The Federal Government is tightening its grip on immigration violations, especially among expatriates who overstay their welcome in Nigeria. Starting August 1, individuals who remain in the country six months past their visa expiry will face a five-year entry ban, while those who overstay for a year or more will be slammed with a 10-year ban from re-entering the country.
In addition, a daily fine of $15 will be imposed for each day spent illegally in the country — a move the government hopes will deter chronic overstaying and help clean up the country’s migration data.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during a stakeholder meeting at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) House in Ikeja, Lagos.
“We’re done with people claiming to visit for two weeks and ending up working and living here for decades without proper documentation,” the Minister said bluntly. “This has to stop.”
A New Era of Immigration Reforms
At the heart of these sweeping changes is the launch of a new Expatriate Administration System, which comes into effect May 1. Among the changes are:
- Automated Landing and Exit Cards
- Electronic Visas (E-Visa) to be issued within 48 hours
- Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance
- Digital CERPAC (Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Alien Card)
- Revised Expatriate Quota System
Tunji-Ojo emphasized that accurate data is the foundation of national development, noting that the Ministry's current figure of fewer than 50,000 expatriates in Nigeria is far from reality.
“If we can’t track who’s here and for how long, we can’t plan. We must know who’s in our country,” he said.
Three-Month Window to Comply
Though the measures become active on May 1, a three-month grace period has been granted for expatriates to regularize their stay before enforcement begins in August.
For many stakeholders in the private sector, this move signals a shift toward greater accountability and order. Employers will also be held liable for immigration violations committed by their foreign employees.
Insurance to Replace Costly Repatriations
Tunji-Ojo also announced the introduction of a mandatory insurance policy to cover the cost of deporting defaulters — a solution the Ministry says is long overdue.
“We’ve spent billions annually on repatriation. That money could’ve gone into schools, hospitals, and roads,” he noted.
Instead of demanding a lump sum exceeding $10,000 for potential deportation, expatriates will now pay an annual insurance fee alongside their CERPAC — saving government resources and ensuring responsibility lies where it should.
Goodbye Paperwork, Hello Digital Nigeria
The Minister added that all documentation processes, including CERPAC, will be digitized and linked with INTERPOL systems to ensure international compliance and security.
While many of these reforms aim to improve efficiency, in-person interviews will still be required for standard visa applications to maintain security protocols.
“This is a serious, long-overdue clean-up,” Tunji-Ojo concluded. “We are not closing our doors to the world — we’re opening them wider, but only to those who follow the rules.”
