The Federal Government has imposed stricter immigration penalties, warning that foreigners who overstay their visas for more than six months will face a five-year ban, while those who overstay for one year will face a ten-year ban.
Overstaying will also result in a daily fine of $15, starting from the visa’s stated exit date, effective August 1.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, made the announcement during a meeting with the Organised Private Sector and other stakeholders at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association House in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday.
Tunji-Ojo made the remark while presenting the Ministry of Interior’s new Expatriate Administration System.
Among the measures slated to go out from May 1 are the automated landing and exit cards, electronic visa, expatriate comprehensive insurance, and an updated combined expatriate resident permit and alien card.
Others include the Temporary Resident visa, Temporary Work Permit, and updated Expatriate Quota scheme.
Tunji-Ojo stated that the procedures are intended to reduce visa overstays and collect reliable statistics on expatriates in Nigeria.
“Our records indicate fewer than 50,000 expatriates in Nigeria, which we know is inaccurate. We need to establish the true number of foreigners living in the country. A nation without reliable data cannot progress, as data is the foundation of effective planning,” he said.
He explained that the new system would automate landing and exit cards and that expatriates must leave the country on or before their visa expiration date and apply for extensions only from outside Nigeria.
“This is serious. We’re not introducing anything new regarding the landing and exit card, just automating the current paper-based process. In a country of over 230 million intelligent, tech-savvy people, we shouldn’t be using paper cards. Going forward, you must complete your landing and exit cards online,” he said.
The automated process will help track overstayers. Overstaying by six months results in a five-year ban, one year in a ten-year ban, and a $15 daily overstay penalty.
“If you overstay, there will be consequences. Overstaying by six months attracts a five-year ban; one year attracts a 10-year ban. There is also a $15 daily overstay penalty. People claim to be visiting Nigeria for two weeks but stay for 30 years working — that must end,” he said.
While the new measures take effect on May 1, there will be a three-month moratorium to allow expatriates to regularise their status before strict enforcement begins in August.
Despite the automation of visa operations, ordinary visa applications will continue to need in-person interviews.
According to the minister, the new electronic visa system, which will be launched on May 1, will allow applicants to receive visas in 48 hours.
This replaces the current visa-on-arrival system, which he described as prone to corruption and influence peddling.
“We’re introducing the e-visa to make access to Nigeria easier for tourists and business travellers. Globally, population equals market, and we want to open our borders to legitimate opportunities. The e-visa eliminates bottlenecks. No more lobbying. It’s a seamless and secure system,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
He also announced the creation of an annual expatriate comprehensive insurance policy. This, he explained, was required since the ministry has constantly gone over its budget for repatriating Nigerians.
“We spend billions annually on repatriation. Just a month ago, we had exhausted our yearly budget and had to request an extra N25m. That money should be used to build infrastructure, not deport individuals. We needed a sustainable solution,” he said.
He stated that rather than requiring a lump sum for repatriation, which may surpass $10,000, the government has chosen an obligatory insurance coverage.
Under this method, the insurance company covers defaulters’ repatriation costs, saving the government money.
“All over the world, there’s personal liability insurance. Your stay here should benefit both you and the host country — not leave Nigeria worse off. The Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance is now mandatory and will be paid annually along with the CERPAC,” he said.
He also announced that the CERPAC procedure would be completely automated, with no charge increases. “The system will be integrated with Interpol to enhance the tracking of criminals and individuals with questionable intentions,” she said.
Furthermore, Tunji-Ojo highlighted that companies will henceforth be held liable for immigration infractions committed by their foreign employees.
The electronic edition of CERPAC is also set to launch on May 1.
