United States Government has not lifted the suspension of the non-immigrant visa interview waiver application (Drop Box) in Nigeria.
The Drop Box visa renewal programme permits specific visa applicants who have previously been granted U.S visas to renew them without attending an interview. The process includes posting your documents to the US visa service centre in the country and receiving your visa outcome and passport without a physical interview.
On Tuesday, reports by some media outlets (not Gatekeepers News) suggested that the Drop Box application ban had been lifted, a report which turns out to be false after Gatekeepers News checked the official site of US mission to Nigeria.
The US mission in Nigeria had on May 14, 2019, announced the indefinite suspension of the Drop Box process for visa renewals in all its consulates in Nigeria, a decision which is believed to be unconnected to reports of Nigerians overstaying in the US when on a visit.
“Effective at the close of business today, Tuesday, May 14, 2019, the U.S. Mission to Nigeria is indefinitely suspending interview waivers for renewals, otherwise known as the “Dropbox” process,” the statement read.
“Visa applications will no longer be accepted by DHL in Nigeria. Those who have already submitted their passports via “Dropbox” to DHL for processing either at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, or the Consulate General in Lagos, will not be impacted by this change.
“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.
“Processing of diplomatic and official (A, G, and NATO class) visa applications will continue unchanged.
“Mission Nigeria’s processing procedures are regularly reviewed in order to assess our ability to quickly, efficiently, and securely process visa applications. The U.S. Mission is taking this step to provide more efficient customer service and promote legitimate travel, and will continue to facilitate applications of established travelers to the best of its ability.”
The suspension of “Drop box” visa application in Nigeria was one of the stringent visa policies introduced during the administration of former American President Donald Trump which also restricted entry into the US by certain nationals including Nigerians based on visa type.
