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 Daily Independent Online.
* Monday, July 20, 2004.
US tightens requirement for
citizenship acquisition
•UK begins new visa process in
Nigeria
By Chinedu
Offor
Correspondent
(Washington
D.C.)
and Onche Odeh
Reporter (Lagos)
Nigerians
wishing to become American citizens may henceforth find it harder to realise the dream as
the United States Government plans to tighten requirements for
acquiring
citizenship.
It
comes as the British High Commission in Nigeria announced that it will
from July 26 begin the implementation of a new visa application process.
Under
new regulations proposed by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS), the road to
citizenship will now include
a mandatory success in
English language tests and
the history and workings of the government in all parts of the
U.S.
Currently,
eligibility requirements include residency, minimal use of English
language or the use of interpreters, good moral character, no criminal
records - but these vary in each
INS service centre.
The
INS said the "Naturalisation Redesign Project" is designed to
make acquiring American citizenship more rigorous, although its Director
Gerri Ratliff stressed that it is not intended to punish any particular
group.
"We
want a test that is more meaningful, reliable and fair, focusing on
concepts that will ensure that applicants will be able to function as new
citizens", she said.
The
mandatory standardised test will become effective in 2006 after getting
comments from the public on a draft copy that will be published in two months.
Some
groups are already kicking against the plan.
A
Nigerian advocacy group based in Atlanta, The Association of Nigeria's Interests in the
Diaspora, said the term "working knowledge of
English" could be used as a ploy to deny qualified Nigerians citizenship.
An
official of the association who asked for anonymity added that "some Nigerians have
complained that in cases where they have gone for citizenship
interviews their accents
have been an issue. How are we sure the interviewers will not refuse them citizenship if they
determine their accents do not met their standards of working use and
knowledge's of the language?”
Other
Africa nationals, especially from French speaking countries or those with
English as a seeking language, are also apprehensive of how the new
requirement will affect them.
Besides,
non African groups have also vowed to protest the initiative. New Jersey
Based Spanish Heritage Project
said non-English
speaking nationals may be unduly targeted.
But
the INS has denied any ulterior motive behind the project. An official
said it is to ensure that the practice where some centres hardly carry
out testing on potential citizens
is discouraged.
It
was learnt that some INS centres identified as being lenient in testing
are swamped with applications from foreign nationals who have limited
knowledge of the English language.
The
new process of obtaining a British visa substitutes the current telephone
booking system operational at the high commission in Abuja and deputy
high commission in Lagos.
A
statement by the Lagos office said those who wish to apply for a British
visa but do not qualify under the drop box procedure are required to
lodge their applications at one of the new application points.
Only
those who require a visa in a genuine emergency will be allowed to
contact the Abuja or Lagos office direct.
To
enhance the process, a number of DHL and UPS offices across Nigeria have
been designated as collection points for visa applications.
Lagos
has 12 application points, Abuja has four. Two each are in Port Harcourt,
Kano and Enugu.
Applicants
will obtain a decision without making the often long and difficult
journey to Abuja or Lagos.
Instead,
they are asked to lodge
their applications at one of the
application points closer to their homes where staff will accept
and immediately forward them to the relevant office.
All
applications are required to be fully prepared, accompanied by relevant
documents, including a valid passport with at least one blank page, the
appropriate fee (preferably on ValuCard) and a completed visa application
form.
In
most cases, the commission said it could make a decision on an
application without inviting
the applicant for an interview.
“Passports
endorsed with a visa (if the application is successful) and other related
papers will then be returned to the application point. Some customers
will still be required to attend for interview, and in these cases, we
will provide an appointment date and time. We aim to process all
applications within one week”.
Prospective
applicants who wish to know more about the new process are advised to log
on to www.ukvisas.gov.uk/nigeria
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