Starting January 1, 2025, the United States Embassy in Nigeria will implement a new process requiring all immigrant visa applicants to visit the Consulate General in Lagos twice during their application process. The revised procedure is designed to enhance efficiency and reduce delays in processing.
The announcement, shared on the embassy’s official X page on Tuesday, confirmed that applicants with interviews scheduled from the new year onward must comply with this updated protocol. The embassy emphasized that the first visit will involve an in-person document review conducted by consular staff. This step ensures that applicants have submitted all necessary paperwork and provides an opportunity to address missing documents or inconsistencies before proceeding to the next stage.
Attention Immigrant Visa Applicants!
For applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, you are required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos at least twice during the immigrant visa process.
This new process is designed to help you prepare for your visa… pic.twitter.com/OicpkkFI7t
— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USinNigeria) December 10, 2024Only after completing the document review will the National Visa Center (NVC) schedule the final step: the visa interview with a Consular Officer. The embassy has clarified that skipping the document review will result in the visa interview being rescheduled, potentially causing significant delays in the applicant’s timeline.
The policy marks a shift in how Nigerian applicants engage with the visa process. By incorporating a pre-interview review, the embassy aims to streamline applications and improve the overall experience for both applicants and consular staff.
