US mandates Nigerian visa applicants to appear for physical interview, suspends ‘drop box’ service

The United States embassy in Nigeria has suspended interview waiver for renewing visas, otherwise known as drop box service, in the country indefinitely.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, it was disclosed that the suspension would take effect immediately at the close of business on Tuesday.

With this new development, visa applications via DHL will no longer be accepted. Non-immigrant visa applicants in Nigeria must apply online and appear in-person at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or U.S. Consulate General in Lagos to submit their application for review.

The statement read: “effective at the close of business today, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, the U.S. Mission to Nigeria is indefinitely suspending interview waivers for renewals, otherwise known as the “Dropbox” process.

“Visa applications will no longer be accepted by DHL in Nigeria. Those who have already submitted their passports via “Dropbox” to DHL for processing either at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, or the Consulate General in Lagos, will not be impacted by this change.

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“All applicants in Nigeria seeking a nonimmigrant visa to the United States must apply online, and will be required to appear in-person at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or U.S. Consulate General in Lagos to submit their application for review. Applicants must appear at the location they specified when applying for the visa renewal.

“Processing of diplomatic and official (A, G, and NATO class) visa applications will continue unchanged.

“Mission Nigeria’s processing procedures are regularly reviewed in order to assess our ability to quickly, efficiently, and securely process visa applications. The U.S. Mission is taking this step to provide more efficient customer service and promote legitimate travel, and will continue to facilitate applications of established travelers to the best of its ability.”

Prior to the policy change, it was possible for Nigerians who were renewing their existing or expired visa to apply for a renewal online, via the visa drop box service.

The process includes posting your documents to the US visa service centre in the country, and receiving your visa outcome and passport without physical interview.

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