The United States Embassy in Abuja has announced that it will begin the processing of certain non-immigrant visa renewal applications without requiring an interview.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the Public Affairs Section of the US Embassy in Abuja, noted that the programme begins from March 30, 2022.

The programme is applicable where the visa is B1/B2, F, M, J (academic only), H, L, or C1/D (combined only); The applicant previously received a U.S. non-immigrant visa that expired within the last 24 months, or will expire in the next three months from the date of application; The previous visa was issued in Nigeria and the previous visa was a full validity, multiple entry visa.

Others include where the applicant is applying for the same visa classification as the prior approved visa; where the applicant has never been arrested or convicted of any crime in the United States (even if they later received a pardon or waiver); the applicant has never worked without authorization or overstayed in the United States; and where the applicant has not had any significant life changes.

"Each applicant must individually meet all the requirements. Please note, a parent's qualifications cannot extend to a child. The child must independently meet each requirement. The number of applicants accepted for the Interview Waiver Program may initially be limited," the statement said.

It said further that, "qualified applicants seeking to utilize this no-interview program must set an appointment for document review online at ustraveldocs.com/ng."

It added that on the date and time of the appointment, the applicant must drop off all necessary documents at the address specified in their appointment letter, which include; DS-160 confirmation page, Valid passport and previous passports containing the most recent visa to the present, I-20 and I-901 SEVIS receipt, DS-2019 (if applicable), New passport photo and Copy of parent's visa (if minor).

"Applicants will not have access to their passport until processing is completed. Processing times may vary, but are expected to be up to two months. In cases where an interview is deemed necessary, the embassy will return the passport and notify the applicant to set an appointment to appear in person.

"Application fees will remain the same and can be found at travel.state.gov. ($160 USD for non-petition-based non-immigrant visas, and $190 USD for petition-based non-immigrant visa categories.)," the statement said.

It warned that third parties unaffiliated with the U.S. Embassy Abuja may seek to take advantage of various visa services to target visa applicants with fraudulent offers or claims.

"Remember to rely on information only from genuine sources: travel.state.gov, ng.usembassy.gov/visas/, and ustraveldocs.com/ng. Applicants should fill out their own forms and make appointments themselves using official websites," the statement advised.

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