The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has introduced the Post-Amnesty Voluntary Return and Documentation Programme (PAVRDP) for foreign nationals who failed to regularise their stay or exit Nigeria during the recently concluded Expired Visa Initiative which ended on Sept. 30, 2025
This was confirmed in a statement by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Assistant Comptroller of Immigration (ACI) Akinsola Akinlabi on Friday in Abuja.
“The Post-Amnesty Programme is scheduled to start from 13th October 2025. All affected persons are directed to report themselves immediately at the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation,” they sated.
Under the initiative, foreign nationals are expected to voluntarily report themselves at the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation.
Assessment and compliance process
The NIS said each individual’s circumstances would be assessed on a case-by-case basis before an appropriate action was determined in line with the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015, and related regulations.
“Upon documentation, each individual will have his or her circumstances assessed on a case-by-case basis before an appropriate action is determined under the provisions of the Immigration Act, 2015 and related Regulations.
Furthermore, the Service wishes to emphasize that any foreigner who has breached the conditions of his or her visa and fails to report will be arrested, detained, and removed from Nigeria, as provided by the extant immigration laws with long-term entry bans,” they stated.
The NIS also highlighted that assisting or harbouring illegal immigrants is a punishable offence under Nigerian law. It noted that the breach of conditions of regularization of stay also constituted an offence, advising individuals, companies, and organisations to desist from such acts to avoid prosecution.
What you should know
In a move to enhance compliance with the country’s immigration laws, NIS launched the Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty) on May 1, 2025.
The Amnesty provided a unique opportunity for foreign nationals residing in Nigeria with expired visas or residence permits to regularize their status without facing penalties. The amnesty period was initially set to conclude on August 1, 2025. However, recognizing the need for more time to accommodate all affected individuals, the NIS extended the deadline to September 30, 2025.
The amnesty applied to various categories of foreign nationals, including those with expired Visa on Arrival (VoA), expired single and multiple-entry visas, and individuals with expired Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) whose renewal had exceeded 30 days post-expiration.
With the expiration of the amnesty period on September 30, 2025, the NIS commenced nationwide enforcement actions against foreign nationals who failed to regularize their stay or exit the country. Effective October 1, 2025, the Service began arresting, detaining, and removing individuals who had overstayed their visas or violated entry conditions, in accordance with extant immigration laws
