Nigerian immigration to go after visa overstayers as amnesty window closes

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched nationwide enforcement against foreigners who overstayed their visas or breached immigration rules, following the expiry of the Federal Government’s visa-amnesty window at midnight on September 30, 2025.

The amnesty, introduced on July 5, 2025, allowed non-citizens with lapsed documents to regularise their status without penalties. In a late Tuesday statement issued minutes before the deadline, NIS spokesperson ACI Akinsola Akinlabi said officers would begin operations on October 1 targeting holders of expired Visa on Arrival, expired single or multiple-entry short-visit and business visas, and those with expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards (CERPAC).

Offenders now face removal from Nigeria, monetary penalties, and future entry restrictions. The Service’s penalty framework includes removal and a $15-per-day fine for shorter overstays, with escalating bans as the duration increases. As the NIS put it:

“Three months to one year: removal, payment of $15 per day, or a five-year entry ban. One year and above: removal and a 10-year or permanent entry ban”.

The agency said the crackdown is intended to enforce lawful migration, bolster national security, and improve transparency across Nigeria’s immigration system.

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