Government bows to pressure, reduces visa fee for U.S. citizens

The Federal Government has reverted to the former visa fee for travellers visiting Nigeria from the United States. The reversal is coming barely 24 hours after the American government imposed a new a new visa regime on Nigerians seeking its various categories of travel permits.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, dropped the hint yesterday in Abuja, noting that the ministry’s attention was drawn to the introduction of reciprocity fee for all approved applications for non-immigrant visas in B, F, H1B, I, L, and R classifications.

A statement from the ministry read: “The attention of the Ministry of Interior has been drawn to the introduction of reciprocity of visa fees by the United States of America. The ministry acknowledges 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.”

The minister attributed the delay to government’s bureaucracy, insisting: “The committee had concluded its assignment and submitted a report, but the issuance of authorisation for its recommendations was delayed due to transition processes in the ministry at the policy level.”Consequently, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, was directed to implement the decrease in the nation’s visa charges to U.S. citizens with effect from today.