The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a mandatory one-year program for Nigerian graduates who are below the age of 30. However, some graduates are exempted from the service and issued with a certificate of exemption.
This post will explain the eligibility criteria, the application process, and the steps to print your NYSC exemption letter online.
Who is Eligible for NYSC Exemption?
According to the NYSC decree of 1993, you are eligible for exemption from the service if you meet any of the following conditions:
- You are over the age of 30 at the time of graduation or obtaining your diploma or professional qualification.
- You have served in the Armed Forces of the Federation or the Nigeria Police Force for more than nine months.
- You are a staff of the Nigerian Security Organization, the State Security Service, the National Intelligence Agency, or the Defence Intelligence Service.
- You have been conferred with any National Honour.
If you fall into any of these categories, you can apply for the NYSC exemption letter and skip the service.
How to Apply for NYSC Exemption Letter
The application process for the NYSC exemption letter depends on whether you are a home-trained or a foreign-trained graduate.
Home-Trained Graduates
Home-trained graduates are those who obtained their degrees or diplomas from Nigerian institutions. The application process for them is as follows:
- The institution you graduated from will submit the master list of their graduates and the senate-approved results to the NYSC.
- The NYSC will process the list and classify those who are to be called up for service and those who are to be exempted.
- The NYSC will send back the list to the institution for verification and correction.
- The NYSC will produce and document the certificates of exemption and send them back to the institution for issuance.
Please note that you can only collect your certificate of exemption from the institution you graduated from and not from the NYSC office.
Foreign-Trained Graduates
Foreign-trained graduates are those who obtained their degrees or diplomas from institutions outside Nigeria. The application process for them is as follows:
- You will need to submit your credentials and other related documents, such as your international passport, to the NYSC for evaluation. This can only be done physically at the NYSC directorate headquarters in Abuja.
- The NYSC will register you and determine whether you are to be called up for service or to be exempted.
- The NYSC will produce and document the certificates of exemption for those who are exempted from service.
- You will need to collect your certificate of exemption from the NYSC directorate headquarters at the specified time. This will depend on the batch of the service year you registered for.
Please note that you must be physically present to collect your certificate of exemption and you must provide a valid identification, such as your international passport.
How to Print NYSC Exemption Letter Online
If you have applied for and obtained your NYSC exemption letter, you can also print a copy of it online. This can be useful for backup or verification purposes. To print your NYSC exemption letter online, follow these steps³:
- Visit the official NYSC registration website via https://portal.nysc.org.ng/
- Sign up using a valid email address. For new users, select “Registration for Mobilization.”
- Click the activation link sent to your email to verify your account.
- Fill out the required information accurately in the provided boxes.
- Click the submit button.
- Capture your biometrics personally (not through a proxy).
- After completing the registration, log in to your dashboard and click on “Print Exemption Letter.”
- Print the exemption letter or download it in PDF format.
You can also check the status of your exemption letter by clicking on “Check Exemption Status” on the same dashboard.
Conclusion
The NYSC exemption letter is a document that certifies that you are exempted from the mandatory one-year service program for Nigerian graduates. To apply for and print your NYSC exemption letter, you need to follow the steps outlined in this post, depending on whether you are a home-trained or a foreign-trained graduate. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading.