US suspends ‘drop box’ visa applications indefinitely

By Zacheaus Somorin

The United States Mission in Nigeria has suspended drop box service or interview waiver for those renewing visas in the country. In a statement made available to NEWSVERGE, the world power said the interview waiver suspension will take effect from Tuesday, May 14, 2019.

‘’The US Mission to Nigeria is indefinitely suspending interview waivers for renewals, otherwise known as the “Dropbox” process. 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 US Embassy in Abuja, or the Consulate General in Lagos, will not be impacted by this change’’, the statement said.

The statement added that ‘’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 US Consulate General in Lagos to submit their application for review. Applicants must appear at the location they specified when applying for the visa renewal’’.

The mission stated further that Nigeria’s processing procedures are regularly reviewed in order to assess its ‘’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’’. It however clarified that the processing of diplomatic and official (A, G, and NATO class) visa applications will continue unchanged