The United States Embassy in Nigeria has updated its immigration visa process for Nigerian applicants, effective January 1, 2025.
Under the revised guidelines, applicants scheduled for interviews will now need to visit the US Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the visa process.
The announcement was made on the embassy’s official X (formerly Twitter) page on Tuesday.
“For applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, you are required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the immigrant visa process. This new process is designed to help you prepare for your visa interview and to prevent significant delays in processing your immigrant visa,” the statement read.
Details on the embassy’s website outlined that the first visit will involve an In-Person Document Review with consular staff. This step ensures that all necessary documents are in order before the visa interview.
“The review allows applicants to retrieve any missing documents ahead of their visa interviews, helping to avoid delays in application processing,” the embassy explained.
The second visit will be the visa interview itself, conducted by a Consular Officer. The National Visa Center (NVC) will schedule the interview date for applicants.
Applicants who fail to complete the document review before their interview will be required to reschedule their appointments, further delaying the process.
This new policy aims to streamline the visa application process and reduce delays caused by incomplete documentation.