United States Mission has expanded visa services to assist non-immigrant visa applicants in Nigeria who qualify to renew their visa.
Before now, US visa applicants must appear in person for visa interview at the U.S Embassy in Abuja or Lagos State, at an appointed day.
In a press statement, made available to the Truth, the U.S. Mission disclosed that applicants do not need to appear in person for the interview, adding that this new application procedure will begin in February at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos and will be extended shortly thereafter to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
In the new arrangement, the US Mission said applicants are eligible for a visa renewal without an interview if his application is for a B1/B2, F, M, J (academic only), H, L or C1/D (combined only) visa, and he must ensure that his previous visa was issued in Nigeria, his visa is in the same classification as his current application and his previous visa was a full validity, multiple entry visa. Other criteria are that “your previous visa expired within the last 24 months or will expire in the next three months from the date of application; You have all your passports covering the entire period since receiving the previous visa and the passport with the most recent visa; You have never been arrested or convicted of any crime or offense in the United States, even if you later received a waiver or pardon; and you have never worked without authorization or remained beyond your permitted time in the United States,” it added.
It said the processing times for the programme are expected to be up to two months and applicants will not be able to retrieve his/her passport during that time, while urging each applicant including minors to ensure they meet the criteria.
For emergency appointments, the US Mission stated that, “If you have a life-or-death emergency, you may request an expedited, in-person interview, however, to accommodate No-Interview Visa Renewals, appointments will be very limited. Business travel, conferences, weddings, and graduations are not considered emergencies.”
