The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced a nationwide enforcement operation against foreign nationals who overstayed their visas or violated entry conditions after the expiration of a five-month amnesty window.
The spokesperson of the Service, Akinsola Akinlabi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, stressing that the clampdown followed the September 30 closure of the amnesty granted to affected foreigners to regularise their status without penalty.
The amnesty period, which began on May 1, gave foreign nationals with expired documents—including visa on arrival, single and multiple-entry short visit or business visas, as well as expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC)—an opportunity to update their status.
“With the expiration of the amnesty period, enforcement actions will commence nationwide against foreign nationals who have overstayed their visa or violated their entry conditions,” Akinlabi said.
He explained that violators would face sanctions, ranging from daily overstay fines to deportation and long-term entry bans. According to him, those who overstayed for less than three months face removal, a fine of $15 per day, or a two-year entry ban. Offenders with overstay periods between three months and one year risk a five-year entry ban, while those who remained beyond a year face deportation, a 10-year entry ban, or permanent exclusion from Nigeria.
The NIS spokesperson stressed that the Service remained committed to lawful migration, national security, and transparent immigration procedures.
“The Service will not hesitate to impose the stipulated penalties on violators. Our goal is to ensure compliance with immigration laws and maintain order in the country’s entry and residency system,” he added.
The clampdown is expected to affect thousands of foreign nationals who failed to take advantage of the regularisation window.
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