US visa: Travel agents impunity make hard for Nigerians visa appointments

Nigerians fit get thousands of US visa appointments wey dey available to dem if travel agents visa facilitators go stop to act wit impunity.

Di US embassy for Nigeria say right now dem get thousands of space for visa appointments available for Nigerians wey wan travel and as long as dem meet di criteria plus follow correct procedure, dem must to get appointment.

Country Consular Coordinator of di US Embassy for Nigeria, Susan Tuller, tok dis one during press conference wey di embassy do on di No-interview US visa renewal service wey dem launch for Nigeria.

Tuller say: “As of right now thousands of appointments dey available, for dis new no interview renewal programme and as long you meet di criteria and follow di procedure, e no get any reason to pay someone to get di appointment.”

Thousands of Nigerians dey apply for US visa each year, and many of dem dey spend heavily sometimes to to get visa appointments only to not get di visa in di end.

For many of dem di only way dem sabi to apply for travel visa na through travel agents and visa facilitators.

Dis one make travel agencies very lucrative business.

Nigeria get many travel agencies all over di kontri, including registered and unregistered, accredited and unaccredited ones.

But even wit di travel agents and visa facilitators wey full everywia, e difficult for many wey wan travel go US to get ordinary visa appointment wit di embassy

Di embassy say di reason wey Nigerians dey face problem to get visa appointment no be from di embassy but because di visa facilitators and travel agents dey manipulate dia system.

“Di problem we get wey make us no fit to increase our visa appointments na because visa facilitators and agents dey manipulate our visa appointment system for dia own financial gain, especially for Lagos.

“Dem dey operate for car park for our office and we no get control over dem because dem no dey operate for our property.

“Unfortunately, dem dey operate wit impunity and as long as dem dey allowed to do so and as long as Nigerians continue to pay very high money give dem to get appointment, e go continue and make am very hard for dem to get appointments.

“E no get any reason to pay additional fees to visa facilitators,” she add.

Travel agency association react

For im reaction to US tok say travel agents dey act wit impunity, di National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), tell tori pipo The Sun news online say di US embassy dey stigmatise dem.

NANTA national president, Susan Akporiage say, di embassy comment dey spoil dia market.

She add say dia association go take di mata up wit di Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority as dat kain comment fit get negative impact on di economy of di private sector.

Di work of NANTA members no be to sell visa but to guide and advice pipo wey wan apply for visa and help dem complete dia forms, Madam Akporiage tok.