US embassy extends service to Abuja after resuming it in Lagos
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Residents of Abuja and the Northern states can now obtain American visa without interview as the United States embassy has resumed Drop Box service at its consulate in the federal capital.
Drop Box service is for Nigerians who have previously visited the US without violating visa and other rules to renew their visa without attending an interview.
The embassy resumed the service at its consulate in Lagos in January after it had suspended it for 20 months at all its consulates in Africa’s most populous country.
It reintroduced the service in Abuja on 30 March.
Drop Box visa renewal scheme allows certain applicants to renew their previously issued visas without attending an interview.
This means that an applicant submits documents and gets a visa without personal interview by a US visa officer.
Eligibility
The embassy says an applicant qualifies for visa interview waiver if:
- The visa is B1/B2, F, M, J (academic only), H, L, or C1/D (combined only).
- The applicant previously received a US non-immigrant visa that expired within the last 24 months, or will expire in the next three months from the date of application.
- The previous visa was issued in Nigeria.
- The previous visa was a full validity, multiple entry visa.
- The applicant is applying for the same visa classification as the prior approved visa.
- The applicant has never been arrested or convicted of any crime in the US (even if they later received a pardon or waiver).
- The applicant has never worked without authorisation or overstayed in the US.
- The applicant has not had any significant life changes.
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Documents required
“A parent’s qualifications cannot extend to a child,” and the number of applicants who will be accepted “may initially be limited,” the embassy explained in a statement, as reported by TheCable.
“Qualified applicants seeking to utilize this no-interview program must set an appointment for document review online at ustraveldocs.com/ng
“On the date and time of the appointment, the applicant must drop off all necessary documents at the address specified in their appointment letter:
- “DS-160 confirmation page;
- “a valid passport and previous passports containing the most recent visa to the present;
- “I-20 and I-901 SEVIS receipt;
- “DS-2019 (if applicable);
- “new passport photo; and
- “copy of parent’s visa (if minor).
“Applicants will not have access to their passport until processing is completed. Processing times may vary but are expected to be up to two months.
“In cases where an interview is deemed necessary, the embassy will return the passport and notify the applicant to set an appointment to appear in person.
“Application fees will remain the same and can be found at travel.state.gov. ($160 USD for non-petition-based non-immigrant visas, and $190 USD for petition-based non-immigrant visa categories).
“Third parties unaffiliated with the U.S. Embassy Abuja may seek to take advantage of various visa services to target visa applicants with fraudulent offers or claims.”
More information on the process can be found at travel.state.gov.ng.usembassy.gov/visas/, and ustraveldocs.com/ng
Applicants are expected to fill forms and schedule appointments by themselves.
