US won’t change visa policy for Nigeria –Ambassador
https://gistzzone.blogspot.com/2017/02/us-wont-change-visa-policy-for-nigeria.html
TheUnited States has said that the
recent executive order on immigration by President Donald Trump will not
affect Nigerians, noting that visa applicants will continue to get
two-year multiple entry visas as before.
It assured apprehensive Nigerians that
the order on “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into
the United States” would not also affect the validity of visas held by
Nigerians, noting that its visa policy to Nigeria had not changed.
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart
Symington, and the US Embassy Consular Chief, Meghan Moore, explained to
journalists on Friday in Abuja that the US visa policy was base
d on
reciprocity, stressing that Nigerians would not be discriminated
against.
The envoy stated that the way US treats Nigeria is reflected in its visa policy to Nigerians.
Responding to questions about
apprehension that Nigerian Muslims might be singled out for visa
restriction over their religious belief, Symington stated that America
does not discriminate against people on the basis of their belief or
race.
He said, “No place has opened doors to
people more than the US. We haven’t said we have closed the doors and
locked it, what we said is that we are going to take a pause and conduct
checks and ensure the safety of the people in the United States. The
door would be opened again. “I want to reassure by our actions starting
from our consulate reception in Abuja and in Lagos that we would not
discriminate on the basis of religion. If anyone didn’t get a US visa
because they said their name was Paul or something, then they would be
wrong.”
He disclosed that Nigerians whose visas
had expired would not need to wait till 48 months to renew, noting that
they could now renew their visa within 24 months, stressing that the US
as a nation of immigrants desires to bring people together.
Moore said the US issued visas to
Nigerians on the basis of reciprocity, stressing that US visa policy to
Nigeria would not change.
The diplomat explained that the new rule
requires a holder of US tourist visa to pay the fee and schedule an
appointment for interview using the DHL Dropbox.
“Generally speaking, we issue two-year
multiple entry visas to Nigerians based on reciprocity from Nigeria and
this has not changed; there is no plan to change it to one year,” Moore
emphasised.
She stated that the goal of the embassy
was to facilitate legitimate travel to the US which she said was
important for trade, education and family ties.
Elaborating further on the changes in
the visa policy, she said the new rule requires Nigerians who wish to
renew their visas to use the DHL renewal programme.
This, she said, entails paying the
necessary fee, filling up the application and then scheduling an
appointment to the embassy for an in-person interview.