Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Introduces Web Based Application For Visa On Arrival

* …MMIA records 2,194 applicants

(NIS) disclosed on Tuesday that it has introduced Web based
application for Visa on Arrival for investors, tourists and others
seeking to come into the country to eliminate hitches associated
with manual processes.

The new system, a source close to the service, hinted is to
ensure seamless facilitation of business people seeking visa to
travel to Nigeria.

The new system, the source added, will eliminate the activities
of third parties, who served as middle men for applicants under the
manual process.

He said the new system is working swiftly as the MMIA alone in
July 2019 recorded over 2,194 applicants.

Besides, the introduction of Web based application, the NIS, he
said has also introduced Servicom and anti – corruption desks at
all formations to monitor the activities of its personnel in line
with government policy of the Ease of Doing Business.

He said teething problems being experienced by some applicants
trying to access the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Visa on
Arrival (VOA) scheme could be ascribed to some of the applicants’
inability to upload the right documentation or provide the right
details for approvals to be sent.

The immigration source said though Visa on Arrival was targeted
at attracting business investors, some applicants either keyed in
wrong email addresses, refused to upload all the four documents
required or use the card number from the public cafes.

According to him, the approvals or responses were supposed to
come within 24 hours.

He said: “Some applicants have issues. From our findings we saw
that applicants don’t key in their own e-mails.

“They don’t use their own cards, they use the cyber café card
and the response goes to the Café Not the applicant. Approval
centres are up and running 24 hours there is no time you won’t get
us.

“We have had a case where a gentleman came and reported to us
that he applied and it had gone beyond 24 hours as he was
complaining, our boss checked and saw that he has been approved and
asked him what email he used and he started thinking and when he
recalled, he called his brother who had it in his own e-mail. So
you see the process has been fine-tuned, there were initial
challenges but now there is someone always responding to VOA
applicants 24/7.”

According to him, the applicants are provided a digital key
where they can verify the authenticity of their approval.

“VOA has become web-based and so applicants have nothing to do
with our offices just like the Dubai concept where applicants can
get the VOA and print out on their own.

“In the recent past, the applicant would go through a
representative who applies to the Comptroller General on the
applicants’ behalf and seeks the approval but now that is not the
case, as there are no third parties.”

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