NIS Rolls Out E-Visa Reforms While Trump Slaps Tariff on Nigerian Exports.
NIS Rolls Out E-Visa Reforms While Trump Slaps Tariff on Nigerian Exports in sweeping changes affecting travel and trade with the U.S.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior, led by Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has been implementing extensive immigration reforms since 2023.
In response to worries that the recent decision by the United States of America to shorten the validity of nonimmigrant visas for Nigerians was a reaction to recent reforms in the Nigerian Immigration Service NIS, the US Mission in Nigeria stated that the move of its home nation was not.
A new visa regime and several innovative services, including the e-Visa Application Channel, which superseded the Visa-on-Arrival policy, e-CERPAC, Landing and Exit Cards, and Temporary Work Permit, were implemented by the Service lately as part of its digital innovations.
Along with commissioning a Command and Control Centre and installing e-gates at the country’s main airports, its goal is to use digital solutions to harness technology to improve security, expedite procedures, and enhance the entire experience for stakeholders and visitors.
Following early threats, US President Donald Trump placed a 10% duty on Nigerian goods sold to the US a few days ago. This move is viewed as a rash response to President Bola Tinubu’s trip to Brazil to attend the BRICS summit.
Additionally, the US Embassy in Nigeria said on Tuesday that Nigerians would no longer be eligible for single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.
However, the US Mission in Nigeria downplayed the worries in a Twitter post on its X feed on Friday, stating that America’s move is a part of a global evaluation of other nations’ usage of its visas that uses technical and security norms to protect U.S. immigration systems.
The United States further stated that Nigeria’s unwillingness to take in American deportees from Venezuela had nothing to do with its decision.
The US Mission in Nigeria wants to dispel myths regarding the recent expiration of the majority of US nonimmigrant visas in Nigeria and other nations, the statement stated.
“No country’s position on third-country deportees, the implementation of e-visa regulations, or ties to organizations like BRICS are to blame for this decrease.” The validity decrease is a component of a global examination that is currently underway to protect U.S. immigration systems by evaluating how other nations use U.S. visas using technological and security benchmarks.
To ensure safe, legal, and advantageous travel between our countries, we respect our long-standing collaboration with Nigeria and are dedicated to collaborating closely with Nigerian citizens and government representatives to assist them in meeting those standards.
