The drop box visa processing option is no longer available for US visa applicants in Nigeria.
The development has caused panic and uncertainty among applicants who view it as a significant shift in the visa renewal process
According to Nairametrics, the service, which previously allowed eligible applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been quietly removed from the appointment booking system.
The travelling public is however, awaiting an official statement on the change. Nevertheless, applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have reported that the drop box feature is no longer an option on the appointment booking platform.
This development is coming amid a backlog of visa applications, with many applicants waiting months to secure drop box appointments before this removal.
Some even reported waiting nearly a year to get a physical appointment, adding to the frustration of an already tedious process.
As of January, dropbox appointment slots were unavailable in Lagos, pushing many applicants to seek alternatives in Abuja.
Now, with the complete removal of the drop box feature, all applicants will have to go through in-person interviews, returning to the process that was in place before 2020.
What you should know :
The drop box (Interview Waiver) program in Nigeria was initially introduced to ease the visa renewal process by allowing certain applicants to submit their documents without attending an in-person interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.
To qualify, applicants had to meet specific criteria, including:
Having a prior US visa that expired within the last 24 months.
The previous visa must have been issued in Nigeria as a full-validity, multiple-entry visa.
Applying for the same visa classification as the prior approved visa.
No record of overstaying, working without authorization, or having criminal convictions in the US.