- Kicks against $110 admin/processing charges
- Says it will continue with reciprocity dues
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Though, the United States Embassy yesterday said it would continue to charge Nigerians reciprocity fees because it had not received any diplomatic communication regarding a newly slashed fee schedule for Americans seeking Nigerian visas, diplomatic sources told THISDAY last night that the US government was unimpressed by the review announced on Wednesday by Nigeria.
The US had on Tuesday said effective from Thursday, August 29, 2019, Nigerians applying for tourism, student and business visas will not only pay the N59, 200 fee, but will have to pay an extra $110 (N40, 700) after the visa has been issued to them, bringing the total cost to N99, 900.
However, applicants who were denied visas would not need to pay the extra N40, 700. Applicants seeking the L1 Visa (work permit) will pay an extra N112, 100 if given visas while those applying for H4 Visa (dependency/spousal) will pay an extra N66, 600.
In a swift response on Wednesday, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said that the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service, Muhammad Babandede, had been directed to implement a decrease in the visa charged Americans with effect from Thursday.
The fee was reduced from $180 to $160 for American citizens.
It was learnt that Americans still have to pay an additional $100 administration fee and $10 processing fees, besides the $160 visa fee, but the Nigerian Government made no mention of reducing or scrapping the additional fees in its press release.
According to Diplomatic sources, this largely influenced the decision of the US embassy to retain the reciprocity fees for approved visas to the United States, “pending the time Nigeria removes the additional fees, sends a diplomatic communication and starts effective implementation.”
One of the sources said: “It is not just about diplomatic communication not arriving. The reduction approved by Nigeria is in the public domain. The US embassy has read it and they are not comfortable with the additional fees retained by Nigeria. They must be removed before the US can end reciprocity fees.”
The US embassy in the press statement yesterday said: “The US Embassy looks forward to receiving official diplomatic communication regarding a new fee schedule for Americans seeking Nigerian visas. Until such time, and confirmation of implementation, the reciprocity fees for approved visas to the United States will remain in place.”
The US embassy in a statement last Tuesday said the increment was done based on reciprocity.
It lamented that Americans were paying too much to secure Nigerian visas and thus the US government decided to retaliate.
The US embassy said it had been holding talks with the Nigerian government to reduce the fee but it refused to accede to its requests.
