EXPATRIATE QUOTA OVERVIEW

The Ministry of Interior is responsible for the grant of Business Permit and Expatriate Quota Positions to Companies in line with Part V, Section 36 (1) of the Nigerian Immigration Act, 2015 and Part III, Subsection 12 (1&2) of Immigration Regulations. The services rendered which can be accessed on the eCITIBIZ Portal are:

Applications for the Grant of Establishment Quota: This is a facility given to deserving Companies to enable them engage the services of Expatriates for a period of three (3) years in the first instance and Renewable biennially within a life span of seven (7) years.

Applications for the Renewal of Quota Positions: This is a facility given to deserving Companies to Renew the employment of its Expatriates for a period of 2 years until the Expiration of its seven (7) years life span.

Applications for Additional Quota per Slot: This facility allows deserving Companies to engage the services of more Expatriates.

Applications for Business Permits: This is a Certificate issued to Wholly Foreign or Joint Venture outfits to enable the Organization (s) to operate legally in Nigeria.

Amendment of Business Permit: This is a facility in which a Certificate is issued to reflect any changes in Company’s Details/Information.

Applications for the Upgrade of Quota to PUR: This is a facility given to deserving Companies to elevate a Renewable Expatriate Quota Position to a Permanent Until Review (PUR) status. The facility is principally granted to Wholly Foreign and Joint Venture Companies.

Applications for Re-Designation of PUR: This is the process whereby a Company Re-Designates their PUR (Permanent Until Reviewed) privileges from an Old Expatriate to a New Expatriate that is being brought into the country. This occurs when a Company wishes to transfer its PUR privileges from one Expatriate to a new one, this process enables the Company to avoid the wait of 15 to 20 years after bringing in the New Expatriate to apply for new “Permanent Until Reviewed” positions. The old one loses his privileges while the new one acquires it. This application attracts a fee that would be paid.

Applications for Downgrading of PUR: This is a facility given to deserving Companies to change the status of an Expatriate Quota position on Permanent Until Review (PUR) status to Renewable Status which will henceforth have a seven (7) years life span.

Revalidation of PUR: This is a Facility/Certificate given by the Ministry of Interior to deserving Companies with Expatriate Quota position on PUR following the review of the PUR by the Honorable Minister.

Re-Designation of Expatriate Quota Position (s): This is a facility given to deserving Companies to change the designation of the Expatriates in its employment.

Restoration of Lapsed Expatriate Quota Positions: This facility allows deserving Companies to restore an earlier approval it was given to employ Expatriates which could not be renewed as at when due.

Detagging of Expatriate Quota Positions: This is a facility given to deserving Companies to extend the life span of employment of its Expatriate(s) for a period of two (2) years or more years pending when qualified Nigerians are trained to take over the positions.

Grant of Project Tagged Expatriate Quota Positions: This is a facility given to deserving Companies to engage the services of Expatriates for the sole purpose of executing a specific project.

Extension of Tagged Quota Position: This is a facility given by the Ministry of Interior to deserving Companies to extend the life span of its Expatriates for a period of six (6) months, one (1) or two (2) years. 

Extension of Project Tagged Expatriate Quota Position(s): This is a facility given to deserving Companies to extend the employment duration of its Expatriates for the sole purpose of completing a specific project.

Revalidation of Expatriate Quota Position(s): This is a facility given to deserving Companies whose Expatriate Quota Approval was not conveyed or collected by the Company as and when due or the Approval(s) was granted by an inappropriate authority.

Appeal on Rejected Expatriate Quota Position(s): This is an opportunity to deserving Companies for a review of the Ministry's earlier decision on its previous application.

Stay of Action: This is a temporary three (3) months protection given to deserving Companies against Nigeria Immigration Service penalties on default relating to Non-Renewal of Expatriate Quota Position(s).

Withdrawal of Expatriate Quota Position(s): This is a facility in which a company's Expatriate Quota Position(s) is withdrawn by the Ministry of Interior due to abuse.

Relinquishment of Expatriate Quota Position(s): This is a facility in which a company's Expatriate Quota Position(s) is withdrawn by the Ministry of Interior at the instance of the Company.