Higher visa charges to push more Nigerians into remote work

…Nigeria, others to pay higher US visa fees from 2026

Rising visa fees by foreign missions are likely to push more Nigerians into remote work, creating fresh opportunities to earn foreign exchange (FX).

President Donald Trump’s last week signed an executive order that will charge a $100,000 (£74,000) fee for applicants to the H-1B visa programme for skilled foreign workers.

BusinessDay gathered that from 2026, Nigerians, South Africans, Kenyans, Egyptians, Moroccans, Ethiopians, and several other African nationals will face higher application fees, stricter documentation requirements, and longer processing times under a new U.S. travel visa regime.

The cost of the United Kingdom’s (UK) visitor visa, which are valid for up to 10 years, was increased from £963 to £1,059 in April 9, 2025. Student visas were raised by seven percent to £524, while the visitor visa fee rose to £127 (6 months) from £115.

In 2024, the European Union raised its Shengen visa fee to €90 from €80. Several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, have increased their visa fees, making travel more expensive for Nigerians.

Experts believe these developments will accelerate a shift towards remote and offshore employment for Nigerians.

Akintunde Opawole, founder of Danval Technologies, said with this H-1B hike, there is a significant opportunity for Nigeria to increase its market share over the next half-decade, as the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry continues to grow globally.

“What this means is that not only are remote jobs going to be offered to talents all over the world, it will also lead to outsourcing businesses and processes to our start-up companies too.

“Fortunately for Nigerians, we have all that is required to take advantage of this policy and market,” he said.

Opawole emphasised that Nigerians are in the best time zone of North America at five hours, Europe at one hour, and Asia at five to eight hours.

He reiterated that Nigeria has the youngest talent pool at 17 years, the USA at 39 years, Europe at 42 years, and Japan at 46 years

Speaking on digital transformation driver as pivotal to remote jobs, he said, “ICT is the third largest contributor to GDP at 18 percent. It’s a massive opportunity for us in the tech space in Nigeria to take advantage of.”

Ike Ibeabuchi, an emerging markets analyst, said several Nigerians not longer need to travel to the US or Europe in search of jobs as they can sit at home and deliver the same value.

“There are several experts working for the United States firms while living in Nigeria, meeting via Zoom, Google Meet, WhatsApp and other platforms. I reckon that with visa restrictions and higher fees, more employees will stay online,” he said.

Experts project that more roles in software development, data analysis, design, and customer support will increasingly be filled remotely by Nigerian professionals.

Nubi Achebo, director of academic planning at Nigerian University of Technology and Management (NUTM), said that the $100,000 H-1B visa fee could reshape the US hiring patterns.

“With the high fee, the US employers might prefer remote work arrangements over traditional H-1B sponsorships, allowing Nigerian tech professionals to work for US firms from Nigeria and earn US salaries.

“Companies might open regional offices in countries with lower costs, such as India or African nations like Nigeria, to access skilled talent without the hefty fee. This could create local job opportunities but reduce physical migration to the US,” he added.

However, Olamide Adeyeye, country head, Programmes at Jobberman Nigeria, argued that the US visa increase would not necessarily push Nigerians to more remote and offshore jobs.

“Migration is influenced by a lot of social and economic reasons, such as how safe people feel, the enabling environment, and the quality of relationships they get exposed to.

“I think remote jobs are already growing on their own, people relocate and still do remote jobs, I think it’s important to recognise that many times relocation is not primarily an economic decision,” he said.

Adeyeye emphasised that remote work opportunities have been increasing over the years, partly because organisations abroad are learning that it is cheaper to hire and keep talents on the continent than to bring them into those countries for several reasons.

Nigerians to pay more for US visa

Meanwhile, from 2026, Nigerians, citizens of South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Ethiopia, and several other African countries will face higher application fees, stricter documentation requirements, and longer processing times under a new US travel visa regime.

The revised programme, announced by the U.S. government, comes in response to rising visa demand across Africa and growing security concerns.

According to Travel and Tour World, the move will affect thousands of travellers seeking entry into the United States for tourism, work, study, and exchange programmes.

“South Africans currently enjoy the advantage of the Visa Waiver Program, which allows them to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without visas for business or tourism.

“For longer stays, they rely on visas such as the B1/B2 tourist visa, the H-1B work visa, student visas in the F and M categories, and J exchange visitor visas.

“These visas come with durations ranging from a few months to several years depending on the programme,” it added.

While South Africans benefit from visa-free access for short visits, they too will face higher charges and tighter procedures for longer-stay visas once the new programme takes effect.

Nigerian and Kenyan citizens, who do not enjoy the same waiver privileges, already undergo full application processes before traveling.

Nigeria remains one of the largest sources of US visa applications in Africa, resulting in long waiting periods at the embassy in Abuja and the consulate in Lagos, often stretching from three to 12 weeks.

Applicants are required to show proof of ties to Nigeria, such as family, property, or employment, to demonstrate their intent to return.