US Announces Availability Of No-Interview Student Visa Renewals For Nigerians
Nigerian students studying in the US on an F1 or academic J1 visa who want to travel to Nigeria over the holiday or winter break may be able to renew their student visas without having to go through an interview, according to the United States of America.
In a statement made public on Wednesday, the US Embassy in Nigeria made this information known.
What is F-1 student visa
A non-immigrant visa known as the F-1 student visa enables foreign students to enter the US and attend schools approved by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The J-1 exchange visitor visa, on the other hand, is for exchange programmes for education and culture that have been approved by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State.
The US mission specified that in order to be eligible for this process, students must be physically present in Nigeria and be renewing a student visa that is currently valid or has expired within the last 24 months.
It was noted that the renewal should involve either continuing in the same major course of study or enrolling at the same institution even if the major course of study is different.
Students can drop off their passports at a DHL location in Lagos on the date and time they choose by scheduling a no-interview student visa renewal appointment, the consulate noted. This appointment can be made using the online booking system.
“The U.S. Mission in Nigeria is committed to returning your passport to you within two weeks from your appointment date and will prioritise any required follow-up interviews. To schedule a no-interview student visa renewal appointment go to www.ustraveldocs.com/ng and follow the instructions,” the US Mission said.
Recall that the No-interview U.S. visa renewal services would begin at the US Consulate General in Nigeria in February 2022 to assist non-immigrant visa applicants in Nigeria who are eligible to renew their visas.
However, the Public Affairs Section of the United States Diplomatic Mission noted that there will initially be a cap on the number of qualified applicants who can apply using the new procedures.
The new policy stipulated that the no-interview visa renewal process would start in February at the American Consulate in Lagos and then be extended to the American Embassy in Abuja.
