By Abiola Olawale
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has rolled out the Post-Amnesty Voluntary Return and Documentation Programme (PAVRDP).
This initiative provides undocumented foreign nationals a grace period to either regularize their status or depart Nigeria voluntarily.
The program kicks off on October 13, 2025, just days after the closure of the government’s five-month Expired Visa Amnesty Initiative on September 30.
That earlier amnesty, which began on May 1, allowed overstayers to update their documents penalty-free via an online portal, aiming to clean up immigration records and curb illegal residency.
However, thousands missed the deadline, prompting this follow-up effort to encourage compliance without immediate deportation, the NIS explained.
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 to the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation,” the statement reads in part.
Under the initiative, foreign nationals are expected to voluntarily report themselves at the nearest Immigration Command for registration and documentation.
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.
