Immigration processes 2, 194 visa applications in July – Report

Over 2,194 visas on arrival applications were processed by the Nigeria Immigration Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja in July this year

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that teething problems being experienced by some applicants when they try to access the immigration visa on arrival portal have been ascribed to the inability of some applicants to upload the right documentation or provide the right details for approval.

The command has graduated from a three-step manual process to a web-based process cutting out the middleman to make the process seamless.

A close source explained that the visa on arrival is targeted only at business investors, but stated that some applicants either key in the wrong e-mail addresses and fail to upload all the documents required or use the card number from the café they have used.

According to the source, these approvals or responses are supposed to come within 24 hours and if the documentation is done wrongly, instant responses are sent, but when the applicant fails to use his own e-mail or card, the response is sent to the one provided.

“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 has gone beyond 24 hours.

As he was complaining, our boss checked and saw that he has been approved and asked him what e-mail 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 applicants 24/7,” the source added.

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

“Visa on arrival has become web-based and so applicants have nothing to do with our offices just like the Dubai concept where applicants can get the visa on arrival 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,” he asserted.