Nigeria Immigration Service London, UK. (Duties)

In this piece Nigeria Immigration service London, UK we shall explain in detail all you need to know concerning the duties or functions of the Nigeria Immigration Service in the United Kingdom

Before the change of policy in the issuance of Nigeria international passport which makes it possible for Nigerians residing outside the country to process their passports in some of Nigeria Foreign missions, Nigerians resident in the UK used to travel home whenever they want to reissue their passports or obtain a new one for their kids or those naturalised Nigerians.

However, due to a change of policy by the Nigeria Immigration Service, expatriate Nigerians now enjoy the benefits of obtaining or reissuing their travel documents outside Nigerians. It is quite astonishing that in a place like the Islands of Great Britain which accommodates the largest number of Nigerians expatriates more than anywhere in the world could not provide such an essential function earlier, thereby subjected people to laborious journey home to validate their travel documents only. You begin to wonder about the purpose of having a foreign mission and voting a huge amount of money to maintain it annually.

When we were studying in Europe in the 70s and early 80s, what we knew the Nigeria Immigration section of our various embassies for, is to issue Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC) or renew our passport by placing a stamp and signature on passports only.

STILL ON NIGERIA IMMIGRATION SERVICE LONDON, UK  (ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW)

Currently, it is good to know that the Nigeria Immigration Service, London provides a wide range of services:

1. Issuance of different types of visas such as:
   Business visa, Tourist visa, Conference visa, Transit visa, Cultural visa, Visiting visa, Event visa, Student visa, Diplomatic visa Temporary Work Permit (TWP), Subject to Regularization (STR).
2. ISSUANCE OF PASSPORTS such as:
   New passports, and reissue passports.
3. Issuance of Emergency Travel Certificate (ETC).

Let take some of the functions of Nigeria Immigration Service London one by one.

• 1 ISSUANCE OF BUSINESS VISA 

Issued to foreigners coming to Nigeria for business purposes.
The following are the requirements for the issuance of a business visa:

1. Your International passport with at least  six months validity
2. Funds sufficient to cover your entire stay in Nigeria
3. A letter of invitation from a company in Nigeria accepting immigration responsibility.
4. Confirmed return airline ticket

The visa is valid for 90 days and the holder is not entitled to employment.

• 2. ISSUANCE OF TOURIST VISA 

Issued to foreigners coming to Nigeria for tourism or visiting friends.
The intending tourist must process:

an international passport with six months validity, having basic travelling allowance sufficient to see him through in Nigeria. Confirmed airline return ticket, confirmed hotel reservation.
The validity is 90 days and the person cannot engage in work.

• 3. ISSUANCE OF DIPLOMATIC VISA 

Issued to visiting Head of Government, Top government officials, diplomats and their families, members of international organizations and holders of UN Diplomatic passport.

• 4. ISSUANCE OF SUBJECT TO REGULARIZATION (STR) 

It is a type of visa issued to foreigners employed by companies, or government agencies. These are expects coming to take up employment in Nigeria. This is an employment visa that allows the holder to work under specific terms.

• 5. TEMPORARY WORK PERMIT (TWP) 

It is a type of visa issued to foreign experts coming for installation of special equipment, for a specific period. It can only be approved by the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service.

• 6. ISSUANCE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PASSPORTS

Nigeria Immigration Service, London have facilities to issue different types of passports such as Nigeria Standard Passports First issue and reissue. Reissue due to change of names, reissue due to marriage or divorce, reissue due to loss/Misplaced/damaged of passports.

• 7. ISSUANCE OF EMERGENCY TRAVEL CERTIFICATE (ETC)

This is the type of travel document which enables a Nigerian citizen who does not have his passport but needs to travel home for a special reason. It is only used in travelling home and is valid for 30 days. One way or homeward trip only.
Please note that it must be surrendered to the immigration authority on arrival at the point of entry. It is only useful for the homeward journey.

NIGERIA IMMIGRATION SERVICE LONDON, UK (ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW)  PASSPORT/VISA APPLICATION PROCESS

Getting your visa or your required passport to Nigeria, follow the steps which we will explain below.

• Go to the https://portal.Immigration.gov.ng
• You will see the passport section underneath, click on the e-passport
• You are to select a passport-type since the article is meant for those in the UK, you are to select standard e-passport, processing country is the UK, issuing office in London. When doing this, you have to take the time to read the notification that you received.
• Moving on next, you have to click on start application, this will direct you to a new platform called “INNOVATE 1”.
• At this point, your email address will be needed, either a yahoo email or a google email, click on sign in or you open ID and then follow the instruction to register. Applicants must answer mandatory questions which are marked with asterisks.
• After filling in your form click submit and click on: I accept full responsibility for the information provided in the form. After all this, you are to check well again and press the submit button.
• After submitting the application form, a reference number and an application ID will be sent to the email address to which you registered. Remember that you are to keep this reference number and application ID safe. After all, this, print a copy of your form.
• Making the payment is the next step. If you are applying for only one applicant, click “proceed to online payment”, if you are applying for more than one person in the same family, then you will have to continue with the next family member application, then you will click on proceed to online payment. Once your payment is successful you will see a payer with the message, your payment has been successful. Then you have to print the passport acknowledge slip and passport payment slip.

After going through the registration process, you have to make an appointment booking with the Nigeria High Commission. Appointments are to be attended on time as late coming is not acceptable. It should be noted that applicants who miss appointments can reschedule another one.

Nigeria Immigration Service Office London UK Address and Contact Details

You can easily contact the High Commission or visit the office in the UK at the following address;

• Nigeria High Commission
  9, North Umberland Avenue,
  London WC2N 5Bx,
  The United Kingdom.
• Telephone: +(44) 207 839 124 4087 122 10073

The above information has been given to you to make your passport process, easier and faster. Processing of your documents has now become easier and getting a visa to visit Nigeria is now very easy because the Nigeria Government had eased the bureaucratic bottlenecks in the issuance of all categories of visas.

That’s all for now on the Nigeria Immigration Service Office London UK Address and Contact Details.

Related: 

• NIGERIA TOURIST VISA, ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Visa4UK Online Application Guide
• UK VISA FEES IN NIGERIA
• TOP 21 FUNCTIONS OF THE NIGERIA IMMIGRATION SERVICE