U.S. says Nigerian students need no interview for visa renewals

The United States of America announced that Nigerian students on an F1 or academic J-1 visa who wish to visit Nigeria during the Christmas or New Year holidays could be eligible for visa renewals without any interview.

The U.S. mission in Nigeria disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.

US mentions designated drop off points for visa renewal

The F1 student visa is a non-immigration visa allowing international students to enter the U.S. and study in any institution accredited by the Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP).

The J-1 exchange visitor visa is for education and cultural exchange programmes established by the Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

According to the U.S., qualifying for the procedure requires students to be physically present in Nigeria while renewing a valid or expired visa in the past 24 months.

The statement noted that the renewal should be for either continued participation in the same main course of study or a different class of study, media reports say.

The country noted that to schedule a no-interview student visa renewal appointment, students can drop off their passports at a DHL location in Lagos on a designated date and time using an online booking system.

Required documents for visa renewal

It asked students to visit a DHL facility on the day and schedule time for appointments to drop off their applications with the required documents.

The documents include the submission of printed letters, a DS-160 completed in the last six months, an approved I-20, a receipt for the I-901 SEVIS fee, a passport with the expired student visa, and a passport photograph taken in the last six months, which meets the requirement.

The statement said applicants without the required criteria should visit its website and schedule a regular appointment, stating that each applicant must meet the necessary standards individually.

The U.S. Diplomatic Mission, Public Affairs Section said that the number of eligible applicants who can use the new procedures would be limited at first.

The no-interview visa renewal will commence in February 2023 at the U.S. consulate in Lagos and later be extended to the embassy in Abuja afterwards.