The United States Embassy in Nigeria has introduced new requirements for immigrant visa applicants. Starting January 1, 2025, applicants with scheduled interviews must visit the US Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the visa process.
The announcement was made on the embassy’s official X (formerly Twitter) page. The changes aim to help applicants better prepare for their interviews and reduce delays in visa processing.
Applicants will now need to complete two visits to the Consulate General in Lagos:
- First Visit – In-Person Document Review
This session involves meeting with consular staff to review your documents. It ensures that all necessary documents are ready before your main interview. If any documents are missing, this visit allows you to retrieve them in time, preventing delays. - Second Visit – Visa Interview
The second visit is the visa interview with a Consular Officer. This appointment will be scheduled for you by the National Visa Center (NVC).
Applicants who fail to complete the first document review will need to reschedule their visa interviews, which could delay their application process.
In addition to the new two-step process, the embassy also announced in July 2024 that a new visa services provider would handle operations at the Abuja and Lagos consulates starting August 26, 2024. This change was implemented to improve efficiency in visa services.
If you plan to apply for a US immigrant visa, it’s important to follow the updated process carefully:
- Ensure you attend both required visits to the Lagos Consulate.
- Gather all necessary documents ahead of your in-person review.
- Stay updated with information from the embassy’s official channels.
These changes are designed to make the visa process smoother for applicants while reducing processing times.
Stay informed and plan ahead to ensure your visa application process goes smoothly!
