US Consulate Lifts suspension on ‘drop box’ visa applications in Nigeria

The United States Consulate in Nigeria has lifted the suspension on ‘drop box’ visa applications in Nigeria, initiating an interview waiver for those renewing visas in the country.

Recall that the dropbox visa application was suspended for Nigerians in May 2019 as the consulate insisted that applicants in Nigeria seeking a non-immigrant visa to the US must apply online and would be required to appear in person at the US Embassy in Abuja or US Consulate General in Lagos to submit their application for review.

Announcing the lifting of its suspension on the dropbox system, the United States Embassy in Nigeria stated on Tuesday that it is expanding its services to assist qualified nonimmigrant visa applicants.

It also stated that they commenced a visa interview waiver programme with the pilot project commencing at the US Consulate in Lagos for applicants.

Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday at the US Consulate in Lagos, the US Mission Country Consular Coordinator, Susan Tuller, noted that the project was no-interview visa renewals.

Tuller stated that it would be limited initially and applied only to applicants for academic exchange, work, study and tourist visas seeking renewal.

According to her, every eligible applicant must have a previous visa that expired within the last 24 months or will expire in the next three months from the date of application.

She stated, “This is not a non-immigrant visa interview waiver process known as the ‘dropbox.’ The 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. The number of qualified applicants who can apply using the new procedures will be limited initially. Applicants who meet the criteria may apply in Lagos until the service is extended to Abuja. ”

She said the ‘drop box’ system didn’t achieve its intended goals because it was fraught with “fraud, high overstay rates” whereas the consular unit aimed at strengthening “border security, productivity and customer service.”