The Temporary Work Permit Visa or TWP is a single entry visa. It is ideal for foreign workers and employees who plan to perform short-term work in Nigeria. This visa usually applies to employees with special skills and specialized training to work in the Installation, Maintenance, and repair of equipment, Training/capacity-building for Nigerian staff.
In this article, we will talk about the Nigerian temporary work permit, how to apply for it, and its requirements.
Before we start telling you about the steps of applying for a Nigerian temporary work permit, you need to know about some particular requirements and permits, such as STR, CERPAC, and Expatriate Quota.
What is a Nigeria STR Visa?
An STR is required by International employees seeking to take up employment in Nigeria that is not short-term. The STR (Subject to Regularization) visas are granted based on the dates specified in the applicant’s contract and typically allow for one entry. The STR has a validity of 90 days. During this time, employees must regularize their stay in Nigeria by applying for the Comptroller-General of Immigration. However, the STR visa alone does not give the holder the legal right to work in Nigeria. To get a privilege to work, applicants have to obtain a Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC).
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What are the Requirements for STR?
Here is a list of required documents for obtaining an STR:
A list of documents required for obtaining an STR is provided below:
- The STR Visa application from the employer responsible for the applicant.
- Applicant’s Valid passport (must be valid for at least 6 months)
- A Letter of employment.
- Expatriate quota approval
- Letters of Offer of Appointment and the Acceptance letter in response.
- Educational background and qualifications
- Applicant’s Curriculum Vitae or resume’
- Filled out from IMM 22.
- For C.E.O. positions: Applicant needs the extract of the minutes of the Board’s resolution.
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Nigeria Immigration Service website.
What is an Expatriate Quota?
The Ministry of the Interior issues an Expatriate Quota permit to the Nigerian company. This particular permit allows a registered Nigerian company to employ expatriates and foreign employees. The Expatriate Quota is typically valid between two to three years; however, it can be renewed when it expires. This permit is not for employees; therefore, when the employee leaves the company, the company might choose another employee for the job as long as the quota remains valid.
What is CERPAC?
A Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) is a combined permit for residency and work in Nigeria and is considered a long-term work authorization. A CERPAC is valid for one year (sometimes even two years), and it can be renewed. Therefore, short-term employees or expatriates won’t require a CERPAC to be in Nigeria.
What are the Requirements for CERPAC?
To obtain a CERPAC card, applicants will need to provide the following documents:
- An application letter from the Nigerian employer from the employer responsible for the applicant. In this letter, the employer can request that the employee’s stay be regularized.
- A letter of employment and acceptance related to the job offer
- A fully completed application form
- Evidence of expatriate quota approval
- Passport photos (must be three photographs)
- Applicant’s passport (must have STR visa endorsement attached to it)
- A business permit
- Evidence of sufficient assets to pay for any relevant fees
What are the Requirements for a Nigeria Temporary Work Visas?
After employees obtain their STR visa, they need to collect the following documents to perpetuate their Nigeria temporary work visa applications:
- A formal application from the sponsoring employer
- Passport of applicants (must be valid for six months and at least two blank pages)
- Evidence of adequate financial assets
- Photos (two passport size photographs)
- A completed visa application form
- A letter that includes information about the job offer from the Nigerian company
- An acceptance letter from the employee about the job offer
- A copy of the employee’s CV or resume’
- Employee’s educational background and qualifications
- Expatriate quota approval
How can I apply for a Nigeria Temporary Work Visa?
This process has three steps and can be divided into two parts. The first and second steps are in part one. Part one is related to actions that happen before the employee travels to Nigeria. The third step is in part two. Part two is connected to the activities that happen after the employee travels to Nigeria.
FIRST STEP
The Nigerian company that wants to hire expatriate employees has to apply for an Expatriate Quota.
SECOND STEP
After the Federal Ministry of Interior grants the job positions on the EQ, the expatriate employee has to:
- Sign a contract with a Nigerian company.
- Complete the online application for an STR visa. This form can be found through the Nigerian Immigration Service.
- Collect the required documents.
- Pay the visa fee.
- Visit the Nigerian embassy in their home country with the relevant paperwork.
THIRD STEP
When the employee arrives in Nigeria, they must obtain an Expatriate Residence Permit. This permit regularizes their residence in Nigeria. In order to get the Expatriate Residence Permit, the employee makes an application to the Comptroller General of Immigration “CGI” requesting the regularization. The application typically goes along with:
- Employees International Passport (must have the STR Visa)
- A completed CERPAC legal form
- STR package (this package includes STR documentation received from Nigerian Embassy)
The employee can live and work legally in Nigeria when they get their CARPAC. Initially, the CERPAC is valid for a period of two years, after which it can be renewed.
Nigeria Temporary Work Visa Processing Time
Each Nigeria temporary work visa application takes 8 working days to complete.
How Much is a Nigeria Temporary Work Visa?
The embassy fee for Nigeria temporary visa is 249,82 US Dollars.
The Bottom Line…
A Nigeria temporary work visa is an excellent opportunity for foreigners to find an occupation in Nigeria. Nigeria’s temporary work visa requires many documents and extra visas and permits, such as STR, CARPAC, and Expatriate Quota.
In this article, we explained in detail the mentioned visa and permits, how to obtain them, and the documents for them. If you’re interested in other types of Nigerian visas, you can check out our sidebar on the left.
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