Initially, the US visa applicants had to attend in person for a visa interview at the US Embassy in Abuja or Lagos State on a scheduled day.

The US Mission disclosed in a press statement, that applicants do not need to appear in person for the interview, adding that this new application procedure will begin in February at the US Consulate in Lagos and will be extended shortly thereafter to the US 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 stated that processing times for the program are expected to be up to two months and that applicants would be unable to retrieve their passports during that time, while advising all applicants, including children, to verify 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.