The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has terminated its partnership with Online Integrated Solution (OIS Services), which was responsible for receiving and submitting Nigerian visa applications in the United States.
NIS announced that the decision takes immediate effect, directing all applicants in the U.S. to submit visa applications directly to Nigerian diplomatic missions pending the appointment of a new service provider.
In a public announcement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the NIS, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, the NIS said OIS Services have been officially disengaged from handling visa applications on behalf of Nigeria’s missions in the United States.
Following the change, visa applicants are required to submit their applications directly through the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., or the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta.
The Immigration Service said the affected missions have put measures in place to ensure uninterrupted processing and issuance of Nigerian visas during the transition period.
It also advised applicants to monitor the official communication channels of the Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigerian missions in the United States for updates on revised application procedures.
Although the latest NIS directive concerns U.S.-based applicants seeking visas to enter Nigeria, it comes against the backdrop of stricter U.S. immigration measures affecting Nigerian travellers.
Earlier, the U.S. State Department reduced the number of African diplomatic missions offering full visa processing services, retaining Lagos as one of only 20 designated processing centres on the continent under its restructured visa system.
The United States has introduced several immigration reforms, including shorter visa validity periods for Nigerian applicants, expanded travel restrictions, stricter financial and health assessments, mandatory disclosure of social media accounts, and visa bonds for certain business and tourist visa applicants.
