Nigeria commences online Visa on Arrival

ITRealms:

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced a liberalised online Visa on Arrival (VOA) facility to the public for foreign investors and willing professionals desirous of coming to Nigeria, reports ITRealms.

The Comptroller-General of the NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, Thursday, said that‎ the measure was part of the resolution of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) aimed at attracting foreign investors to the country.

“‎As a critical member of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), the NIS has automated its visa application and processing services at all entry points. This is to ensure that all genuine requests for Visa on Arrival facility from any part of the world are processed and issued within 48 hours (two working days),” NIS boss said.

He explained that the‎ online VOA application and processing facility is a product of robust visa reforms regime intended to bring Nigeria in tandem with global best practices and attract Foreign Direct Investors and skilled professionals into the country.

Also, the controller-general said that the new process was‎ designed to eliminate all unnecessary bureaucratic visa processing procedures in Nigerian Missions abroad. Stressing this would be of great help for potential visitors from countries where Nigeria does not have a Mission.‎

He said that‎ ‎a dedicated e-mail address oa@nigeriaimmigration.gov.ng has been deployed where visa applicants, their representatives or companies could forward their requests and details.

Advising applicants to use functional e-mail addresses where copies of approval letter shall be forwarded upon a successful process and payment.‎

“Applicants are, however, to note that successful payment online is not an approval and should not proceed to Nigeria until you have received ‘Visa on Arrival Approval letter’ duly issued by the NIS Headquarters, Abuja.”‎

He said that a VOA desk had been opened at all international airports in the country where visas would be issued upon the presentation of all the necessary travel documents and evidence of visa payment.

The NIS boss expressed optimism that the VOA process and the introduction of the harmonised arr‎ival and departure cards would go a long way in attracting investors to the country. 

Nonye Dom with additional reports from NAN/GEE

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Ghana pilots visa-on-arrival for African nationals

ITRealms:

The Ghanaian Immigration Service has commenced the pilot phase of visa on arrival for all African Union nationals, reports ITRealms.

This innovation as agreed recently by AU, ITRealms is novel and could mean a transformation of Africa as its citizens now have the opportunity of seeking visa, especially those outside the current visa free agreement with other countries with anticipation of boosting tourism.

Till date, Ghana seems to pioneer this implementation in Africa.

According to a press statement endorsed on behalf of the Comptroller-General of Immigration by the Head of Public Affairs of GIS, Mr. Francis Palmdeti, in a memo dated July 8, 2016, Ghana says this exercise takes immediate effect.

“All African Union nationals whose countries do not have a visa free agreement with Ghana would be able to obtain visas on arrival at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA),” part of the statement read.

ITRealms also gathered that this current arrangement would be piloted at KIA for the first three months before being extended to all other entry points of the country.

The Comptroller-General recalls that in his state of the nation address on February 26, 2016, His Excellency, President John Dremani Mahama informed parliament that all AU nationals will from July 2016 be issued with visas on arrival following a decision taken at the Executive Council Meeting of the Africa Union.

The GIS being the government agency mandated to regulate migrant flows into the country, intends to ensure the smooth implementation of this new policy.

As said by the Comptroller-General, the service in line with this directive has initiated the modalities to give effect to the policy.

These modalities include that all AU nationals affected by this policy who arrive in the country must have a passport, valid for at least three (3) months, from the date of entry.

Also, such migrant GIS said, they must have a return ticket or evidence of onward travel and sufficient funds and proof of accommodation before they are granted visas.

All such visas, GIS noted, would be issued for validity of 30 days, even as they would be subject to the provisions of Section 4 of the Immigration Act 2000 (Act 573) which applies to all travelers entering Ghana.

GIS further beckoned on the public, foreign missions and embassies to take note these modalities, reassuring that GIS would continue to execute its mandate professionally and effectively with the intention of making Ghana an attractive destination to investors and tourists.

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