Nigerians applying for visas to travel to countries like the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been subjected to a range of restrictions. These countries are typically the preferred destinations for Nigerians seeking to study, do business, take holidays, or pursue other interests abroad.
This coordinated squeeze on entry qualifications for Nigerians appears to signal a growing frustration with the preponderance of Nigerians thronging those countries.
The latest actions came from the U.S. government, which cut the validity of non-immigrant visas for Nigerians, including the popular B1/B2, F, and J categories, to only three months with a single entry. Unless reversed, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian citizens will henceforth be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.
The U.S. government claimed its action followed the principle of reciprocity. Nigeria typically issues short-stay visas to US citizens for three months. These visas are often single-entry, covering purposes like tourism, business meetings, academic visits, or temporary work.
However, this short-term visa policy has been in place for several years and is part of Nigeria’s broader immigration framework for non-ECOWAS nationals. Nigeria still offers multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years for business travellers or those with strong ties to Nigeria.
Importantly, the Nigerian government has refuted the US government’s claim of reciprocity. It said Nigeria has continued to issue five-year multiple-entry visas to American citizens.
Nigeria also recently introduced a new short-term visa category—the e-visa—to simplify the entry process for tourists and business travellers. The e-visa offers a 90-day single-entry validity and is processed online within 48 hours, eliminating the need for applicants to visit the embassy.
The e-visa does not replace the standard five-year visa and only applies to those seeking a quicker, short-term alternative. It is meant to boost investment, trade, and tourism by making it easier for non-nationals to do business in Nigeria.
While the Nigerian government has promised to engage with its US counterparts to resolve the matter and come to a common understanding that reflects the mutual respect and partnership between the two friendly nations, it is troubling that the US is not the only country that has taken such a step.
The UK has also placed stiffer post-study restrictions that place more scrutiny on applicants. On their part, Canada and the UAE have raised the financial demands on Nigerian applicants. The former raised its proof-of-funds requirement for express entry immigrants to over N17 million, which is way too exorbitant for most Nigerians. At the same time, the latter barred solo tourist visa applications for Nigerians aged 18 and 45 and levied a $10,000 bank balance, six-month period obstacle for older applicants.
While some of these countries try to justify their actions as flowing from national security and economic considerations, visa-privileges abuse concerns, and false documentation by Nigerian travellers, it seems like Nigerians are being unfairly targeted for travel rejection by several of the world’s most desired destinations.
While we acknowledge that some Nigerians may have engaged in activities that undermined the integrity of the visa systems of some countries, which may have pushed them to become overly restrictive, on the flipside, there is a greater percentage of honest students, professionals and families that should not be punished for the infractions of a few. Often, those with genuine reasons to travel are denied.
Due to these visa constrictions, Nigerian students have faced increasing obstacles in accessing global education. According to data from recent years, Nigeria has one of the highest visa rejection rates for student applicants in Canada—at times exceeding 70 per cent!
Post-Brexit, the UK has also introduced new visa rules restricting international students’ ability to bring dependents—a policy that disproportionately affects Nigerian graduate students, who are older and married.
The visa restrictions on students can also stifle the pipeline of global exposure and skill acquisition. With Nigeria’s higher tertiary education enmeshed in underfunding and strikes, many students seek opportunities abroad to escape the constant disruption of the academic calendar, outdated curricula, and infrastructural decay. With this visa restriction, there is the danger of a long-term knowledge deficit that has implications for national development and equitable knowledge access.
As a newspaper, we acknowledge that sovereign countries have the prerogative to admit foreigners. However, countries that share good relations usually encourage cultural exchanges through citizens’ travel to the respective countries for various reasons.
The authorities of the affected countries should collaborate more closely in designing a visa process that identifies genuine applicants.
We urge the Nigerian authorities to constructively engage with these nations to be more considerate of Nigerians, especially students, in their visa requirements.
We also align ourselves with many Nigerians who have encouraged the country’s leadership class to do their utmost to make Nigeria work. If the country’s health, educational, infrastructural, and other systems are functional, it would undoubtedly curb Nigerians’ proclivity to look outside for solutions they can readily have in their own country.
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