immigration in Nigeria

[shamisoflix15]

If anyone with knowledge on this matter I would be so grateful. I need to travel back to England because my circumstances are bad here in Lagos. My permit is valid but my child who is 4 entered Lagos on a tourist visa which lasted 6 months. I was told not to bother renewing my child's tourist visa because the father is Nigerian which automatically gives him dual nationality. My question is. Will I be fined for not renewing my childs visa or worse could I be stopped from travelling out of the country. Really desperate.

[Caterpillar2001]

I do hope I am wrong, but I believe I understand your problem, and am truly sympathetic. Unfortunately, you would need to have more than luck on your side to get your son through immigration at MMA without various alarm bells going off. The fact that your son does not have a valid visa, irrespective of his age, will make every immigration officer ask more than the usual questions. Are you married to the child's father? Even if you are not, considering that your child is a Nigerian citizen as well, you first need to find out what your legal position is. The British High Commission's consular section in Lagos will have consular officers that can give you advice on your legal position vs. that of the father regarding parental responsibility, shared residence and rights of access. They may be able to help, too.
If you have gone down that route already, please do get back on here.
Good luck!

[Caterpillar2001]

P.S.: Are you on a resident permit, if yes, which type?

[shamisoflix15]

I am a Niga Wife so I am on an AR CERPAC visa which basically means I am exempt from any restrictions . It is more less a residency permit. My son has a CERPAC an initial written on it . It has no expiry date just when it was issued basically the same time as my Niga Wife permit. I am worried that I cant fly to SA with him. Do I need a letter of consent from the dad everytime I travel? My son is British he does not have a Nigerian passport

[Caterpillar2001]

If you are married then the father has equal parental rights, and you need to be aware that in most NGN tribes the children are held to 'belong' to the father. I doubt whether the BDHC would be able to help you under these circumstances, but it is always worth a try, after all there is a child involved.

With you being a NGNwife on an AR CERPAC I would hazard a guess that immigration officials would be more likely to overlook the fact that your son does not have one in his British passport. Of course national pride may lead an officer to raise the question as to why he does not have a NGN passport.

As far as NGN goes, I do not know whether in the case of one parent travelling with a child he or she must produce a consent form authorizing him or her to depart the country. Is there a supportive NGNwife group in your area? Maybe someone in that group you can trust sufficiently to find out about this discreetly?

On the off chance that things are not yet that bad: Could you not just say you were going on a holiday or to see a dying family member that is close to both you and your son?

With regard to your destination SA: Are you aware that since 01.10.2014, in the case of one parent travelling with a child, he or she must produce an unabridged birth certificate and consent in the form of an affidavit from the other parent registered as a parent on the birth certificate of the child authorising him or her to enter into or depart from the Republic with the child he or she is travelling with? In practice this may mean that you may have to produce these documents at check-in. You need to find out about this.

BTW, I have worked in the region and do have more than superficial knowledge and understanding of life outside the expat bubble.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

C.

[shamisoflix15]

Thank you for your advice it is much appreciated. My son has a CERPAC visa and M written on it and no expiry date however it was issued in 2012. Can I assume this Means multiple entry? and that it does not need renewing. I am unsure and searched the net for days on end to no avail.Which is why I am worried it has expired. I asked about the consent from the father( letter) because once I leave I cannot return. He is abusive and I am alone. My sister is trying to get me out of this hell hole. The embassy can help me but not my child but leaving him is not an option. The new law in SA regarding the abridged birth certificate has been moved till the 1/06/2015. I have checked on various sights including UK.gov but now you mention it I better ask my sister to check with the SA EMBASSY before hand.

Thanks a million

[shamisoflix15]

Another thing I must mention is that my son has 4 months till his passport expires and I cannot renew it without the fathers permission so I am unable to fly to the UK. I can fly to SA with less than 6 months and I plan to get an extension on his passport when I get to SA as the rules are different. After my trip there I can fly home and get my life back on track and give my son the life he deserves.

[BobbyGentry]

You may not be permitted to fly with less than 6 months on the passport; contact The Embassy for advice.

[shamisoflix15]

southafricahouseuk.com/visas/vis_uk.html

No less than 30 days actually. It is on the embassy website :)

[sebsmummy1]

Sounds really scary OP. I hope you can get your son out to safety, everything crossed for you.

[Caterpillar2001]

I found this which - bearing in mind it dates back to 2005 - indicates that a letter of consent is not required.

As to the validity of your son's residence visa, it may indeed mean multiple entry, but whether this is limited to a certain number of years (multiple entry visas used to be valid for 2 years) or even I would risk travelling in view of the above, claim ignorance if questioned on this, but would definitely be prepared to explain that the trip has been prompted by some life-and-death situation.

[shamisoflix15]

Thank you . It is all happening on Wednesday night. Lord give me strength.

[Selks]

Good luck; thinking of you.

[shamisoflix15]

Safe in my family 's home . Thanks for the help.