>
By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has lifted the suspension on drop box visa renewal for Nigerians beginning February in its Consulate, Lagos.
Newspeakonline had last week reported that the embassy had already reached an advanced stage in the consideration of drop box renewal service as at January 25, 2022.
A drop box visa renewal service is a system that allows visa applicants to have their non-immigrant visa renewed by submitting their passports and documents to designated centres after filling the DS-160 form.
With this system, applicants will not need to appear for physical interview either at its Abuja or Lagos consulate. The visa is renewed and sent back to the applicant through courier companies.
Drop box system was suspended by the embassy in Nigeria in 2019.
Confirming the restoration of the system on Monday, the US embassy said the new application procedure will begin in February at the U.S. Consulate in Lagos and will be extended shortly thereafter to the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
According to the embassy, the number of qualified applicants who can apply using the new procedures will be limited initially, adding that applicants who meet the criteria may apply in Lagos until the service is extended to Abuja.
It, however, noted that only one member of the family unit is required to drop-off the application documents, stressing that processing may take up to two months.
Each family member must also meet all the criteria to be qualified for drop box visa renewal.
Only those whose visas were issues in Nigeria and whose previous visa expired within the last 24 months or will expire in the next three months from the date of application are eligible.
Eligibility Criteria:
You may be eligible for a visa renewal without an interview if your application is for a B1/B2, F, M, J (academic only), H, L or C1/D (combined only) visa, AND you meet each of the following criteria:
• Your previous visa was issued in Nigeria.
• Your previous visa is in the same classification as your current application.
• Your previous visa was a full validity, multiple entry visa.
• Your previous visa expired within the last 24 months or will expire in the next 3
months from the date of application.
• You have all your passports covering the entire period since receiving the previous visa and the passport with the most recent visa.
• You have never been arrested or convicted of any crime or offense in the
United States, even if you later received a waiver or pardon.
• You have never worked without authorization or remained beyond your
permitted time in the United States.