Nigeria Immigration Service don end di amnesty programme wia foreigners wit expired immigration status suppose regularise dia stay for Nigeria witout penalties.

As dis programme dey end, immigration service say di foreigners wey don overstay dia visa go face serious penalties.

Dis initiative wey dem call di 'Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty)' na by di Ministry of Interior and di Nigeria Immigration Service, to give foreigners wey dey live for Nigeria illegally, grace window make dem regularise dia immigration status witout wahala.

According to di NIS, dis grace period bin start since May dis year and e bin suppose to end on 31 August, but govment extend di deadline by one month wey be 30 September 2025.

Nigeria immigration list categories of foreign nationals wey dey affected wit dis overstay visa wahala.

Foreigner visa categories wey dey affected

"With di expiration of di Amnesty period wey go dey effective for 1 October 2025, enforcement actions go begin nationwide against foreign nationals wey don overstay dia visa or bin violate dia entry conditions," Immigration tok.

Immigration service list out di categories of visas wey go dey affected. Di enforcement exercise go apply to di following categories of foreigners:

Foreigners wey dey hold expired Visa on Arrival (VoA);

Foreigners wey dey hold expired Single and Multiple-Entry Short Visit or Business Visas

Individuals wey get expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permit and Automated Card (CERPAC).

NIS say di reason why dem bin do di amnesty programme bifor na say e go make sure say di kontri immigration system dey secure, transparent, effective and predictable.

Dem say dem go also help govment to get beta data of who dey live for dia kontri sake of internal security issues.

However, afta di deadline, individuals wey dia papers no dey up to date go face outright deportation weneva law enforcement gbab dem, and dem fit ban dem from entering Nigeria eva again.

Companies and businesses wey get expatriates wey dia papers no correct go face fines, deportation of di affected expat or disruption of dia business operations.

Penalties for foreigners wey overstay

According to di immigration, any foreigner wey no obey di law go chop penalties and dem go risk removal from Nigeria.

Any foreign nationals wey dem find wey violate di Nigeria Immigration Laws go chop sanctions.

Di sanction include "payment of overstay penalties, removal and possible restriction from future entry into Nigeria.

For foreigners wey overstay or violate dia entry conditions, dem go chop entry ban into Nigeria.

- Less dan three months overstay go attract removal,

- Payment of $15 per day for each day wey dem overstay or option of two years entry ban.

- Three months to one year go attract removal.

- Payment of $15 per day or option of five years entry ban.

- One year and above dey attract removal.

- 10 years entry ban/permanent entry ban.

Dis no be di first time di Nigeria govment go roll out amnesty for illegal foreigners for di kontri to regularise dia immigration status.

For July 2019, under di govment of late President Muhammadu Buhari, e bin announce a six month amnesty period for illegal foreigners wey dey live for Nigeria to update dia papers witout payment or penalty.

Now, any foreigners wey dem gbam wey no get dia complete papers or bin overstay, dem go chop di penalties wey di govment don release.