US suspends visa interview waivers for Nigerians

The United States embassy in Nigeria Tuesday suspended drop box service or interview waiver for those renewing visas in the country.

“The Embassy and Consulate of the United States in Nigeria has suspended the interview waiver ‘Drop Box’ application process effective May 14, 2019,” US embassy said on its Visa Application platform.

“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,” it added.

The embassy however said that the processing of “diplomatic and official (A, G, and NATO class) visa applications will continue unchanged.”

The Interview Waiver Program (IWP), also called the Visa Interview Waiver Program, is a program managed by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs under which, under some circumstances, interview requirements can be waived for some nonimmigrant visa applicants.

With the suspension of this in Nigeria, Nigerians attempting to renew their visas must now attend visa interviews like first timers.

Prior to the policy suspension, it was possible for Nigerians who wish to renew 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.