After US retaliation, Nigerian govt reduces visa fee for Americans

Barely 24 hours after the US announced an increase in the cost of visa application for Nigerians, the federal government has reduced the amount payable by citizens of the United States of America seeking Nigerian visas.

The US Consulate had said that Nigerians applying for American visas would pay increased issuance fee, or reciprocity fee, for all approved applications for non-immigrant visas.

US had claimed that the increased cost was a reciprocation of the extra visa fee the Nigerian government charged American citizens.

It had said while America charged Nigerians $160 for visa application, its citizens seeking Nigerian visa were paying $110 extra.

Mohammed Manga, spokesman of the ministry of interior, in a statement on Wednesday, announced that the visa fee of Americans had been reduced.

READ ALSO: US govt says it retaliated against Nigeria by increasing visa fees

“The attention of the Ministry of Interior has been drawn to the introduction of reciprocity of Visa Fees by the United States of America. The Ministry acknowledges that there were engagements with the United States Embassy on the issue and in the aftermath, a Committee was set up to conduct due diligence in line with the Ministry’s extant policy on reciprocity of Visa fees,” the statement read.

“The Committee had concluded its assignment and submitted a Report but the issuance of authorisation for its recommendations was delayed due to transition processes in the Ministry at the policy level.

“The Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has approved the decrease of Visa charges payable by US citizens in line with reciprocity policy as recommended by the Committee.

“Accordingly, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has been directed to implement the decrease in Nigeria’s Visa charges to US Citizens with effect from Thursday, 29th August, 2019.”

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