NIS says new visa policy’ll transform economy

Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Idris, has declared that new Nigeria’s visa policy will transform the economy of the country.

He made the assertion while declaring open stakeholders’ sensitisation programme on the Nigeria Visa Policy Document (NVP 2020), organised by Nigeria Immigration Service, Akwa Ibom State Command.

Represented by the Coordinator, Zone E, Owerri, Mrs. E. C. Ejiogu, he said: “The NVP 2020 is an ambitious document that would drastically transform the economy of our country. In the document, we have expanded visa classes from mere six to 79 classes in three new categories of Short Visit Visa (28 classes), Temporary Residence Visa (36 classes) and Permanent Residence Visa (15 classes).

“The major highlight of the document is that we now have Visa classes for every conceivable purpose of travel unlike before when we issue only business or work Visa to anyone desirous of coming into the country,” he said.

In his remarks, the Comptroller of Immigration Service, Akwa Ibom State, George Didel, lamented the high rate of human trafficking and crime of harvesting human parts in the state and pledged to redouble efforts to tackle the menace.

Earlier, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, charged operatives of NIS to adopt new approaches and be proactive and diligence to avoid admitting into the country visitors with evil designs.

Represented by his Deputy, Mr. Moses Ekpo, he said a robust and proactive Immigration Service could be used to forestall terrorist attacks.