Visa Row: Nigeria continues to issue five-year visas to Americans

Nigerian missions across the United States have continued to issue five-year multiple-entry visas to Americans.

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This is contrary to claims of reciprocity by the US, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, although the US later cited other reasons for its action, saying it is “a part of an ongoing global review of the use of US visas by other countries using technical and security benchmarks to safeguard US immigration systems.”

Checks by NAN at the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC and consulates in New York and Atlanta showed Nigerian missions had at no time stopped issuing five-year multiple-entry visas to Americans.

NAN’s interactions with some American business executives and tourists who came to pick up their passports at the Nigerian visa centre showed they were issued five-year multiple-entry visas.

Interactions with visa applicants who also came to keep interview appointments, showed that Nigerian missions in the United States do not issue three-month single-entry visas to Americans.

NAN further reports that the three-month visa is rather a form of “visa on arrival” that allows last-minute travellers without prior visas to urgently travel to Nigeria as is the practice in many countries.

NAN’s findings contradicted recent announcements by US authorities regarding its visa policy adjustments against Nigeria, sparking speculations and public anxiety over a perceived diplomatic spat between the two countries.

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Senior Nigerian diplomats across the United States firmly reaffirmed that Nigeria remains fully committed to its historic visa protocols and robust bilateral ties with the US.

Speaking to NAN, Samson Itegboje, Nigeria’s acting ambassador to the United States, debunked the claim that Nigeria had reduced visa issuance to single-entry three-month visas for Americans.

“There is nothing farther from the truth than the claim that we now issue only three-month single-entry visas to Americans,” Mr Itegboje stated.

“As of Friday, July 11, the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington DC was still issuing two, three, and five-year multiple entry visas to Americans,” he said.

Mr Itegboje said Nigeria had directed the full implementation of a new Nigeria-US Bilateral Consular Policy Agreements, with visa reciprocity policy for United States citizens with effect from 1 March 2023.

The agreement included the reciprocity of five-year tourist visa validity for American citizens and extension of visa validity to three years for diplomats and government officials.

“We have not received any directive from Abuja to stop or reverse this,” Mr Itegboje stressed.

“In fact, the United States recently commended Nigeria for keeping with most of the protocols agreed between our two countries.

“Nigeria remains open, generous and respectful of its obligations.

”The robust visa regime is a core part of President Bola Tinubu’s agenda.

“This is aimed at deepening economic ties, promoting legitimate travel and projecting Nigeria’s global image as Africa’s top destination for trade, investment and cultural exchange,” he added.

Mr Itegboje commended the Nigerian authorities for their constructive dialogue with the United States, stressing that the approach remained open, deliberate and globally aligned.

Checks from the Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York corroborated Mr Itegboje’s position on the five-year multiple entry visa.

The mission had routinely issued two-year visas to first-time American visitors while frequent tourists and business travellers continued to benefit from three and five-year multiple-entry visas.

Abubakar Jidda, Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, reinforced this clarity, dismissing rumours of a policy reversal by Nigeria.

“The US Embassy in Abuja issued a statement referring to reciprocity.

“However, the Presidency, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and that of Interior have all offered clarifications,” Mr Jidda said.

“The Nigerian government has not taken any decision to stop the issuance of the five-year multiple entry visa that was agreed with the United States of America.

“This issue that the US came up with and in terms of reciprocity, I don’t have a clear explanation for what they are referring to as reciprocity,” he said.

The Nigerian envoy noted that there had been some panic among tourists and business executives who needed visas to travel to Nigeria.

Mr Jidda said the Nigerian government remained unwavering in its commitment to the five-year multiple-entry visa arrangement previously agreed with the United States.

He said the gesture “is a clear sign of Nigeria’s investor-friendly posture and enduring commitment to strengthen trade and people-to-people ties.”

“The administration of President Bola Tinubu has not done anything to reverse that five-year multiple-entry visa.

“So, at the Consulate of Nigeria in New York, we are still issuing five-year multiple-entry visas to US citizens.

“There’s no directive from Abuja to reverse the issuance of the five-year multiple entry visa.

“This is global best practice. Many countries do it. India, for example.

”The e-visa is to support investors and tourists who need to enter Nigeria quickly for genuine business or short stays.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: Why we reduced US visa validity for Nigerians – US Embassy

“It complements, not replaces, the multiple entry visa,” the Consul-General stressed

In Atlanta, Auwalu Namadina, the consul-general of Nigeria, lent further weight to the unified diplomatic position, affirming that the mission had continued to issue five-year multiple-entry visas to Americans.

He told NAN that “the Presidency has spoken. The Foreign Minister and the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have spoken.”

He expressed disappointment over the misinformation and spread of fake news regarding the visa issue.

“So I think that (government’s position) should suffice for the consumption of Nigerians and that’s what we all say, that’s the position of things.

“There is no change. The federal government did not send us any message that it (five-year multiple entry visas) should be stopped.

“That (alleged reversal of five-year multiple entry visas to Americans) has not been done, and I don’t think they (Nigerian authorities) will do that,” he said.

Consular officers in all the three Nigerian missions in the United States confirmed that the minimum visa category issued to Americans is a two-year multiple-entry visa.

They further noted that Nigerian missions had maintained an exceptionally high visa approval rate for tourists and business executives.

(NAN)