KEY POINTS
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Expatriates face bans for visa overstays beyond six months.
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New expatriate system to curb overstays and improve data.
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The electronic visa system and mandatory insurance were introduced in May.
The Federal Government has announced stricter immigration penalties, warning that expatriates who overstay their visas beyond six months will face a five-year entry ban, while a one-year overstay will attract a 10-year ban.
According to the Federal Government, any overstay will incur a daily fine of $15, starting from the visa’s stated exit date. The penalty will take effect from August 1, according to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
New expatriate system to curb visa overstays
According to Punch, Tunji-Ojo made the announcement on Friday while unveiling the Ministry of Interior’s new Expatriate Administration System during a meeting with the Organised Private Sector and other stakeholders at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association House in Ikeja, Lagos.
Among the reforms set to roll out from May 1 are the automated Landing and Exit Cards, Electronic Visa, Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance, and an upgraded Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Alien Card. Other reforms include the Temporary Residence Visa, Temporary Work Permit, and a revised Expatriate Quota system.
Electronic visa and insurance systems to launch in May
Tunji-Ojo said the measures aim to curb visa overstays and obtain accurate data 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,” he said. The new system will require expatriates to complete their Landing and Exit Cards online.
A three-month moratorium will be given to allow expatriates to regularize their status before strict enforcement begins in August. Tunji-Ojo also announced the introduction of a mandatory Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance policy.
