Olusegun Ariyo
The United States Mission has announced significant changes to its visa interview requirements for Nigerian travelers.
The announcement was made via a statement released on Friday detailing new procedures for applicants scheduled for interviews in Abuja and Lagos.
According to the statement, effective from 22 April, visa applicants in both cities must bring with them a DS-160 visa application form that includes a confirmation or barcode number beginning with “AA” followed by two zeroes.
The mission emphasized that the barcode must match the number used to schedule the applicant’s appointment online.
The US Mission warned that failure to ensure this alignment would result in the denial of entry into the consular section or the visa interview itself.
“At least two weeks before your interview, please double-check that the barcode number on your DS-160 form matches the one you used to schedule your appointment.
“You cannot reuse a DS-160 from a previous application.
“If your DS-160 barcode is incorrect, you must log into your AVITS account at least 10 days before your appointment to create a support ticket requesting correction of your barcode number,” the mission added.
Applicants were also advised to ensure that their appointment was scheduled at the same location selected during the completion of their DS-160 application.
The US Mission stated that these revisions form part of ongoing efforts to streamline and improve the visa processing experience.
It further noted that, effective 1 January, all visa applicants are required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the application procedure.
