Travellers from US to apply for Nigerian visas directly as NIS disengages OIS

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has announced that Nigerians and other applicants in the United States seeking Nigerian visas will now submit their applications directly to Nigerian diplomatic missions following the disengagement of Online Integrated Solutions (OIS Services).

The development means that applicants seeking Nigerian visas in the US will no longer submit their applications through OIS Services.

In a public notice signed by the Service Public Relations Officer, DCI Akinsola Akinlabi, on Thursday, the NIS directed all visa applicants to submit their applications directly to the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., or the Nigerian Consulates in New York and Atlanta until further notice.

“The Nigeria Immigration Service hereby informs the general public, particularly prospective travellers and Nigerians residing in the United States of America who may require a visa to enter Nigeria, that Online Integrated Solution (OIS SERVICES), the operator of Nigeria’s Visa Application and Submission Centres in the United States, has officially been disengaged from the collection and submission of visa applications on behalf of the Nigerian Mission, effective immediately,” the statement read.

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Following the change, the NIS directed all visa applicants to submit their applications directly to the Embassy of Nigeria in Washington, D.C., or the Consulates of Nigeria in New York and Atlanta until further notice.

The service assured applicants that adequate measures had been put in place at the embassy and consulates to ensure seamless submission, processing and issuance of visas despite the change.

It also urged applicants to monitor the official communication channels of the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Mission in the United States for updates on visa application procedures.

The Consulate General of Nigeria in New York also confirmed the development on its website, informing prospective applicants, including Nigerians in the diaspora, that OIS had ceased collecting and submitting visa applications on the consulate’s behalf.

Before its disengagement, OIS Services managed Nigeria’s outsourced visa application process in several US cities, including Washington, D.C., Houston, Atlanta, Los Angeles and New Jersey. The company handled biometric enrolment and document submission for visa applicants.

Neither the Nigeria Immigration Service nor the Nigerian missions in the United States has disclosed the reason for ending the arrangement with OIS Services.