Immigration Shortlist 2026: How to Check Your Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) Status and Final List

Last updated: 21 October 2026

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) does not publish its own recruitment shortlist. The immigration shortlist for the current exercise sits on the portal of the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng, which recruits for all four Ministry of Interior services at once. Candidates have gone through the CBT, physical screening and oral interviews. The final list of successful candidates has not been released yet.

This guide explains how to check your status, the stages so far, the NIS ranks you could be offered and what to prepare next.

Where the exercise stands

The Board calls this the 2024/2025 recruitment exercise. On 21 August 2026 it said the exercise was in its final stage and that results would be published on the portal.

Is the NIS shortlist out?

Shortlists for the CBT, physical screening and oral interview stages have been released on the CDCFIB portal. The final list, which leads to training and appointment, is still pending. The Immigration Service’s own website and social media pages may repeat the announcement, but the portal is where your status changes first.

How to check shortlisted candidates for immigration

1. Go to recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng, the only portal for this exercise. Type the address yourself.
2. Log in with the details you used to apply, including your Application Number.
3. Read the status message on your dashboard. It shows the stage your application has reached.
4. If the portal gives you a slip or a next step, print or save it.

Do not rely on PDF lists shared on WhatsApp or blogs. Many are old lists from earlier exercises, and some are fake. Your dashboard is the official record.

NIS ranks in this exercise

Your qualification decided the rank you applied for. These were the Immigration Service posts in the 2025 advert:

Immigration officers work at airports, seaports and land borders, issue passports and visas, and monitor foreigners living in Nigeria. Successful candidates are posted to a command after training.

What to prepare while you wait

• Original documents: NIN slip, birth certificate or court age declaration, LGA identification letter, O’Level result(s) and your highest qualification.
• Your acknowledgment slip and every slip the portal gave you.
• The same name and date of birth on your NIN and every certificate.

For the full requirements, salary grades and how the next application window will work, read our Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment guide and the CDCFIB recruitment portal guide. The CDCFIB shortlist page covers updates for all four services.

Why some candidates drop out near the end

Reaching the oral interview does not guarantee a place. About 1.9 million people applied across the four services for roughly 30,000 places, so the Board can only take a small share of the people it interviewed. The most common reasons strong candidates fall out late are avoidable:

• Mismatched details. A different spelling of your name or a different date of birth on your NIN, birth certificate and school certificates can stop your file at verification.
• More than one application. The Board disqualifies anyone who applied to more than one service or submitted twice.
• Missed slots. Candidates who did not book or attend their screening or interview slot were not moved forward.
• Forged or borrowed documents. Certificates are checked against the issuing bodies, and fake ones end the application.

If your name is not on the final list

Keep your Application Number, slips and documents. If the Board opens a supplementary list, as recruitment boards sometimes do when places remain, you will need them. If not, prepare for the next CDCFIB exercise now: the 2025 advert set the age limit at 18 to 35 and a minimum height of 1.65 m for men and 1.60 m for women. The Immigration Service also values candidates who are comfortable with travel, records and dealing with the public, so a computer course or customer-service experience helps your next application.

Watch the CDCFIB portal and the Immigration Service’s official pages for news about the next window. Any “new NIS form” that does not appear on recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng should be treated as fake.

Beware of scams

Recruitment into the NIS through CDCFIB is free at every stage. Nobody can add your name to a shortlist or the final list for money, and the Board does not ask for “verification” fees. Ignore messages that ask for payment or your login details.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Nigeria Immigration Service shortlist published?

On the CDCFIB recruitment portal, recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng. Log in with your Application Number to see your status.

Has the NIS final list been released?

Not yet. The Board said in August 2026 that the exercise was in its final stage and that results would appear on the portal.

Can I apply to NIS now?

No form is open. A new window will open only after this exercise ends and the Board announces the next one.

Can I switch from NIS to another service?

No. Each candidate applied to one service, and the final list will show the service you are offered.

Can I check my NIS status with my NIN?

The portal asks for the Application Number generated when you registered (and the password you set), not your NIN.

How many people applied in this exercise?

About 1.9 million across the four CDCFIB services, for roughly 30,000 places.

tpi.com.ng is an independent guide and not an official CDCFIB or NIS website. Always confirm your status on recruitment.cdcfib.gov.ng.