The drop box visa processing option has reportedly been discontinued for US visa applicants in Nigeria, representing a major change in the visa renewal process.
Sources have confirmed that the service, which allowed eligible individuals to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been removed from the appointment booking system.
While the US Embassy in Nigeria has not released an official statement regarding this change, applicants seeking to schedule visa renewals have noted that the drop box option is absent from the booking platform.
Nonetheless, sources confirm that the feature’s removal could be linked to a series of executive orders by Donald Trump that began to affect international policies.
Some individuals have reported waiting almost a year to receive a physical appointment, contributing to the challenges of an already cumbersome process. This comes when numerous applicants were already facing lengthy wait periods—some reaching up to a year—for in-person visa appointments.
As of January, no drop box appointment slots were available in Lagos, prompting many to seek alternatives in Abuja. Now, with the entire drop box option reportedly eliminated, all applicants must attend in-person interviews, reverting to the procedure that was in effect before 2020.
The drop box (Interview Waiver) program in Nigeria was initially established to simplify the visa renewal process by enabling certain applicants to submit their documents without attending an in-person interview at the US Embassy or Consulate.
In August 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Department of State broadened eligibility, allowing those whose visas expired within 48 months to utilise the drop box system. This initiative aimed to expedite visa renewals and minimise in-person interactions in light of pandemic-related restrictions.
However, the drop box service in Nigeria has previously faced suspensions. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term, the US government eliminated this option, citing concerns about visa overstays among Nigerian travellers.
With the reported discontinuation of the drop box feature, Nigerian applicants for US visas will now have to revert to full in-person interviews, further prolonging the already lengthy wait times for visa appointments.
