Visa overstayers: Nigeria Immigration introduces voluntary return for foreign nationals

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

57% : With the expiration of the amnesty period on September 30, 2025, the NIS commenced nationwide enforcement actions against foreign nationals who failed to regularize their stay or exit the country.
56% : Assessment and compliance process The NIS said each individual's circumstances would be assessed on a case-by-case basis before an appropriate action was determined in line with the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015, and related regulations.
54% : Effective October 1, 2025, the Service began arresting, detaining, and removing individuals who had overstayed their visas or violated entry conditions, in accordance with extant immigration laws
53% : The amnesty applied to various categories of foreign nationals, including those with expired Visa on Arrival (VoA), expired single and multiple-entry visas, and individuals with expired Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) whose renewal had exceeded 30 days post-expiration.
50% : The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has introduced the Post-Amnesty Voluntary Return and Documentation Programme (PAVRDP) for foreign nationals who failed to regularise their stay or exit Nigeria during the recently concluded Expired Visa Initiative which ended on Sept. 30, 2025 This was confirmed in a statement by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) Akinsola Akinlabi on Friday in Abuja.
49% : The Amnesty provided a unique opportunity for foreign nationals residing in Nigeria with expired visas or residence permits to regularize their status without facing penalties.
45% : Under the initiative, foreign nationals are expected to voluntarily report themselves at the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation.

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