By Nkiruka Nnorom
The Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, has disengaged its third-party visa application service provider in the United States, directing all travellers seeking Nigerian visas to now submit applications directly at the country’s Embassy and Consulates.
The Service, in a statement, yesterday, by its Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, said the decision takes effect immediately.
Until now, Online Integrated Solution, OIS Services, operated Nigeria’s visa application and submission centres across the US.
Akinlabi, however, did not state reasons for the disengagement.
“Travellers seeking Nigerian visas are now required to submit their applications directly at the embassy of Nigeria in Washington, DC, or at the consulates of Nigeria in New York and Atlanta until further notice,” he said.
The NIS spokesman assured that the Embassy and Consulates have put adequate measures in place to ensure seamless submission, processing, and issuance of visas.
He urged applicants to monitor the official communication channels of the NIS and the Nigerian mission in the US for further updates on visa application procedures.
“The NIS remains committed to providing efficient service delivery,” Akinlabi added.
The development comes amid efforts by the Federal Government to streamline consular services and reduce bottlenecks in visa processing for Nigerians in the diaspora and foreign nationals seeking to visit Nigeria.
Industry stakeholders have in recent years called for greater transparency and direct oversight in visa processing to curb delays and extra charges often associated with third-party operators.
