimmigrant U.S. visas in the B, F, H1B, I, L, and R categories to pay between $80 and $303 as reciprocity fees.
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This is in addition to the normal visa application fees of between $160 and $190. "The total cost for a U.S. citizen to obtain a visa to Nigeria is currently higher than the total cost for a Nigerian to obtain a comparable visa to the United States.
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"The new reciprocity fee for Nigerian citizens is meant to eliminate that cost difference,ÔÇØ the U.S. Embassy said in a statement on its website then.
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In his letter, the NIS urged all Nigerian missions in the U.S. to immediately implement the new visa charges payable by US citizens, and "discontinue charging processing or expedient feesÔÇØ.
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"Our Missions are to issue up to two years multiple entry visa to frequent short visit travelers on request in line with reciprocity,ÔÇØ he said.
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A senior official of the Nigerian Consulate in New York, told NAN that the "processing and expedient feesÔÇØ of $20 was for online application and payment services rendered by a private firm.
NAN reports that Babandede's letter came a day after President Muhammadu Buhari launched the Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 which, among others, increased the country's visa classes from six to 79.
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— Afnews Editor