The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched the Put up-Amnesty Voluntary Return and Documentation Programme (PAVRDP) for international nationals who didn’t regularise their keep or exit Nigeria in the course of the just lately concluded Expired Visa Initiative which ended on Sept. 30, 2025
This was confirmed in an announcement by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) Akinsola Akinlabi on Friday in Abuja.
“The Put up-Amnesty Programme is scheduled to start out from thirteenth October 2025. All affected individuals are directed to report themselves instantly on the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation,” they sated.
Underneath the initiative, international nationals are anticipated to voluntarily report themselves on the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation.
The NIS stated every particular person’s circumstances can be assessed on a case-by-case foundation earlier than an applicable motion was decided consistent with the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015, and associated rules.
“Upon documentation, every particular person could have his or her circumstances assessed on a case-by-case foundation earlier than an applicable motion is decided below the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015 and associated Rules.
Moreover, the Service needs to emphasise that any foreigner who has breached the situations of his or her visa and fails to report will likely be arrested, detained, and faraway from Nigeria, as supplied by the extant immigration legal guidelines with long-term entry bans,” they said.
The NIS additionally highlighted that aiding or harbouring unlawful immigrants is a punishable offence below Nigerian legislation. It famous that the breach of situations of regularization of keep additionally constituted an offence, advising people, corporations, and organisations to desist from such acts to keep away from prosecution.
In a transfer to boost compliance with the nation’s immigration legal guidelines, NIS launched the Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty) on Could 1, 2025.
The Amnesty supplied a novel alternative for international nationals residing in Nigeria with expired visas or residence permits to regularize their standing with out dealing with penalties. The amnesty interval was initially set to conclude on August 1, 2025. Nonetheless, recognizing the necessity for extra time to accommodate all affected people, the NIS prolonged the deadline to September 30, 2025.
The amnesty utilized to varied classes of international nationals, together with these with expired Visa on Arrival (VoA), expired single and multiple-entry visas, and people with expired Mixed Expatriate Residence Allow and Aliens Card (CERPAC) whose renewal had exceeded 30 days post-expiration.
With the expiration of the amnesty interval on September 30, 2025, the NIS commenced nationwide enforcement actions towards international nationals who didn’t regularize their keep or exit the nation. Efficient October 1, 2025, the Service started arresting, detaining, and eradicating people who had overstayed their visas or violated entry situations, in accordance with extant immigration legal guidelines
