US removes reciprocity visa fee for Nigerian applicants

Nigerians issued with the United States Visa will no longer pay reciprocity fees with effect from December 3, the Federal Government has said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday that the US decided to remove the reciprocity fee following the removal of excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for American citizens applying for Nigerian visas.

The Donald Trump administration had in 2019 imposed the reciprocity fee for all approved non-immigrant visa applications by Nigerians.

The fee was charged in addition to visa application fees for only applicants issued visas.

The additional reciprocity fees which ranged from $80 to $303, depending on the class of visa, took effect from August 29 last year.

The US Embassy in Nigeria said the reciprocity fees were in response to unsuccessful talks with Nigeria to adjust the fees it charged American applicants.

It argued that the total cost for a US citizen to obtain a visa to Nigeria was higher than the total cost for a Nigerian to obtain a comparable visa to the United States.

The Mission insisted that the reciprocity fee was meant to eliminate the cost difference as required by US laws.

Announcing the removal of the reciprocity fee in a statement, the MFA spokesman, Ferdinand Nwonye, said, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the United States Government has removed all visa reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens seeking visas to the United States.

“The positive development is in line with the removal of excess visa application, processing and biometric fees for United States citizens applying for Nigerian visas by the Nigerian government.

“The United States Government has, therefore, eliminated reciprocity fees for Nigerian citizens with effect from December 3, 2020.”