In this era of Japa, when Nigerians are looking to leave the country for education, work, or even to start a new life, the lifeline of everything is getting a visa. While there are countries where Nigerians can go to without a Visa, others where they can get a Visa on arrival, or even an e-visa to make things easy, there are others where getting a extremely difficult, thus leading to rejection.
Because of such rejections, Nigerians are said to have lost more than €4.5 million (about $5 million) in visa application fees that did not go through in their attempt to secure visas to the Schengen Area.
If you have plans to leave Nigeria, this article will guide you through some of the countries where getting a visa is extremely difficult, and why it is so. When getting a visa to these countries, it is important to be thorough with every step along the way of your application.
Here are countries with the toughest visas for Nigerians
1. United States
One of the most difficult visas to get for a Nigerian is the United States Visa, most especially with the recent changes made in the immigration law of the US. To land a visa to the U.S, the documentation process is difficult, and the interviews can also be extensive to ensure that Nigerians are traveling for the stated reasons and will be willing to return to the country.
Obtaining a visa, whether for education, work, or even visit, is not a walk in the park for Nigerians, hence the country is ranked as one of the countries with the highest non-immigrant visa rejection rates.
2. United Kingdom
The United Kingdom used to have an easy visa process for Nigerians, but since Brexit, a lot has changed. The process is now more difficult, and more complexities are being added to the mix with recent immigration policies. As a Nigerian, getting a UK visa, whether for schooling, work, visit, or any other reason, is as difficult as it can get.
Things such as the documentation process, proof of income, and much more are taken very seriously. Reports have indicated that by March 2024, the visa rejection rate is as high as 21% with Nigeria as one of the countries topping the rejection list.
3. Canada
Canada is an attractive destination for Nigerians looking to leave the country. The interesting part of the story is that before now, the country has been considered a visa-friendly country for Nigerians and citizens of other countries around the world, but things are no longer that way, most especially among Nigerians. Like the US and UK, the visa rejection is not only getting higher, but it also cuts across students, work visas, and even tourists.
4. New Zealand
New Zealand is not one of the first countries that Nigerians will make an attempt to japa to. Nonetheless, it still has a a very difficult visa application process for Nigerians. The difficulty including those looking to study in the country and those relocating for jobs. Before you can get accepted, your documents must be intact, just as proof of funds, and as well as the documentation process.
5. Australia
Australia also ranks among the favorite destinations for Nigerian students and workers, but it is still one of the toughest countries to obtain a visa as a Nigerian. From checks that seem unending to proof of funds, police clearance, medical exams, and more, many Nigerians get rejected easily for both serious and often trivial reasons when applying for this visa.
See Also: 9 Countries Offering Citizenship by Birth to Nigerians
6. Japan
Japan is another country where Nigerians face high chances of getting their visas rejected for one reason or the other. A detailed country that is strict and unforgiving, any seeming lack of consistency or anything that is not clear can get a visa to this country rejected without any form of hesitation.
7. European Countries
Getting a visa as a Nigerian to most European countries has never been more difficult than it is today. This is even more true for Schengen countries. It has been estimated that while the number of visa applications from Nigerians keeps going higher, the rejection rate has increased by 45.9% only after Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, and Senegal.
This visa process requires that you get everything from all your documentation to the interview details, proof of funds, and a return ticket correct if otherwise, the visa will be rejected.
