The Federal Government has cut down on its visa application charges for citizens of the United States from $180 to $160.
Nigeria previously charged $160 as visa fee and $20 as “processing and expedient fees”.
Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, said in a memo dated February 5 that the reduction followed a review of the US visa reciprocity policy for Nigeria.
The memo marked NIS/HQ/CGI/806/7 was addressed to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In August 2019, the US government imposed additional visa fees on Nigerians in retaliation for the “treatment afforded to US citizens” by the Nigerian government.
The policy required successful applicants for non-immigrant US visas in the B, F, H1B, I, L, and R categories to pay between $80 and $303 as reciprocity fees.
This is in addition to the normal visa application fees of between $160 and $190.
“The total cost for a US citizen to obtain a visa to Nigeria is currently higher than the total cost for a Nigerian to obtain a comparable visa to the United States.
“The new reciprocity fee for Nigerian citizens is meant to eliminate that cost difference,” the US Embassy said at the time in a statement on its website.
In his letter, the NIS boss urged all Nigerian missions in the US to immediately implement the new visa charges payable by US citizens, and “discontinue charging processing or expedient fees”.
“Our Missions are to issue up to two years multiple entry visa to frequent short visit travelers on request in line with reciprocity,” he said.
NAN said it received information from a senior official of the Nigerian Consulate in New York that the “processing and expedient fees” of $20 was for online application and payment services rendered by a private firm.
The move follows the unveiling by President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 which, among others, increased the country’s visa classes from six to 79.
