The Parents' Visit Pack: Bring Mummy or Daddy Over, Step by Step

This is the pack behind the VISIT video, from Rekoja Limited, for anyone arranging a visit visa for parents from Nigeria. On each government's official pages read on 8 October 2026, a Nigerian parent can apply to visit the UK (£135, up to 6 months), Canada (up to 5 years per stay on the super visa), Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany or the Netherlands, while the United States has suspended new visitor visas for most Nigerians since 1 January 2026.

The path is simple: pick the country, follow its steps in order, copy the letters, and count the dates back from the flight. Nobody can promise a visa, including us.

Which of these is you

Where your son or daughter lives:

• The United Kingdom
• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Ireland
• Germany or the Netherlands
• The United States

Who you are:

• I am the parent applying from Nigeria
• I am the son or daughter abroad, and I am paying
• My parent was already refused

Which country fits your family

Start from what the visit is for:

• A parent who wants long stretches with the family: Canada's super visa (up to 5 years per stay) or New Zealand's Parent Boost Visitor Visa (up to 5 years).
• A parent who visits often: the UK's long-term visas (2, 5 or 10 years, 6 months per visit) or Australia's longer Tourist stream visa for a parent of a citizen or permanent resident.
• A short family event, such as a graduation, a naming ceremony, omugwo or a wedding: any country's ordinary visit visa.
• The United States: not today. New visitor visas have been suspended for most Nigerians since 1 January 2026.

Each country decides each file on its own evidence, so the table below ranks nothing.

The four questions every officer asks

Every country words it differently, and every country asks the same four things. Will the parent go home? Is the money real and enough? Is the visit what the file says it is? Is the person inviting or paying real, related, lawfully there and able to afford it?

Each country's own line on the first question, will the parent go home:

• United Kingdom: the applicant "will leave the UK at the end of their visit" (Immigration Rules, Appendix V, paragraph V 4.2).
• Canada: the applicant must convince an officer of ties at home, "such as a job, home, financial assets or family".
• Australia: "Be a genuine visitor. You must intend to: stay temporarily in Australia".
• New Zealand: "You must be a genuine visitor to New Zealand and intend to leave at the end of your visit."
• Ireland: you must show "strong family, social or economic ties to your country of residence".
• Germany and the Netherlands: the file must allow "an assessment of the applicant's intention to leave the territory of the Member States before the expiry of the visa applied for" (the Schengen Visa Code, Article 14).

Every document, and the question it answers

Each country's guide lists documents. None of them says which question each document answers, and that is where most files go wrong: a stack of paper that answers one question three times and another question never. Use this table to check that each question has its own evidence. Each country's own extra rules sit in its steps below.

The United Kingdom, step by step: the visit visa and the long-term visas

A Nigerian parent visiting a son or daughter applies for the UK's Standard Visitor visa, which costs £135, about ₦237,000, for a stay of up to 6 months, as gov.uk showed on 8 October 2026.

The UK's test, in its own words

The officer is not counting pages. The officer is answering the questions written into the Immigration Rules for visitors, Appendix V, paragraph V 4.2. The applicant must satisfy the decision maker that they are a genuine visitor, which means the applicant:

1. will leave the UK at the end of the visit;
2. will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their main home;
3. is genuinely coming for a purpose the visitor rules allow, and visiting friends and family is one of them;
4. will not do anything visitors are barred from, such as work, study beyond what is allowed, medical treatment that is not private, or getting married on this visa;
5. has enough money to cover all reasonable costs of the visit without working or claiming public funds, including the trip home.

When someone else pays, paragraph V 4.3 adds a test for that person. The child abroad may pay for travel, food and housing only if they have a genuine personal relationship with the parent, are not in breach of immigration laws, and can and will support the parent for the whole stay. If the officer is not satisfied on any one point, paragraph V 16.1 says the application will be refused. Sources: Immigration Rules Appendix V: Visitor and Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, both read on 8 October 2026.

The Home Office table Vis_06, published 27 August 2026, shows 168,745 UK visitor visa decisions for Nigerian nationals in the year ending June 2026: 105,187 granted and 63,558 refused, about 38 in every 100. The next release is due on 26 November 2026. Source: Immigration system statistics data tables.

The UK path, in the order it happens

1. Choose the visa.
   • What you do: confirm a visa is needed. Nigeria is on the UK's visa national list, so a Nigerian parent must get a visit visa before travelling. Then choose one trip or many.
   • The choices and their fees:
     • Standard Visitor visa: £135, about ₦237,000, up to 6 months per visit.
     • 2 year long-term visa: £506, about ₦889,000, up to 6 months per visit.
     • 5 year long-term visa: £903, about ₦1.59 million, up to 6 months per visit.
     • 10 year long-term visa: £1,128, about ₦1.98 million, up to 6 months per visit.
   • Who the long-term visa suits: a parent who visits regularly.
   • What goes wrong here: gov.uk says the UK may grant a shorter visa than the one requested, and the fee is not refunded when that happens or when the application is refused.
2. Check the passport. It must be valid for the whole stay.
3. Gather the parent's proof.
   • What you do: show that the parent is coming for a permitted activity, will leave at the end of the visit, can support themselves for the trip and can pay for the trip home and other costs. The guide recommends information about the parent's circumstances in their home country and about the activity in the UK.
   • What you need, gov.uk's list for a visitor in full:
     • what you will be doing in the UK, the reason for the visit and whether any costs are being met, including any letters from inviting organisations;
     • a letter from your employer on company headed paper, detailing your role, salary and length of employment;
     • a letter from your education provider confirming enrolment and leave of absence, if you are a student;
     • business registration documents or recent invoices that confirm ongoing self-employment;
     • copies of previous passports showing travel to other countries;
     • confirmation of legal residence, if you are not a national of the country you are applying from;
     • bank statements or building society books which detail the origin of the funds held;
     • proof of earnings, such as a letter from your employer confirming the start date, salary, role and company contact details.
   • What to put in, by the parent's life:
     • A salary earner: the employer letter, six months of statements showing the salary landing every month, and old passports.
     • A trader: the business registration certificate from the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), recent invoices or receipts, and statements showing customers paying in.
     • A pensioner: the pension statement or letter from the pension fund administrator (PFA), and statements showing the pension landing each month.
     • Every parent: the cover letter (template h below) saying who is at home, what they own or run, and the true reason they will be back by the return date.
   • The rules on the paper: gov.uk sets no fixed period for bank statements. Digital images should be taken of original documents, not copies. A document not in English or Welsh needs a full translation with the translator's confirmation that it is accurate, the date, and the translator's full name, signature and contact details. When parents apply together at the same time, one copy of a shared document is enough.
   • Where: Visiting the UK: guide to supporting documents, updated 8 October 2026. The guide says this list is not exhaustive, and that submitting any of these documents does not guarantee a visa.
   • What goes wrong here: a file padded with papers from the guide's less useful list, just below.

What to leave out of a UK file. The guide's section 13, "Documents you should not use as evidence", says some documents are less useful in visit applications. This is the whole list, with the reason each one adds little:

Less useful does not mean banned. It means paying an agent to fill a file with these buys nothing. Travel insurance is on none of gov.uk's lists for a visitor, only on this one. The guide also says a decision maker may ask for more information. This list is the UK's: other countries ask for some of these papers, as their own steps show.

4. The child's side: the sponsor.
   • What you do: when someone else provides the travel, the upkeep or the place to stay, the guide says the file should show, in full:
     • what support is being provided, and whether it extends to any dependent family;
     • how the support is being provided;
     • that the person supporting has enough money to adequately support themselves and their own dependants;
     • the relationship between the visitor and the sponsor, for example a family member;
     • that the person supporting is legally in the UK, if that applies, for example a British passport or a residence document.
   • What you need, in practice: the signed sponsor letter (template a below), three to six months of payslips, the bank statements those payslips land in, proof of the child's own UK status, and the birth certificate that names the parent. If the parent will stay in the child's home, the letter says so and gives the address. A tenancy agreement for that address shows the home is real.
   • What goes wrong here: a sponsor letter with nothing behind it, when paragraph V 4.3 tests the sponsor too.
5. Apply online.
   • When: the earliest is 3 months before travel.
   • Where: the online application opens from the Apply for a Standard Visitor visa page. You can save the form and finish later, then sign back in to continue.
   • What you do: use an email address the parent or the family can read, because the decision arrives by email. If both parents travel, each one needs their own application, their own fee and their own appointment.
   • What the form asks: the travel dates, where the parent will stay, how much the trip will cost, the home address and how long they have lived there, their parents' names and dates of birth if known, what they earn in a year, and any criminal, civil or immigration offences.
   • The extra details, where they apply: travel history for the past 10 years, the employer's address and phone number, the partner's name, date of birth and passport number, the name and address of anyone paying for the trip, and the name, address and passport number of family members in the UK.
   • Fee: pay online, £135, about ₦237,000, for up to 6 months.
   • A faster decision, if you are eligible: the UK's priority visa service costs £500 on top of the fee, about ₦879,000, and usually gives a decision within 5 working days. The UK's super priority service costs £1,000, about ₦1.76 million, and usually gives a decision by the end of the next working day. You choose it when you apply. Source: Get a faster decision on your visa.
   • What goes wrong here: a form that disagrees with the documents. The dates, the trip cost and the yearly income must match the letters and the statements, line for line.
6. The appointment at a visa application centre.
   • Where: you book it as part of the application. In Nigeria the UK centres are run by VFS Global, with visa application centres in Abuja, Ikeja (Lagos) and Victoria Island (Lagos), and premium application centres in Enugu and Port Harcourt. Bookings are made on VFS Global's UK site for Nigeria.
   • What happens: the parent proves their identity with the passport, has fingerprints and a photo taken, and provides the documents. gov.uk says the passport comes back the same day, and that the centre may keep some other documents while the application is processed.
   • What goes wrong here: paying for extras. VFS Global states that its optional paid services have no bearing on processing times or outcomes. If the passport is left at the centre, do not go back for it until the centre contacts you.
7. Wait for the email.
   • How long: gov.uk says a UK visitor visa decision usually comes within 3 weeks of the appointment.
   • What goes wrong here: flights booked before the decision. Book them only after the email arrives.
8. If the answer is no.
   • What you get: the refusal comes by email, with a letter that names the parts of the test the officer was not satisfied on, and the £135 is not refunded.
   • The rule: a UK visitor visa refusal cannot go to an administrative review: the Visitor route is not on the list of routes in paragraph AR 1.1 of Appendix Administrative Review. A UK visitor refusal is not on gov.uk's list of decisions you can appeal either, which covers matters such as a refused human rights claim. Sources: Immigration Rules Appendix Administrative Review and Appeal against a visa or immigration decision.
   • What you do: a fresh application with a fresh fee, and the officer reads the old refusal beside the new file. Put the letter's paragraph through the free Refusal Decoder, then follow the rebuild list on the refused UK visit visa page.

Canada, step by step: the visitor visa and the super visa

A Nigerian parent visiting Canada needs a visitor visa, also called a temporary resident visa, for a visit of up to 6 months, or the super visa for a stay of up to 5 years at a time.

Canada's test, in its own words

Canada's eligibility page says the applicant must have a valid travel document, be in good health, have no criminal or immigration-related convictions, and convince an officer of ties at home, "such as a job, home, financial assets or family". The applicant must also show they will leave Canada at the end of the visit and have enough money for the stay. A medical exam or an invitation letter may also be needed. Source: Visitor visa eligibility, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The Canada path, in the order it happens

1. Choose the visa.
   • What you do: confirm a visa is needed. Nigeria is on Canada's list of countries whose citizens need a visitor visa. Then choose.
   • The visitor visa: for a visit of up to 6 months. Insurance is advised.
   • The super visa, made for parents and grandparents: it lets a parent or grandparent visit a child or grandchild who is a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or a registered Indian, for up to 5 years at a time, with multiple entries over up to 10 years. Dependants cannot be included. Insurance is required. Source: Parent and grandparent super visa.
   • What goes wrong here: choosing the 6-month visa for a parent who wants long stretches with the family. Worked example two below shows the super visa sum.
2. Gather the parent's documents.
   • What you need, the application package for applicants in Nigeria:
     1. the Document Checklist (IMM 5484), which lists what to upload;
     2. the visa office instructions for a visit (IMM 5873);
     3. the Application for Temporary Resident Visa (IMM 5257);
     4. the Family Information Form (IMM 5707);
     5. the Statutory Declaration of Common-law Union (IMM 5409), where it applies;
     6. the photo specifications;
     7. the Use of a Representative form (IMM 5476), only if a representative is used.
   • The passport: every applicant needs a digital copy of a valid passport, and the passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the travel date.
   • For a family visit: the child's invitation letter and proof of the relationship, such as a birth certificate or an official document naming the applicant as a parent.
   • The bank statement Canada describes: it shows the bank's name and contact details, shows the account is the parent's with their name and address, and gives at least 6 months of account details, including balances. How much money is needed depends on how long the parent will stay.
   • Where: the application package for Nigeria.
   • What goes wrong here: one form for the whole family. Each applicant fills in and signs their own form, including family members travelling together.
3. The child's side: the invitation letter.
   • What you need: the child's invitation letter, which carries a fixed list of details, written out in template b below, with a photocopy of a document proving the child's status in Canada.
   • What it does not do: canada.ca says an invitation letter does not guarantee a visa, and writing one does not make the child legally responsible for the visitor once they enter Canada.
4. For the super visa only: the extra tests.
   • The child (the host) must: be the parent's biological or adopted child or grandchild, with proof; be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian; be at least 18 and living in Canada; meet the minimum necessary income; and write and sign the letter of invitation. The child's spouse or common-law partner may co-sign the letter and add their income.
   • The parent must: be outside Canada when applying, have the visa printed by a visa office outside Canada, be allowed to enter Canada, take an immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician, and show private health insurance.
   • The insurance: at least CAD 100,000 of emergency cover, valid for at least 1 year from the date of entry, covering health care, hospitalisation and repatriation, valid for each entry, and paid in full or in instalments with a deposit. A quote is not accepted.
   • Who may insure: a Canadian company, or, since a notice of 28 January 2025, a company outside Canada that the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) authorises for accident and sickness insurance, appears on OSFI's published list, and issues the policy under its insurance business in Canada.
   • The income the child needs: from canada.ca's minimum necessary income table updated 29 July 2025, the table still in force on 8 October 2026:

Since 31 March 2026 there are two ways to meet it:

• The child's income meets the minimum in either of the 2 tax years before the application.
• Or the parent's own income covers the shortfall, if the child's income in the year before the application was at least 75% of the minimum.

Proof of the child's income includes the Notice of Assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency, a T4 or T1, 12 months of pay stubs, or an employer letter with the salary. The invitation letter names everyone counted, with their dates of birth. Meeting the income is one test of several, and nobody can promise a visa, including us. Source: the super visa income page.

5. Apply online.
   • When: as soon as the documents are ready.
   • What you do: create the IRCC secure account, signing in with a GCKey username and password, and apply through the IRCC Portal. Fill in the forms from the package, one set per person, and upload the passport copy, the invitation letter, the relationship proof and the bank statements, following the Document Checklist (IMM 5484).
   • Fees, paid online by card:
     • Visitor visa, per person: CAD 100, about ₦93,000.
     • Biometrics, per person: CAD 85, about ₦79,000.
     • One parent, visa and biometrics: CAD 185, about ₦173,000.
     • Biometrics, family of 2 or more applying together: at most CAD 170, about ₦159,000.
     • Visitor visa, family of 5 or more: at most CAD 500, about ₦467,000.
     • Super visa: from CAD 100, from about ₦93,000.
     • Extending a stay as a visitor, inside Canada: CAD 100, about ₦93,000.
   • What goes wrong here: an agent opening the account. It is the parent's own account: never let anybody open it with their email.
6. Give biometrics.
   • Where: fingerprints and a photo at the visa application centre in Abuja or Lagos, run by VFS Global. canada.ca says these centres are private companies under contract, may not give visa advice, and that Canadian officers make every decision. Source: Find a visa application centre.
7. Wait.
   • How long: Canada's processing data showed 100 days for a visitor visa from Nigeria and 37 days for a super visa, last updated 7 October 2026.
   • What goes wrong here: flights booked before the visa is in the passport.
8. The visa in hand.
   • What you do: if approved, send the passport. The parent cannot travel until the visa is placed in the passport.
   • What to check: a visitor visa can be issued for up to 10 years, but never past the expiry of the passport or of the biometrics, whichever comes first, and the officer decides the expiry. At the border, most visitors can stay up to 6 months. Source: Apply for a visitor visa.
9. If the answer is no.
   • What you get: the refusal letter lists the reasons. Canada has no formal appeal for a refused visitor visa.
   • What you do: the parent can apply again at any time, unless the letter says otherwise, but only with information that answers the reasons; applying again with the same file is unlikely to change the decision.
   • The other route: an application for leave and judicial review at the Federal Court of Canada, which is a lawyer's work. canada.ca adds that hiring a representative does not raise the chance of approval. Source: IRCC help centre: refused application.

Australia, step by step: the visitor visa and the longer parent visas

A Nigerian parent applies for the Visitor visa (subclass 600): the Tourist stream needs no sponsor, and the Sponsored Family stream is sponsored by the child. Nigerian passports are not on the list for the Electronic Travel Authority, so a visa is always needed.

Australia's test, in its own words

"Be a genuine visitor. You must intend to: stay temporarily in Australia; obey any condition and stay period attached to your visa." And: "You must have, or have access to, enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia." The parent cannot work on a visitor visa.

The Australia path, in the order it happens

1. Choose the stream.
   • What you do: Home Affairs itself points families to the Tourist stream, which lets a parent visit family without a sponsor. The Sponsored Family stream is the other choice, with the child as sponsor.
   • How long: an Australian visitor visa stay is set case by case: generally 3 months, and up to 12 months in some circumstances.
   • What goes wrong here: the Sponsored Family stream carries condition 8503 and can carry a bond (step 4).
2. If the parent wants longer, look at the parent visas.
   • The longer Tourist stream visa: a parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident may be granted a visa valid for more than 12 months, case by case. The parent may not stay more than 12 months in total in any 18 months, and must have adequate health insurance arranged.
   • The Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa, subclass 870: up to 3 or 5 years at a time, and up to 10 years in total; it does not lead to permanent residence. The child applies first to become an approved Parent Sponsor, for AUD 420, about ₦390,000. The child needs taxable income of at least AUD 83,454.80, about ₦77.4 million, in the most recent income year. Income can be combined with a partner, but the child's own share must be at least half.
   • The 870's next steps: the parent then applies from outside Australia within 6 months of the approval, pays in 2 instalments, holds Australian health insurance, and cannot work. The fee is AUD 6,370, about ₦5.91 million, for up to 3 years, or AUD 12,440, about ₦11.5 million, for up to 5 years. The latest data showed 75% of these visa applications decided within 8 months. Source: Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa 870.
   • The permanent parent visas: the Parent visa (subclass 103) starts at AUD 8,665, about ₦8.04 million, and the Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143) at AUD 49,900, about ₦46.3 million. Both are capped and queued: Home Affairs estimates 42 years for a new Parent visa application and 18 years for a Contributory Parent one.
3. Gather the parent's documents.
   • What you need, from the Tourist stream page:
     • the passport pages showing the photo, personal details and the issue and expiry dates, a national identity card if the parent has one, and proof of any change of name;
     • proof of enough money for the stay and to leave Australia, such as itemised personal bank statements for a 3-month period, pay slips, audited accounts, tax records, term deposits or credit card statements;
     • the child's invitation letter, and the parent's plans;
     • proof of reasons to return home, such as an employer letter saying the parent will return to the job, proof of immediate family at home, proof the parent can return home, and proof of a house or other major assets;
     • any military service record or discharge papers; a police certificate may be asked for;
     • translations of anything not in English, with the translator's full name, address and telephone number, and qualifications and experience.
   • Insurance: strongly recommended, and condition 8501 can make it a rule.
   • Where: the Tourist stream page.
   • What goes wrong here: a thin file. Home Affairs may decide without asking for more information, so the file must be complete when it goes in. Each family member applies separately, including anyone listed on the parent's passport.
4. The child's side.
   • Tourist stream: an invitation letter (template c below) that could state the relationship, the purpose and length of the visit, and whether the parent will stay with the child, plus proof of the child's funds if the child is paying.
   • Sponsored Family stream: the child completes Form 1149, the application for sponsorship for Sponsored Family visitors, and the parent uploads a copy. Add proof of the relationship, such as birth certificates or passport pages showing the parents' names.
   • Who may sponsor: a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident, usually living in Australia for the last 2 years, and at least 18. There is no fee to sponsor. The child becomes responsible for the parent keeping the visa conditions and for repaying any money the parent owes the Australian Government. Form 1149 itself says the sponsorship, and any bond, does not guarantee a visa. Source: the Sponsored Family stream page.
   • The security bond: Home Affairs might ask the child for one. It is usually AUD 5,000 to AUD 15,000 per person, about ₦4.64 million to ₦13.9 million, though any amount can be asked. It is paid in full before the decision and refunded if the parent keeps the conditions and leaves on time.
   • What goes wrong here: a broken condition. If a sponsored visitor breaks one, the child may not sponsor again for 5 years and may lose the bond. Condition 8503, No Further Stay, means the parent cannot apply for another visa while in Australia. The Sponsored Family visa is generally single entry, with 6 months to enter.
5. Apply online.
   • When: as soon as the documents are ready. The parent must be outside Australia when applying and when the decision is made.
   • What you do: log in to or create an ImmiAccount, the parent's own account. Complete the application and attach the documents. For a parent of a citizen or permanent resident who wants a longer visa, say so in the application and attach proof of the child's status.
   • Fees:
     • Visitor visa, Tourist stream: from AUD 250, from about ₦232,000.
     • Visitor visa, Sponsored Family stream: AUD 250, about ₦232,000.
     • Becoming a Sponsored Family sponsor: no fee.
     • Health checks, police certificates and biometrics can cost extra.
   • What goes wrong here: an unpaid fee. Home Affairs does not process the application until it is paid.
6. Give biometrics, if asked.
   • Where: Home Affairs tells the parent whether to attend an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre, run by VFS Global, in Lagos or Abuja, or to use the Australian Immi App.
   • What happens: an appointment is needed, the centre charges a service fee, and the parent brings the passport linked to the application. Staff take a face image and scan all 10 fingertips. Source: Biometrics, Home Affairs.
7. Wait.
   • How long: for applications decided up to 31 August 2026, 75% of Tourist stream applications were decided within 26 days and 90% within 33 days; for the Sponsored Family stream, 75% within 61 days and 90% within 3 months. Home Affairs calls these a guide only. Updated 29 September 2026. Source: global visa processing times.
8. The visa in hand. The visa is digital. It is linked to the passport, with no label.
9. If the answer is no. Home Affairs gives the refusal in writing, says why, and says whether there is a right to a review of the decision. Read that line first. The other route is a new application, and Form 1149 warns that an application can be refused whatever the sponsorship or bond.

New Zealand, step by step: the Visitor Visa and Parent Boost

A Nigerian parent needs a Visitor Visa: Nigerian passports are not on New Zealand's visa waiver list, so the New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) is not open to them.

New Zealand's test, in its own words

"You must be a genuine visitor to New Zealand and intend to leave at the end of your visit." Immigration New Zealand (INZ) says weak evidence can slow an application or lead to a decline.

The New Zealand path, in the order it happens

1. Choose the visa.
   • The Visitor Visa: up to 9 months in any 18 months. A multiple-entry visa allows up to 6 months in each 12 months, for a parent who has been out of New Zealand for at least 9 of the 18 months before applying. A single-entry visa ends when the parent leaves.
   • The Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa: up to 6 months at a time and 18 months in 3 years, from NZD 441, with 80% decided within 3 months. The parent is sponsored by a child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident, provides a chest X-ray and medical, and cannot have held this visa in the past 36 months.
   • What goes wrong here: choosing the harder visa for one trip. INZ itself says a parent visiting once could use the general Visitor Visa, which has fewer requirements.
2. For long stretches: the Parent Boost Visitor Visa.
   • What it is: open since 29 September 2025, up to 5 years, multiple entry, with no limit on each visit. A parent can hold it twice, and it gives no pathway to residence.
   • Fee and time: from NZD 3,100, about ₦2.32 million, and INZ expects most applications to take about 4 months.
   • Who: the parent needs an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident to sponsor them, and no dependent children. The money can come three ways:

The rules behind the money and the health check:

• The sponsor's income must be met now and in 2 of the past 3 New Zealand tax years.
• The parent's own funds cannot be gifted or borrowed.
• After approval in principle, the parent buys at least 1 year of insurance with set minimums and sends proof within 3 months.
• The health standard is higher than for other visitor visas, and in the third year the parent leaves New Zealand for a health and insurance check.

Source: Parent Boost Visitor Visa.

3. Gather the parent's documents.
   • What you need, from the Visitor Visa page:
     • a copy of the passport, valid for at least 3 months after the date the parent plans to leave New Zealand, and 1 acceptable photo;
     • police certificates, if required;
     • evidence of a chest X-ray, if required, and of a medical examination, if required;
     • proof of enough money to live on;
     • proof of the plans in New Zealand, to show a genuine visit;
     • proof the parent can leave New Zealand at the end of the stay;
     • a copy of the completed Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry, if the child sponsors, and the sponsor's sharing ID;
     • translations of any document not in English.
   • For a family visit: INZ asks for the hosts' names, addresses, phone numbers and New Zealand visa or citizenship status. Ties at home can be shown with an employer's leave letter, close relatives at home, assets, or a retirement certificate or pension.
   • The money: a parent paying their own way shows at least NZD 1,000 a month, about ₦748,000, or NZD 400 a month, about ₦299,000, if the accommodation is already paid, in an account in the parent's name. The money for the ticket home is on top of that. Or the child sponsors.
   • Health: a stay of more than 6 months needs a chest X-ray, because Nigeria is not on INZ's list of countries with a low incidence of tuberculosis (TB). A medical certificate is not normally needed for a stay under 12 months, though INZ may still ask. INZ recommends full medical insurance, because the parent or the child pays for any health care.
   • Police certificates: the Visitor Visa page asks for them when the parent is 17 or older and their total time in New Zealand will be 24 months or longer. INZ announced that from 8 December 2025 a visitor visa application must include a valid police certificate, not a receipt, and a missing one can lead to a decline or a shorter visa.
   • Where: the Visitor Visa page.
   • What goes wrong here: a refusal left out. Any refusal letter from any other country must be included.
4. The child's side: the sponsorship.
   • What you do: the child sponsors on the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025). The child must be a New Zealand citizen or residence class visa holder living in New Zealand.
   • What the child takes on: the parent's food, clothing and health care, the accommodation, the return airfare if the parent cannot pay it, and any deportation costs. The sponsorship cannot be withdrawn and covers every entry on a multiple-entry visa.
   • What you need: proof of the child's status, money for the parent's upkeep and return travel, and proof of the home (ownership or a rental agreement). Template d below has the paper route.
   • What it does not do: having a sponsor does not guarantee a visa.
5. Apply online.
   • When: as soon as the documents are ready. From 1 October 2026 this visa is applied for online only.
   • What you do: log in to or create an INZ account, complete the application and upload the documents. If the child sponsors, enter the sponsor's sharing ID; INZ then emails the child to complete the sponsorship form.
   • Fees, paid online by Visa, Mastercard or UnionPay:
     • Visitor Visa, applying from Nigeria, levies included: from NZD 441, from about ₦330,000.
     • Parent and Grandparent Visitor Visa: from NZD 441, from about ₦330,000.
     • Parent Boost Visitor Visa, levies included: from NZD 3,100, from about ₦2.32 million.
     • Parent Boost third-year health and insurance check: NZD 325 for most people, about ₦243,000.
   • What goes wrong here: expecting a refund. The fees include a non-refundable immigration levy and the NZD 100 International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, and they are not refunded if the application is declined.
6. Identity and biometrics. INZ collects facial images and fingerprints, and its list of visa application centres names no centre in Nigeria. Check INZ's visa application centre page before travelling to any centre.
7. Wait.
   • How long: INZ showed 80% of Visitor Visa applications completed within 2 weeks. Processing is busiest from September to March.
   • What goes wrong here: non-refundable travel booked before the visa is approved.
8. The visa in hand. The eVisa is valid from the day the parent enters New Zealand.
9. If the answer is no. A declined visitor visa can be reconsidered only for someone who applied in New Zealand and is still there on a valid visa. A parent who applied from Nigeria makes a new application with all the relevant information. INZ is not legally obliged to reconsider a declined Parent Boost visa, and the fee is not refunded. Source: How to get a temporary visa decision reviewed.

Ireland, step by step: the short stay visit visa

A Nigerian parent applies for the Short Stay C visa for visiting family or friends, for up to 90 days. A UK visa or a Schengen visa does not replace it, and Nigeria is not on Ireland's Short Stay Visa Waiver list.

Ireland's test, in its own words

The parent must show "strong family, social or economic ties to your country of residence", so the visa officer is satisfied the parent will leave Ireland on or before the planned date. The burden of proof is on the applicant, and there is no set of documents that guarantees approval. Travel history to Ireland, the UK, the Schengen area and elsewhere counts.

The Ireland path, in the order it happens

1. Choose single or multiple entry, and start early.
   • Fees: single entry €60, about ₦89,000; multiple entry €100, about ₦149,000.
   • The rule: multiple entry is usually approved only after two previous Irish visas kept to their conditions.
   • When: prepare 3 months ahead; the embassy recommends applying twelve weeks ahead.
   • Longer visits: Ireland has no longer visa for visits. A long-stay dependent parent route exists, set out under "Who this page does not work for" below.
2. Gather the parent's documents.
   • The Irish list, in order: the application summary sheets, the application letter, the invitation letter, the accommodation plan, proof of the visa fee payment, passport photographs, the passport, finances, obligations to return home, medical or travel insurance, and visa refusals.
   • The rule on paper: originals only, in hard copy, with certified translations of anything not in English or Irish. Source: Visit family or friend visa, Irish Immigration Service.
   • The application letter (template h below), signed and dated, with the parent's full name and address, the reason for the visit, the arrival and departure dates, where the parent will stay, and who pays. For a family visit it also lists every family member in Ireland, and any in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, with evidence of the relationship. It ends with the parent's commitment to obey the visa conditions, not rely on public services, and leave before the permission expires.
   • The passport: valid at least 6 months after leaving Ireland, with a photocopy of every page of every previous passport.
   • Two colour photographs, signed on the back, with the application transaction number written there.
   • The accommodation: the host's full name, address and proof they live there, such as a utility bill from the last 6 months.
   • Finances: the parent's own bank statement, original on bank headed paper (or an internet statement certified by the bank), with the name, address, account number and type, and money in and out over the last 6 months, and a written explanation of any large movements of money. A savings account statement needs an original bank letter confirming the money can be withdrawn.
   • Ties at home: if employed, the 3 most recent payslips and an employer letter with the length of employment, the dates of absence and the return date; birth certificates of dependent children staying at home; a title deed or tenancy agreement; if self-employed, a business letter, accounts, a tax return and 6 months of customer payments.
   • Certificates: birth and marriage certificates issued in Nigeria must be attested or apostilled by Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
   • Insurance: it need not be sent with the application, but the parent must have it on arrival and show it if asked.
   • What goes wrong here: two traps. The embassy in Abuja does not accept micro-finance, mortgage, or thrift and savings society statements. Past refusals for any country go in with the original refusal letter, and not declaring a refusal means the application is refused.
3. The child's side.
   • What you need: the child writes, signs and dates the invitation letter (template e below), with a colour copy of their passport or national identity card picture page.
   • A child who is not an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen adds a colour copy of their Irish Residence Permit (IRP) and of the immigration permission stamp in their passport.
   • A child who pays sends originals: an up-to-date bank statement under the same 6-month rules, and, if employed, the 3 most recent payslips, the latest tax document, such as the employment detail summary from Revenue, and an employer letter.
   • What goes wrong here: leaving out the parent's own statement. Even when the child pays, the parent still sends their own bank statement.
4. Create the application online. Use AVATS, the only official Irish visa application site, choosing Short Stay (C), Visit Family/Friend, and Single or Multiple. Each parent applies separately: there are no family visas.
5. Print, sign and date the application summary sheets, and keep the 8-digit reference number.
6. Pay the fee through VFS. In Nigeria the Irish visa fee is paid through VFS in the naira equivalent, VFS adds its own processing fee, and nothing is refunded on a refusal.
7. Submit in person.
   • Where: the nearest VFS office in Nigeria, within 30 days of creating the application.
   • What you bring: the documents, photocopies of every document and every passport page, and a prepaid envelope bought there.
   • What happens: fingerprints are taken at submission, every time a Nigerian resident applies.
8. The embassy decides. VFS sends the file to the Embassy of Ireland in Abuja, which decides. Source: Embassy of Ireland, Nigeria: visas.
9. Wait.
   • How long: Ireland's general guide is about 8 weeks after the documents are received, and the clock starts when the embassy receives the file, not when VFS takes it.
   • What goes wrong here: flights booked early. Flight bookings are not required, and the embassy advises booking no flights until the visa is in hand.
10. At the border. The landing stamp sets the stay, up to 90 days. No extension is given to mind grandchildren, attend a family event or live with family. Carry the insurance.
11. If the answer is no. The parent receives a letter of refusal explaining why. Since 1 June 2026, Ireland allows no appeal against a short-stay visa refusal. The way forward is a new application on AVATS that answers the reasons in the letter. False or misleading documents can bring a ban of up to 5 years. Source: Appeal a negative decision.

Germany and the Netherlands, step by step: the Schengen visa

Germany and the Netherlands are both in the Schengen area, so a Nigerian parent visiting either needs the Schengen short-stay (type C) visa: €90, about ₦134,000, for up to 90 days in any 180 days. The parent applies to the country that is the main destination. Neither country has a longer visa made for a parent's visits.

The Schengen rules both countries share

• When: no earlier than 6 months before the trip and, as a rule, no later than 15 calendar days before.
• The decision: a Schengen visa decision comes within 15 calendar days of an admissible application, extendable to 45 days in individual cases.
• Insurance: travel medical insurance valid across the Schengen area for the whole stay, covering at least €30,000, about ₦44.6 million, including repatriation, urgent care, emergency hospital treatment and death. The child may buy it in the parent's name.
• Fingerprints: ten fingerprints and a photo; fingerprints given less than 59 months earlier are copied to the new application.
• The ticket: both countries ask for a flight reservation, not a paid ticket.
• At the border: a visa does not guarantee entry, so the parent carries copies of the application documents.
• After a refusal: it comes on a standard form with the reasons, and any appeal follows the law of the country that made the final decision.

Source: Applying for a Schengen visa, European Commission.

Germany, step by step

1. Book the appointment the day the travel date is known.

   • Where: the German Consulate General in Lagos handles a parent's visit visa; the Embassy in Abuja takes only listed categories, and a parent visiting an adult child is not among them. There is no VFS centre: the parent books on the mission's own online system, free, one appointment per person.
   • How long: since 14 July 2025 short-stay appointments run as a waiting list in date order, with a minimum wait of 3 weeks, no guaranteed date and no fast track.
   • What goes wrong here: a lapsed booking. Confirm the appointment within 3 days of the email or it lapses. Source: German Missions in Nigeria: Schengen visa.

2. Gather the checklist for a private visit, in the mission's order. Every document in original and copy, sorted:

   1. The Videx application form, in English or German, signed and dated.
   2. The signed declaration under Section 54 of the Residence Act.
   3. The signed data-protection form.
   4. The original passport and a copy of the data page: issued in the last 10 years, valid at least 6 more months, with two free pages.
   5. The birth certificate: the National Population Commission (NPC) certificate for births from 15 December 1992; otherwise a certified local register extract, a declaration of age affidavit and the declarant's ID.
   6. Previous Schengen visas, if any.
   7. Travel health insurance, at least €30,000.
   8. A flight reservation; no booked ticket is required.
   9. Proof of accommodation: the host's invitation.
   10. Proof of money: bank statements or pay slips for the last 3 months, or the host's Verpflichtungserklärung.
   11. Proof of ties to Nigeria: marriage certificate and minor children's birth certificates; 3 months of bank statements signed and stamped by the bank; land or ownership certificates. Employed: contract, introduction letter, holiday certificate, 3 months' salary statements, the employer's CAC registration and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) tax clearance. Self-employed: business registration, proof of an active business, CAC documents, FIRS tax clearance and 3 months of company bank statements.
   12. The host's informal invitation letter, signed.
   13. Proof of the family relationship to the host.
   14. Further documents proving the purpose of the trip.
   15. All originals, in date order.
   16. Two biometric photos: no older than 6 months, white background, 3.5 by 4.5 cm, not glued or stapled.
   17. A prepaid, self-addressed courier envelope.

   Where: the visitor visa checklist, German Missions in Nigeria. What goes wrong here: an incomplete or unsorted file is not accepted, and nothing can be sent after the appointment.

3. The child's side: the letter, and the formal obligation if needed.

   • What you need: the child's signed invitation letter (template f below), with a copy of their passport or ID, a recent registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) and, where relevant, their residence permit.
   • If the parent's own money is not enough: the child signs a formal obligation, the Verpflichtungserklärung, at the foreigners' office (Ausländerbehörde) where they live. In Berlin and Hamburg it costs €29, about ₦43,000, and is valid for up to 5 years. It covers all living costs, including food, housing, clothing, medical treatment and the trip home. Source: Verpflichtungserklärung, Berlin service portal.
   • What goes wrong here: the mission accepts the Verpflichtungserklärung only if it is no older than 6 months, and it never replaces the invitation letter. A child who cannot show enough income or savings can still sign one, but the German mission will not recognise it.

4. Attend and pay. The fee is €90, about ₦134,000, paid in naira at the mission's exchange rate in cash or by POS, and it is not refunded on a refusal.

5. Wait. 15 days, up to 45, after a waiting list of at least 3 weeks.

6. If the answer is no. The mission does not reconsider. The parent can file an action at the Administrative Court in Berlin within one month, at a cost, or apply again with complete documents and a new appointment. Forged documents bring an automatic refusal and a Schengen-wide entry ban from Germany.

The Netherlands, step by step

1. Find the right centre by the parent's state. No Dutch office in Nigeria takes these applications.

   • Abuja: a parent living in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, the Federal Capital Territory, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe or Zamfara applies at the Belgian TLScontact centre in Abuja.
   • Lagos: a parent in any other state applies at the French TLScontact centre in Lagos.
   • Afterwards: questions, complaints and objections go to the centre that took the application. Source: Apply for a Schengen visa in Nigeria, Netherlands Worldwide.

2. Gather the Dutch checklist for visiting family, in full.

   1. The signed application form, completed online so it carries its own code.
   2. A passport no more than 10 years old, with 2 empty visa pages, valid 3 months after leaving the Schengen area, signed.
   3. A colour photo, unless the centre takes a digital one.
   4. Proof of legal residence in the country of application.
   5. Proof of social or economic ties: an employer statement and 3 months of bank statements or payslips; or a business permit or tax return and 3 months of bank statements; or proof of being a caregiver, of property, or of children at school.
   6. Proof of at least €55 a day, about ₦82,000, from the parent's own statements and payslips or those of a family member at home, or the host's sponsorship form.
   7. Proof of where the parent stays: the private accommodation form.
   8. A travel reservation; no paid ticket is needed.
   9. Travel medical insurance valid in all Schengen countries for the whole stay, covering at least €30,000.
   10. A copy of the host's Dutch ID card, passport or Dutch residence permit.
   11. Documents for minors, where they apply.

   Where: Checklist: Schengen visa to visit family or friends.

3. The child's side: IND form 1310.

   • What you do: the child completes IND form 1310, the proof of sponsorship and/or private accommodation form, from the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND), and signs it in front of an official at their town hall (template g below).
   • Who may sign: the child must live in the Netherlands, be 18 or over, have a citizen service number (BSN), and have steady income for at least the next 12 months: for 1 July to 31 December 2026, a gross salary of at least €2,337 a month without holiday allowance, about ₦3.48 million.
   • What you need: an employed child sends a contract running at least 12 months, a recent employer's declaration, 3 salary statements and an ID copy, with nothing blacked out.
   • What the child takes on: the costs of the stay, medical care and repatriation until the parent leaves the Schengen area. Source: Sponsoring a visitor, Netherlands Worldwide.
   • What goes wrong here: a stale form. The parent applies within 6 months of the signing, sends a colour copy, and shows the original at the desk.

4. Apply and pay. The fee is €90, about ₦134,000, plus the TLScontact service fee, and neither is refunded on a refusal.

5. Wait. 15 days, up to 45 by law. The Dutch government's own figure for a Schengen visa decision is an average of 25 calendar days in the high season, up to 45 in some cases.

6. If the answer is no. If the Netherlands made the decision, the objection goes to the IND within 4 weeks, free, and the child can file it online for a family visit; an objection can currently take 6 months. If another country decided, the objection goes to that country. The refusal form names the country that decided. Source: Object to a decision on a Schengen visa, IND.

The United States: visitor visas suspended

Proclamation 10998, signed on 16 December 2025 and in force since 1 January 2026, suspends the entry of Nigerian nationals as immigrants and on B-1, B-2 and B-1/B-2 visitor visas, and on F, M and J student and exchange visas. It covers people who were outside the US on 1 January 2026 and held no valid visa that day. So a Nigerian parent who held no valid US visa on 1 January 2026 cannot get a US visitor visa (B-2) today. Source: Proclamation 10998, Federal Register.

• A visa issued before 1 January 2026 is not revoked, and a parent who held a valid visa that day is not covered.
• The exceptions are listed: US permanent residents, dual nationals travelling on another country's passport, diplomats and officials, athletes and their immediate relatives travelling for a major sporting event, and Special Immigrant Visas for US Government employees. Being a parent of someone in the US is not an exception.
• There is no end date. The proclamation is reviewed every 180 days.
• The Mission still takes applications, but says such applicants "may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission". The USD 185 fee, about ₦246,000, is paid whether or not a visa is issued, and since 1 August 2026 routine interviews are held at the US Consulate General in Lagos only. Source: US Mission Nigeria: visas.
• If a visa is issued, a Nigerian must post a bond of USD 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000, about ₦13.3 million to ₦26.6 million, only when an officer says so, and the whole bond is lost if its terms are broken.

Do not pay anyone who says otherwise, and check an agent or adviser before you pay.

Bank statements and the money story

The money question is where most visit files fall. The rules differ by country:

• United Kingdom: statements must detail the origin of the funds; statements over a year old are less useful; money relied on must be held where the officer can verify it (Appendix Finance, FIN 2.1).
• Canada: at least 6 months of account details, including balances; the super visa host meets the minimum necessary income table.
• Australia: itemised personal bank statements for a 3-month period are one example of proof.
• New Zealand: at least NZD 1,000 a month in the parent's own name, or a sponsor on INZ 1025.
• Ireland: 6 months of money in and out, original or bank-certified, with large movements explained in writing; no micro-finance, mortgage or thrift society statements.
• Germany: 3 months of statements, signed and stamped by the bank, or the host's Verpflichtungserklärung.
• Netherlands: at least €55 a day, about ₦82,000, or the host's IND form 1310.

How an officer reads six months of statements. Three things: where the money comes from (the same salary, pension or customer payments landing month after month), whether the balance is a life being lived or a number built for the application, and whether the money is enough for the trip on top of normal bills. Six months is the window we work with for every country, because it shows income arriving and spending leaving over several cycles, and it covers Ireland's and Canada's rules.

Why a large unexplained deposit hurts. A big sum that lands a few weeks before the application, with no story, makes the officer ask whose money it is and whether it will leave again after the decision. Ireland writes the rule down: large movements need a written explanation.

How to document a gift or a sale properly.

• A gift from a relative: a short signed letter from the giver saying how much, when, why, and their relationship to the parent, with the giver's ID and the giver's own statement showing the money leaving.
• A sale of a car, land or goods: the sale agreement or receipt, and the statement line where the buyer's payment lands, with matching amounts and dates.
• Rent from property: the tenancy agreement and the rent landing in the account.

How a pensioner shows income. The pension statement or letter from the PFA giving the monthly amount, and statements showing that amount landing each month. A pension that lands every month for years is steadier evidence than a large balance.

How a trader shows income. The CAC certificate, recent invoices or receipts, and statements where customer payments land. A trader who banks only part of the takings should move the business money through the account for months before applying, so the statements tell the real story.

Money that cannot count. Under the UK's Appendix Finance, FIN 2.1, funds are not considered if the decision maker cannot verify them, if the institution is not overseen by its country's banking authority, or if it keeps no electronic records. Ireland refuses micro-finance and thrift society statements outright. Cash at home and money in an ajo or esusu group are not in a bank, so no officer can count them. Source: Immigration Rules Appendix Finance.

Different surnames, older parents and widowed parents

Different surnames. Many Nigerian families carry more than one surname: a married daughter, a father's first name used as a surname, a spelling that changed between documents. Every country asks for proof of the relationship, so the link must be on paper.

• The child's birth certificate naming the parent is the main link.
• Add the child's marriage certificate where the child's surname changed on marriage.
• Add the parent's marriage certificate where the mother's surname differs from the one on the child's birth certificate.
• Where a spelling differs between documents, a sworn affidavit from a court registry explaining the difference closes the gap.
• Explain the chain in one line of the child's letter.

Two countries add their own rule. Ireland needs Nigerian birth and marriage certificates attested or apostilled by Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Germany asks for the NPC birth certificate for births from 15 December 1992, and a certified register extract with a declaration of age affidavit for older births, which covers most parents.

Older parents. Show the life that waits at home: the house, the church or mosque role, the grandchildren, the land, the pension that lands each month. A visit visa is not for medical treatment unless the country's medical route is used: the UK, for example, bars treatment other than private treatment on a visit. Canada's super visa and New Zealand's Parent Boost visa both need a medical examination.

Widowed parents. With no spouse at home, the going-home question needs other evidence. Show the other children or dependants at home, the property and who looks after it, a business or a role that needs the parent back, and past trips abroad completed and returned from. If a late spouse's money now sits in the parent's account, add the document that explains it, such as the letters of administration or the pension transfer letter.

The calendar, counted back from the travel date

Each country's own clock, from its official pages:

The UK version, week by week. gov.uk's processing-times page says you should not book travel until you get a decision. Count back from your own travel date.

For Canada, start earlier. At 100 days, about 14 weeks, on Canada's figure updated 7 October 2026, an ordinary visitor visa from Nigeria needs the documents gathered at least 20 weeks before the trip. For Germany, join the consulate's waiting list the day the travel date is known.

Ten weeks or less to the UK? Start at the top row tonight and do the first four rows in two weeks. For a trip on Monday 14 December 2026: documents and letters this week, apply and book in the week of 12 October, attend the appointment in the week of 19 October, and expect the decision by about 9 November. That still leaves about five weeks to apply again if the answer is no. Source: Visa processing times: applications outside the UK.

Invitation letter templates, ready to copy tonight

Fill every blank in square brackets with the true fact. A letter states what is real; it never says anything the documents cannot back.

Who to address.

• United Kingdom: "To the decision maker, UK Visas and Immigration".
• Canada: "To the visa officer, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada".
• Australia: "To the Department of Home Affairs".
• New Zealand: "To Immigration New Zealand".
• Ireland: "To the Visa Officer, Embassy of Ireland, Abuja".
• Germany: "To the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Lagos".
• The Netherlands: "To the visa officer, Schengen visa for the Netherlands".

(a) The UK sponsor's letter of support (the child signs)

[Addressee]. I am [your full name], the [son or daughter] of [parent's full name], who is applying for a Standard Visitor visa to visit me from [date] to [date].

I live at [UK address], where I have lived since [month and year]. I am in the UK as [a British citizen, or your visa and its expiry date]. I work as a [job title] at [employer], earning [£ amount] a month after tax. My payslips and bank statements for [first month] to [last month] are enclosed.

I am inviting my [mother or father] for [my graduation from (university) on (date), or the birth of my child, due on (date), or my wedding on (date)]. During the visit I will pay for [list exactly: the return flight, food, local transport]. [He or she] will stay with me at the address above, in [describe the home, for example a two-bedroom flat]. I can pay for this and still meet my own costs, as my statements show.

My birth certificate, enclosed, names [parent's full name] as my [mother or father]. [If your surname differs: my surname changed from (birth surname) to (current surname) when I married, and my marriage certificate is enclosed.]

[Signature] [Full name] [Date] [Phone] [Email]

(b) The Canada invitation letter (the child signs). canada.ca lists what it should contain, and this template carries every item.

[Addressee]. I am inviting my [mother or father], [full name], born on [date of birth], of [address and telephone number in Nigeria], to visit me in Canada. I am [his or her] [son or daughter]. The purpose of the trip is [the true purpose]. [He or she] plans to stay in Canada from [date] to [date] and to leave Canada on [date]. [He or she] will stay with me at [address], and [who pays for what].

About me: my name is [full name], born on [date of birth], of [address and telephone number in Canada]. I work as [job title]. I am a [Canadian citizen or permanent resident], and a copy of my [proof of status] is enclosed. My family: [names and dates of birth of your spouse and dependants].

[For a super visa: my income for [tax year] was CAD [amount], shown on the enclosed Notice of Assessment, and the family counted is [number] people: [names and dates of birth].]

[Signature] [Full name] [Date]

(c) The Australia invitation letter (the child signs), plus Form 1149 if the family uses the Sponsored Family stream.

[Addressee]. I am [full name], an Australian [citizen or permanent resident] living at [address]. I invite my [mother or father], [full name], to visit me from [date] to [date], for [the purpose]. [He or she] will stay with me at the address above. [If paying: I will pay for (items), and my bank statements for (months) are enclosed.] [Signature] [Full name] [Date] [Phone]

(d) The New Zealand sponsorship. The child completes the Sponsorship Form for Temporary Entry (INZ 1025). Online, the parent enters the child's sharing ID and INZ emails the child the form. On paper, the child signs it as a statutory declaration before a Justice of the Peace, a solicitor or a notary public. The child attaches proof of status, bank statements, payslips, the employment agreement, and the ownership papers or rental agreement for the home.

(e) The Ireland invitation letter (the child signs and dates). It must carry every line below.

[Addressee]. I am [full name], of [full address in Ireland, with Eircode]. I invite my [mother or father], [full name], to Ireland because [the reason]. I plan to see [him or her] in Ireland from [date] to [date]. I am [his or her] [son or daughter]. I am inviting [him or her] to stay with me in my home at the address above from [date] to [date]. [If paying: I will pay for (the airline tickets, accommodation and living expenses), estimated at € (amount).] I understand that my [mother or father] must obey the conditions of the visa in full, must not rely on public services, such as public hospitals, or become a burden on the State, and must leave Ireland before the immigration permission expires. A colour copy of my [passport or national identity card] [and of my Irish Residence Permit and passport stamp] is enclosed. [Signature] [Full name] [Date]

(f) Germany: the invitation letter and the Verpflichtungserklärung. The child's signed invitation letter states who is invited, the dates, the address where the parent will stay and the family relationship, with a copy of the child's passport or ID, a recent Meldebescheinigung and, where relevant, the residence permit. If the child is covering the costs, the child also books an appointment at their own Ausländerbehörde, signs the Verpflichtungserklärung in person there, and sends the original and a copy, no older than 6 months.

(g) The Netherlands: IND form 1310. The child completes form 1310. If the child pays all costs, question 3B is answered yes; if the child also gives the parent a place to stay, 3A and 3B are both answered yes. The child signs it in front of an official at the town hall, and the parent applies within 6 months.

(h) The parent's own cover letter (the parent signs; for Ireland this is the required application letter)

[Addressee]. I am [full name], born on [date], of [home address in Nigeria], where I have lived since [year]. I am applying to visit my [daughter or son], [name], in [city] from [date] to [date], to [attend the graduation on (date), or be with the family after the baby's birth, due on (date), or attend the wedding on (date)].

[Choose the true line: I work as (job) at (employer), where I have worked since (year). Or: I retired from (employer) in (year) and receive a monthly pension of ₦(amount). Or: I run (business), registered with the CAC in (year).]

At home I [the true ties: own my house at (address), my youngest child is in school in (city), I serve as (role) at (church or mosque)]. I will return on [date] because [the true reason].

The trip will cost about [amount]. [Name] will pay for [items], and I will pay for [items] from my own account. [If there is a large deposit: the ₦(amount) paid in on (date) is from (the sale of my car, a gift from my brother), and the (sale agreement or gift letter) is enclosed.]

[For Ireland, add: the names and addresses of all my family members in Ireland are (list), and of any in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland are (list). I will obey the conditions of my visa in full, I will not rely on public services or become a burden on the State, and I will leave Ireland before my permission expires.]

[Signature] [Full name] [Date] [Phone]

(i) The employer letter (on company headed paper, signed)

To whom it may concern. This is to confirm that [full name] has worked at [company] as [job title] since [start date], on a salary of ₦[amount] a month. [He or she] has been granted leave from [date] to [date] and is expected back at work on [date]. Contact: [name, position, phone, official email address]. [Signature, stamp, date]

A pensioner uses the pension statement or a letter from the PFA giving the monthly amount instead. A trader uses the CAC certificate and recent invoices instead.

(j) The message to the bank (send it from the account holder's email, or take it to the branch)

Good day. I am [full name], holder of account number [number] at your [branch name] branch. Please issue my statements of account from [first month] to [last month] [year], stamped and signed by the bank, for a visa application. I will collect them on [date], or please send them to [email]. Thank you. [Full name] [Phone]

(k) The event line (ask for one of these)

• Graduation, to the university's graduation office: "Please send confirmation of my graduation ceremony showing my name, the date, the time and the venue, for my family's visa applications."
• A new baby (omugwo, the new-baby visit), to your midwife or doctor: "Please could you give me a letter confirming my expected due date, for my mother's visa application."
• A wedding: the printed invitation, and the venue or registry booking showing the date and both names.

Worked example one: Mrs Afolabi and a December graduation in the UK

Mrs Bisi Afolabi is 62, a retired civil servant in Abeokuta. Her daughter, Damilola Okonkwo, is a nurse in Manchester, and graduates from a part-time master's on Thursday 17 December 2026, a date we use here as an example. Mrs Afolabi will travel on Monday 14 December and fly back on Monday 4 January 2027, three weeks, staying in Damilola's flat.

Damilola takes home £2,350 a month. After her rent and bills of £1,250, she has £1,100 a month left, about ₦1.93 million, and £3,200 in savings, about ₦5.62 million. The £1,230 she is paying, about ₦2.16 million, fits inside her savings with her own costs still covered, which is what V 4.3 asks of a sponsor. The officer still weighs the whole file, and nobody can promise a visa, including us.

Mrs Afolabi's side. Her pension of ₦165,000 lands every month, and six months of statements show it. In August she sold her old car for ₦1,500,000. The statement shows the buyer's transfer, and the file carries the sale agreement and one line in her cover letter. Her other son lives with her in Abeokuta, she owns the house, and she is a deaconess in her church.

The surname. Afolabi and Okonkwo: Damilola's birth certificate names Bisi Afolabi as her mother, and her marriage certificate shows the change to Okonkwo. One sentence in the sponsor letter explains it.

Her ten weeks. Statements and letters this week. Apply and book in the week of 12 October. The appointment at Ikeja in the week of 19 October. A decision expected by about 9 November. The flight is booked only after that.

Worked example two: Mr Eze, a super visa to Calgary

Mr Chukwuemeka Eze is 66, a retired headmaster in Enugu with a pension of ₦350,000 a month, ₦4.2 million a year. His son Obinna is a permanent resident in Calgary, married to Adaeze, with two children. Mr Eze wants to spend long stretches with the grandchildren, so the family looks at the super visa rather than a 6-month visitor visa.

The family counted. The invitation letter names everyone counted in the family size, with dates of birth; check canada.ca's income page for who belongs in the count. In this example the letter counts five people: Obinna, Adaeze, the two children and Mr Eze. Five people sets the minimum at CAD 64,336, about ₦60.1 million.

The arithmetic, two ways.

Way one: Adaeze co-signs the invitation letter and adds her proof of income, and together they pass the minimum. Way two: Obinna's CAD 61,500 is above 75% of the minimum, so since 31 March 2026 his father's own income can cover the CAD 2,836 gap, and Mr Eze's pension, about CAD 4,497, covers it.

The costs Mr Eze pays. The visa, from CAD 100, and biometrics, CAD 85, about ₦173,000 together, with biometrics given at the centre in Lagos or Abuja. Then the immigration medical exam with an approved panel physician. Then the insurance: at least CAD 100,000 of cover for at least 1 year from the day he enters, paid in full or by a deposit and instalments, never a quote.

His clock. Canada's data showed 37 days for a super visa from Nigeria, updated 7 October 2026. Once granted, each stay can last up to 5 years, with multiple entries for up to 10 years.

Mistakes that quietly kill a visit file

1. A large deposit with no story. Fix: the gift letter or the sale document, and the giver's or buyer's side of the transfer.
2. A hotel booking when the parent stays with family. Fix: leave it out for the UK; for Germany and the Netherlands, the host's invitation or accommodation form proves the stay instead.
3. Flights paid for before the decision. Fix: book after the visa. Schengen countries ask only for a reservation.
4. A host's letter with nothing behind it. Fix: payslips, the statements they land in, and proof of the host's status.
5. A different surname with no link. Fix: the birth certificate, then the marriage certificate or affidavit that bridges the names.
6. A form that disagrees with the documents. Fix: the dates, the trip cost and the yearly income on the form match the letters and the statements, line for line.
7. Applying weeks before the event. Fix: apply as early as each country allows, so a refusal still leaves time.
8. Both parents on one application. Fix: every country here takes one application per person.
9. An agent creating the account with their own email. Fix: the family's own email, so the decision and any request reach you.
10. Applying again with the same file after a refusal. Fix: rebuild the part the letter names first.
11. Schengen: insurance missing or too small. Fix: at least €30,000, valid across the Schengen area for every day of the stay.
12. Germany: a Verpflichtungserklärung older than 6 months, or one signed by a child who cannot show the income. Fix: sign it close to the appointment, with proof of income.
13. Canada: biometrics or the passport about to expire. Fix: a visitor visa cannot run past either expiry, so renew the passport first.
14. Australia: a Sponsored Family visa and no plan for condition 8503 or the bond. Fix: the parent cannot apply for another visa while in Australia, and the child must be ready to pay a bond if asked.
15. Ireland: micro-finance or thrift society statements. Fix: a bank statement only, original, with large movements explained in writing.
16. New Zealand: asking for reconsideration from Nigeria. Fix: it is open only to someone who applied in New Zealand; make a new application.
17. The United States: paying an agent for a visitor visa today. Fix: read the proclamation first.

Who this page does not work for

• A parent who means to live abroad. Every visit visa here requires the parent to go home. The long-stay routes are separate:
  • United Kingdom: the adult dependent relative family visa, for a parent who needs long-term care because of illness, disability or age; the child must be British, Irish, settled or hold protection status.
  • Canada: the super visa is the longest visit, up to 5 years per stay.
  • Australia: the permanent parent visas carry estimates of 18 and 42 years; the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa gives up to 10 years in total.
  • New Zealand: the Parent Resident Visa has 2,500 places a year, chosen mostly by a date-order queue and partly by ballot.
  • Ireland: the dependent parent route (Stamp 0) needs the child to have earned at least €96,929, about ₦144 million, in Ireland in each of the last 3 years, and is applied for from outside Ireland.
  • Germany: parents of adult Germans come only to avoid exceptional hardship; parents of skilled workers whose residence title was first issued on or after 1 March 2024 can come if their own money covers their living costs and health and long-term care insurance.
  • The Netherlands: there is no standard permit for a parent to live with an adult child; the only route is Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which the IND says almost never applies.
• A parent coming for private medical treatment in the UK. That is the visit for medical reasons route, with a doctor's letter giving the condition, the estimated cost and duration, and where treatment takes place. An 11-month visa for medical reasons costs £234, about ₦411,000.
• A UK stay of more than 6 months. A Standard Visitor can extend only up to a total of 6 months. The exceptions are medical treatment, academics, and medical graduates retaking the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or doing a clinical attachment. The extension fee is £1,172, about ₦2.06 million.
• A parent coming to get married in the UK. That needs a Marriage Visitor visa. A parent attending their child's wedding is a family visit.
• A parent going to the United States with no visa held on 1 January 2026. The suspension above decides it.
• A past refusal anywhere for false documents or deception. Speak to a solicitor before applying again, because the next file starts from that letter.

Questions people asked under the VISIT video

Why was my mum refused? Her letter names the part of the test the officer was not satisfied on. For a UK refusal, paste the paragraph into the free Refusal Decoder and follow the rebuild list on the refused UK visit visa page, both linked in the UK steps above. For any other country, the table below shows what the letter allows.

My agent said photos and a hotel booking are compulsory. For the UK, the government's own guide lists hotel bookings and personal photographs as less useful evidence; the whole list is in the UK steps. Germany and the Netherlands ask for proof of where the parent stays, which the host's invitation or form covers.

My surname is different from my mother's. What links us? Your birth certificate naming her, then your marriage certificate if your name changed on marriage, explained in one line of your letter. For Ireland, have the certificates attested by Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Is this real? Every link on this page goes to a government's own pages, or to the booking site a government names for Nigeria, so you can check each fact yourself.

Can you help me apply? The application itself is made in the parent's own name and account, with the family's own email. Rekoja Limited can prepare the file with the parent in Nigeria for the countries named at the end of this page.

If the visit visa is refused

Visa fees are not refunded on a refusal in any of the eight countries on this page. For a UK refusal, the free Refusal Decoder sorts the letter's paragraph, and the refused UK visit visa page gives the rebuild list.

What we do for a visit file

You know where your parent is going. For the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands, we work with the parent in Nigeria and gather and check every document against that country's own list. We write the cover letter with the parent and the host's letter with the family, book the appointment, and prepare the parent for the day. For Canada, Australia and New Zealand, each government names who may be paid to represent or advise an applicant, so for those countries the steps on this page are the ones to follow yourself. Tell us on the form that you came from the VISIT pack. The parent in Nigeria is the applicant, and the child abroad can pay.

Rekoja's own record, current to 26 October 2026: 1000+ applications prepared, and 9 of every 11 refused files we rebuild overturned. It is a record, not a promise: nobody can promise a visa, including us, and only immigration authorities decide applications.

Document work and preparation are delivered by Rekoja Limited with applicants in Nigeria.

If you are not yet sure which country or which visa is right for your family, the free check under the button is the place to start.

Naira figures are at the Central Bank of Nigeria rates of 7 October 2026 and are rounded.