The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has sealed off France, Belgium and Italy visa centres located at the Mukhtar El-Yakub House, Central Business District, Abuja. The office was sealed with the combined efforts of operatives from the FCCPC, Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as staff of the centre resisted the …

United States Senator, Jim Banks, on Wednesday, introduced a new legislative proposal that would classify visa overstays as a federal offence, carrying penalties similar to those imposed on illegal border crossings. The bill, titled the Visa Overstay Penalties Act, aims to bolster national security by imposing harsher consequences for individuals who remain in the country beyond the validity of their …

In a sweeping policy shift geared towards managing inbound labour during peak pilgrimage periods, Saudi Arabia has temporarily suspended issuance of the blockwork visa quota to Nigerians and nationals from six other African countries. Other affected include Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Morocco. The suspension, which affected 14 countries in all, impacted other nations such as Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, …

The British High Commission in Nigeria has dismissed recent reports regarding changes to UK visa rules for Nigerians, saying no new restrictions had been introduced. The Commission stated this on the back of the reports on planned new visa restrictions on three countries, including Nigeria, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, saying that the UK government is constantly reviewing its immigration system …

The Nigerian government has given foreigners with expired visa three months to vacate the country. The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), announced this in a statement released on Friday, 2 May, 2025. In the statement by the Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi the Nigeria Immigration Service warned that overstaying now attracts daily fines of ‘$15, plus bans of up to five …

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has imposed new penalties targeting individuals who violate Hajj permit regulations. The Ministry of Interior made this known on Thursday saying the sanctions include a heavy fine of $26,661 on those who apply for visit visas on behalf of people attempting to perform Hajj without proper authorisation. The new measures, released via the Saudi Press …

Australia’s ruling Labour Party has announced plans to raise international student visa fees to A$2,000 if returned to office, as part of a broader strategy to manage immigration and generate revenue from the country’s booming education sector, Reuters reported on Monday. The proposed increase, up from the current A$1,600, is expected to generate A$760 million over four years, according to …

The UK Home Office has revised the list of Secure English Language Tests (SELT) accepted for visa and citizenship applications. The SELT is a mandatory requirement for various visa categories and UK citizenship applications. This update introduces new test formats and clarifies requirements for applicants worldwide. The change was announced on the official UK Government website, aiming to make the …

The United States Embassy has announced revised visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, set to take effect from 22 April. According to a statement on Friday by the US mission, all applicants attending interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 visa application form featuring a confirmation barcode beginning with ‘AA’ followed by two zeroes. The barcode must correspond …

The Federal Government (FG) has announced stricter immigration penalties, warning that expatriates who overstay their visas beyond six months will face a five-year entry ban, while overstaying for one year will attract a 10-year ban. Additionally, the government said overstaying will incur a daily fine of $15, starting from the visa’s stated exit date, effective from 1 August. The Minister …