No fewer than 3,500 foreign nationals with expired visas have approached the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to either regularise their documents or voluntarily leave the country following the expiration of the Federal Government’s five-month visa amnesty programme.
The amnesty, which ended on September 30, was introduced to give irregular migrants an opportunity to legalise their stay in Nigeria without penalty.
Speaking at a Stakeholders’ Sensitisation on Expatriate Quota Reform, New Visa Regime and Post-Amnesty Programme held at the NIS Headquarters in Abuja, Assistant Comptroller of Immigration, D.N. Olanrewaju, said the Service recorded 3,500 visa overstayers who presented themselves for processing during the amnesty period.
According to him, 597 individuals completed registration, out of which 455 opted to voluntarily exit Nigeria, while 142 regularised their stay.
“Those who had violated their visa conditions were asked to either regularise or voluntarily exit without penalties. For this, the Federal Government gave a five-month grace period beginning May 1 and ending September 30,” Olanrewaju said.
He added that despite the wide publicity and generous grace period, many visa overstayers failed to comply.
“The enforcement phase has now commenced. It requires discipline, commitment, and uniform action,” he stated.
In June, the Federal Government launched an online immigration amnesty portal to help foreigners who overstayed their visas legalise their status before the law’s full enforcement. The deadline was later extended to October 1.
At the time, Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, urged members of the diplomatic corps to inform their citizens to take advantage of the amnesty window, warning that penalties for overstay would be strictly applied thereafter.
“Once the amnesty period is over, we will implement the law 100 per cent,” Tunji-Ojo had said.
Olanrewaju also announced that the Service has launched a Post-Amnesty Voluntary Return and Documentation Programme, which commenced on October 13, to allow defaulters another opportunity to regularise their status before sanctions take effect.
“Those who missed the amnesty can still come forward to document themselves and explain why they couldn’t regularise earlier. Genuine cases will be treated on merit, while others will be required to pay penalties or exit the country,” he said.
He warned employers and sponsors of expatriates against harbouring irregular migrants, stressing that anyone aiding such violations would be sanctioned under the Immigration Act.
Meanwhile, Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mrs. Kemi Nandap, explained that the visa amnesty programme was designed to promote compliance and strengthen Nigeria’s migration management system.
She said the initiative, introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, was part of broader reforms aimed at improving border governance and encouraging legitimate foreign investment.
“The Post-Amnesty Voluntary Return and Documentation Programme followed a five-month Amnesty window from May 1 to September 30, 2025. It was a deliberate policy to allow migrants with irregular status to either regularise or leave Nigeria without encumbrances,” Nandap said.
She added that the Service was now implementing key reforms including the Expatriate Quota Reform, electronic residence and work permits (e-CERPAC, e-TWP), and digital landing and exit cards linked to a command-and-control verification system.
“The reform re-engineers the expatriate monitoring process, eliminating delays and ensuring greater accountability,” she noted.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, described the programme as a “restorative” measure.
“This initiative is not punitive; it is restorative. It offers foreign nationals who may have fallen out of compliance with immigration regulations a lawful path to regularisation, while reinforcing Nigeria’s sovereignty and adherence to the rule of law,” Oyerinde said.
The forum was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NECA, and key players in the private sector.
