I believe the poster meant Passport cause you do not need a visa to enter your own country, if so 9ja will be the firs

U people sef na wa for una. how una go think say the son of the soil like myself no get Naija passport. I have a Nigerian passport but the ting don expire i would have to wait for five to six months to get a new one at the embassy. I want to travel to Naija soonest so i had to use my Britico Kpale, hence the visa application. I will be getting a new Naija passport when I land for Lasgidi. I hope this clarifies issues.

makizee:

I believe the poster meant Passport cause you do not need a visa to enter your own country, if so 9ja will be the firs

If you were born in UK or Europe and have an EU passport you will need to apply for visa to enter Nigeria till you have a Nigerian passport
That is a standard procedure

If you are outside Nigeria and dont have a nigerian passport, then you are not a Nigerian, its as simple as that
Then u need a visa to come into Nigeria, This is applicble to all countries of the world

tit_squeez

You have cleared the dust.

Perhaps your choice of words must have been responsible for the distraction from the main thread.

Cheers

The Nigerian consulate in New York is even worse. No clear cut rules on passport renewal or visa application as it changes depending on who is handling your case. You are 'forced' to pay an insider gratification to ease up the cumbersome process. I am unwilling to bribe an employee and will prefer to wait out my passport expiration

The one in Washington is worse I even I even paid for expedite service for my friend and they called one time and told her that they are having technical difficulties and would call back and its 3weeks now. Usually after the call the ship back the passport with visa in it like same week. Dont know whats up with them and they dont pick up the phones. She already left them with several VMs

debosky:

I doubt that really - the improvements have been more or less in place since early last year. They are generally orderly and organised, although the 'Nigerian factor' rears its head sooner than later:

- People intentionally showing up with incomplete documents, aiming to complete them at the embassy and thus slowing down the process for everyone.

- Failure to obey simple instructions (related to the above point)

- Unreasonable requirements that make little sense - e.g. wives needing authorisation from their husbands to change their names.

An additional reason for the absence of queues is that the backlog of passport renewals has finally been reduced to a reasonable level. At the peak of renewals, the queues definitely existed (no fault of the embassy of course) and this is as recently as January 2011.

As for the oyinbos being orderly, they have learned the hustle as well as naija folk. I was there one day and this oyinbo man was asking who he could beg to get his visa issued.

The man submitted his passport without two empty side-by-side pages and they refused to issue the visa and he had to travel the next Monday (it was a Friday). While he should've read the requirements, the officials should have checked to ensure the two pages were indeed available before collecting the application.

As for my personal experience, they still have some major issues with incompetence - I went to apply for a naija visa for my daughter, and went early ahead of time to avoid wahala. The numpties issued the visa, but it would have expired BEFORE the intended travel date!  

Thank goodness I checked before leaving, but they actually had the nerve to tell me I applied too early and should have waited - this is after CLEARLY putting the intended travel date on the form when applying.  

The visa had to be cancelled and reissued - but even with that there were issues. Some daft woman with a terrible British accent refused to re-issue the visa because she claimed I hadn't paid for the application in the first place. I guess they were too daft to understand that I must have paid in the first place to get the first visa issued. . . .I don't know why they bother having electronic payment if they rely on seeing a paper receipt to confirm I have paid.

In the end I had to wait an extra 2 hours before the visa was issued to me that day - I refused to go back there a third time, after paying $140 for a visa.

Once she gets to naija she's getting her naija passport sorted out - I hope to never have to go to that embassy again.

Bottomline, they have improved, but still have a long way to go. Nigerians behaving themselves and following simple instructions will also make things work better.

Omo, pesin wey cross you on the wrong day go wound o   Calling your pipu numpties, that one too much na (roflmao)

I pray never to have to deal with a Nigerian Consulate anywhere in the world. They all seem to be messy.

claremont:

All these people posting tales of woes about the NHC, London, I tend to wonder if it's the same NHC I just did my passport reissue with. I did a passport reissue with them in March this year, and I received courteous and professional service. I must confess that I was astonished at the speed and professionalism at which my application was treated. I made my application online, printed it off, went to NHC very early, and submitted everything; voila, 2 weeks later, my fresh new passport was ready, and the old one was stamped "cancelled without prejudice". As far as I am concerned, those guys deserve to be eulogised, rather than condemned. The only people who condemn them are probably those who are trying to cut corners!

@Claremont, please help me brother, I have made my application on-line for new passport but the date I was given on-line is Jan 6 next year, I need to go back 9ja quick. What do you recommend I do to shift the date forward? I already have my payment receipt with me. Many Thanks.

There is no changes at that embassy except for the queue, its far the worst or among the worst embassy in the world.

My reasons

1. Very rude staff
2. Bad communication in there
3. No organisation what so ever
4. Waiting times terrible
5. No facilities for children
6. Charges of printing, photocopying a rip off
7. Internet service - waste of time
8. Next time my passport is due for renewal I rather travel down to Lagos
9. No leadership
10. The people working there do not give a tuss about you

Definately the NHC London has improved and are more professional in much of thier dealings now compared to two years ago. Then, there are still areas of improvement.

My greatest concern is much to do with the uncut wannabe 'black' brits of nigeria extraction who think they can do and undo to get whatever they want from the commission! The disgusting sights of those 'iye le cotees' of East London pushing trollies around refusing to obey simple instructions and taking two ticketing slips is another unwelcomed development that creates unnecessary delay!

The good works or Dr. Kayode and Alj. Tafida is surely beginning to pay off. Kudos to them and I hope Nigerians who patronize NHC, London, services will also change thier obnoxious character and uncut, lazy attitudes at wanting to cut corners at every turn, even as the authorities in charge try their best to modern and professionalize the NHC London with her staff.

claremont:

All these people posting tales of woes about the NHC, London, I tend to wonder if it's the same NHC I just did my passport reissue with. I did a passport reissue with them in March this year, and I received courteous and professional service. I must confess that I was astonished at the speed and professionalism at which my application was treated. I made my application online, printed it off, went to NHC very early, and submitted everything; voila, 2 weeks later, my fresh new passport was ready, and the old one was stamped "cancelled without prejudice". As far as I am concerned, those guys deserve to be eulogised, rather than condemned. The only people who condemn them are probably those who are trying to cut corners!

While there are instances (likely increasing) of competent service, there are definitely clear examples of incompetence and stupidity at the embassy that cant be denied.

I did my own passport renewal this year as well in January and didn't have any issues (besides waiting from 8am till 5pm to be served). However when I submitted a visa application with every single requirement fulfilled and even exceeded, they bungled a simple application by failing to understand the travel date and their own visa durations.

They further bungled the re-issue of the visa with their inability to even check their records and see evidence of payment, and poor communication between staff members to carry through the needed changes.

Besides, it is very foolish to claim that those who condemn them shouldn't do so just because you had ONE good experience with them. You should be intelligent enough to realise that your experience alone is not sufficient to conclude that they should be eulogised.

There have been improvements, but there are still frequent cases of incompetence - I have witnessed two cases in the three visits I have made this year alone.

debosky:

However when I submitted a visa application with every single requirement fulfilled and even exceeded, they bungled a simple application by failing to understand the travel date and their own visa durations.

sorry mate dont agree with you on this point. Visas are processed and issued(including dating) to match the time they were received. It is up to you to apply for your visa at a time that ties in with your date of travel. I stand corrected on this but I dont think any embassy issues out post dated visas. Alternatively you should have applied for a six month visa.

debosky:

While there are instances (likely increasing) of competent service, there are definitely clear examples of incompetence and stupidity at the embassy that cant be denied.

I did my own passport renewal this year as well in January and didn't have any issues (besides waiting from 8am till 5pm to be served). However when I submitted a visa application with every single requirement fulfilled and even exceeded, they bungled a simple application by failing to understand the travel date and their own visa durations.

They further bungled the re-issue of the visa with their inability to even check their records and see evidence of payment, and poor communication between staff members to carry through the needed changes.

Besides, it is very foolish to claim that those who condemn them shouldn't do so just because you had ONE good experience with them. You should be intelligent enough to realise that your experience alone is not sufficient to conclude that they should be eulogised.

There have been improvements, but there are still frequent cases of incompetence - I have witnessed two cases in the three visits I have made this year alone.

I think what you have listed in your post in not unique to NHC alone. Even the BHC screw up visas big time hence the reason they have a rule that it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your visas is the right one issued with the correct information and failure to do so within a specified period will incur further processing cost!

I have monitored several immigration forums and the vast majority of those commenting on NHC London acknowledge the several changes that has taken place there and they were appreciative of those behind these changes.

I wonder what you would call the Home Office who have the longing for misplacing original documents, passports and even evidence of payment!

Sometimes we the applicant are to blame for some of the avoidable mistakes and sordid experiences tht seldomly bedevil our visas processing.

tit_squeez:

sorry mate dont agree with you on this point. Visas are processed and issued(including dating) to match the time they were received. It is up to you to apply for your visa at a time that ties in with your date of travel. I stand corrected on this but I dont think any embassy issues out post dated visas. Alternatively you should have applied for a six month visa.

I don't understand why people like to act too intelligent for their own sakes. Either you lack the ability to comprehend what I have posted or are simply talking off the top of your head with no basis.

I did not apply for a specific time duration visa, I applied for a single entry for a specific travel date- even their OWN OFFICIALS admitted they made a mistake and that the person who accepted the application should have noted the intended travel date and deferred issuing the visa such that it would be valid on the intended date.

If the NHC admitted their error and apologised, I don't know what you are on about.

Omo_Tier1:

I think what you have listed in your post in not unique to NHC alone. Even the BHC screw up visas big time hence the reason they have a rule that it is YOUR responsibility to ensure your visas is the right one issued with the correct information and failure to do so within a specified period will incur further processing cost!

I never said it was unique to the NHC alone. However, that does not negate the fact that the process of re-issuing the visa was ALSO bungled. There are good aspects and there are aspects needing improvement.

I have monitored several immigration forums and the vast majority of those commenting on NHC London acknowledge the several changes that has taken place there and they were appreciative of those behind these changes.

Again I clearly acknowledged improvements in certain areas and highlighted the flaws I experienced. The fact that others have positive experiences does not negate the poor service I received.

I wonder what you would call the Home Office who have the longing for misplacing original documents, passports and even evidence of payment!

If I find the Home Office behaving in an incompetent manner I will not hesitate to point it out as well. Besides, this isn't a comparison.

Sometimes we the applicant are to blame for some of the[b] avoidable mistakes[/b] and sordid experiences tht seldomly bedevil our visas processing.

I mentioned this in my post as well - however, in the case I have described, the fault lies solely with NHC.

debosky:

I don't understand why people like to act too intelligent for their own sakes. Either you lack the ability to comprehend what I have posted or are simply talking off the top of your head with no basis.

I did not apply for a specific time duration visa, I applied for a single entry for a specific travel date- even their OWN OFFICIALS admitted they made a mistake and that the person who accepted the application should have noted the intended travel date and deferred issuing the visa such that it would be valid on the intended date.

If the NHC admitted their error and apologised, I don't know what you are on about.

not pushing the slacks, mind me asking what is the maximum number of days you should allow before your intended travel date before you submit your application to the NHC,London.

For example the BHC/Home office expressly state that you will only be issued visas provided the intended date of travel is no more than 3-months from the date of application.

Omo_Tier1:

not pushing the slacks, mind me asking what is the maximum number of days you should allow before your intended travel date before you submit your application to the NHC,London.

Since you are the expert on the workings of the NHC, kindly provide the information on their website if such a limit is provided by the NHC

lond07: I think tit_Squeeze is in a better position to clarify this.

I am not doubting the story, I know the Nigerian High Commision has improved in recent times, but I am completely lost trying to figure out how he could be without out a Nigerian passport. I know there could be a particular instance where that may be possible but would rather not put words to his mouth.

tit_Squeeze, pls clarify

It is possible

Nigerians with bad mouthing,The embassy staffs are doing well you have nothing to complain about just their clients body odure this time wahala dey for una side.

i can see that Nigerians are trying their best with all the passport issuing........but tbh how can you let someone wait 4 HOURS, before they are seen by the person at the desk and then wait another 2 hours for your name to be called out by the man, so that you can get your picture taken. cut down the waiting it ridiculous.