US visa fee payment valid for more than two years because of application backlog
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A huge backlog of visa application has compelled the United States embassy in Nigeria to extend to more than two years the validity of fee paid for it, so as to give room for those facing difficulty in booking appointment for nonimmigrant visa.
US visa fee is usually valid for one year from the date of payment but the US Mission in Nigeria has extended the validity to September 23 because of the present situation where thousands of applicants are on a long queue.
The earliest appointment date many applicants get is nine months from the date of booking, which unsettles them based on their reasons for visiting the US.
The US Mission said on its website that it has now extended fee payment validity to 30 September 2023 to enable all applicants get appointment dates.
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Plans to restore all visa operations
The statement reads:
“The United States Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria understand that many visa applicants have paid the visa application processing fee and are still waiting to schedule a visa appointment.
“We are working diligently to restore all routine visa operations as quickly and safely as possible.
“In the meantime, rest assured that the US Mission will extend the validity of your payment (known as MRV fee) until September 30, 2023, to allow all applicants who were unable to schedule a visa appointment as a result of the suspension of routine consular operations an opportunity to schedule and/attend a visa appointment with the already paid fee.”
An earlier notice on the website (https://ng.usembassy.gov/visas/) to Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants said:
“The Embassy and Consulate General continue to prioritize travelers with urgent travel needs, although regular visa appointments are made available as the local conditions allow.
“In response to ongoing pandemic-related service disruptions, the Department of State announced the extension of Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee validity until September 30, 2022 for individuals who paid an MRV fee, but were unable to schedule and/or attend an interview during the suspension of services.
“If you have an urgent matter and need to travel immediately, please follow the guidance provided at
“https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ng or +234-1-227-8955 to request an emergency appointment.
“Please visit “https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html
“for information about the current status of visa services worldwide and visa restrictions related to the COVID-19 global pandemic:
“https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/covid-19-information.html.”