The United States embassy in Nigeria has reportedly suspended the drop box visa renewal option for Nigerian applicants. This means that visa renewal applications may now require only in-person interviews, potentially causing longer wait times to obtain visa renewals.
The drop-box service, which allowed eligible applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, was quietly removed from the embassy’s appointment booking system.
Applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have reported that the drop box feature is no longer available, suggesting it may have been removed. Some complain that it can take nearly a year to get a physical appointment, potentially adding to the frustrations that await visa renewal applicants.
As of January, dropbox appointment slots were unavailable at the Lagos embassy, 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.
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, and no record of overstaying, working without authorization, or having criminal convictions in the US.
In August 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of State expanded eligibility, allowing those whose visas expired within 48 months to apply through the drop box system.
This measure streamlined visa renewals and reduced in-person interactions during the pandemic restrictions.
Drop Box Suspension, Not The First Time
However, this is not the first time the drop box was temporarily suspended by the US embassy in Nigeria. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term, the US government removed the option, citing concerns over visa overstays by Nigerian travellers.
This led to mandatory in-person interviews for all applicants, causing longer processing times and delays in securing visa appointments.
It is believed that the embassy may be responding to a raft of new anti-immigration policies going on in Washington by the new Trump administration.
The removal of the drop-box has however not been officially proclaimed by the embassy.
With this drop box feature now gone, Nigerians applying for US visas will now have to revert to full in-person interviews, adding to the already extended wait times for visa appointments.
This policy shift will impact business travellers, students, and frequent visitors who previously relied on the drop box system for quick renewals.
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