FG reduces visa fee for Americans after US reciprocity fees

Nigerian government has reduced the cost of visa application for US citizens.

The Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbosola directed that the fee be decreased to USD 150 with effect from Thursday, 29th August 2019. US citizens pay as much as $270 for a single-entry visa while they are also charged $160 for consular services, another $100 for ‘administration’ and $10 for ‘processing.’

“The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has been directed to implement the decrease in Nigeria’s Visa charges to US Citizens to USD 150 with effect from Thursday, 29th August, 2019,” Aregbesola’s spokesman Mohammed Manga said in a statement.

This is coming hours after the United States ordered an increase in the cost of visa application for Nigerians blaming the Nigerian government.

It explained that it was “reciprocating” the extra visa fee the Nigerian government charges American citizens.

“The reciprocity fee will be charged in addition to the non-immigrant visa application fee, also known as the MRV fee, which all applicants pay at the time of application,” the US Embassy said on Tuesday.

“Nigerian citizens whose applications for a non-immigrant visa are denied will not be charged the new reciprocity fee. Both reciprocity and MRV fees are non-refundable, and their amounts vary based on visa classification,” it added.

The US took the decision in accordance with Section 281 of its Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and following almost two years of failed negotiations with the Nigerian government, through the Foreign Affairs and Interior ministries.

However, Manga noted that there were “engagements with the United States Embassy on the issue and in the aftermath, a Committee was set up to conduct due diligence in line with the Ministry’s extant policy on reciprocity of Visa fees.”

He said the committee had concluded submitted its report but “issuance of authorisation for its recommendations” was delayed due to transition processes in the ministry.