Japa: US embassy announces new visa interview rules for Nigerians

The United States Embassy has announced new requirements for Nigerian visa applicants, set to take effect from April 22, 2025.

In a statement released on Friday, the US Mission stated that all individuals attending visa interviews in Abuja or Lagos must present a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation barcode beginning with “AA” and followed by two zeroes (00). Most importantly, the barcode must exactly match the one used to schedule the appointment online.

Applicants whose barcode information does not match will be denied entry to the Consular Section and disqualified from their scheduled interviews.

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“Starting April 22, 2025, all visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA and followed by 00 – two zeroes) that matches the one used to make their appointment online. You also must make your appointment in the location you selected when filling out your DS-160,” the statement read.

To prevent any complications, the embassy strongly recommends that applicants verify the consistency of their DS-160 barcode and appointment details no later than two weeks before their interview date.

The embassy also clarified that previously submitted DS-160 forms are not valid for reuse. In the event of a mismatch, applicants must access their AVITS account and submit a support ticket requesting a correction at least 10 days prior to their appointment.

“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.

Furthermore, applicants must ensure that their appointment location corresponds with the one selected on their DS-160 form. Those turned away due to a mismatch must resolve the issue and book a new appointment. If their visa fee has expired, a new payment may be required.

Since January 1, the US Consulate General in Lagos has also required applicants to visit the facility twice as part of the visa application process.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE