By Princess-Ekwi Ajide Abuja
The U.S. Mission Nigeria, says it will increase visitor visa validity from 24 months to 60 months for Nigerians who want to enter the United States temporarily for business or tourism from March 1, 2023.
A statement by the U.S embassy in Lagos and Abuja, say the visa validity extension will allow Nigerians use the visa for 60 months to make short trips to the United States for tourism or business purposes before having to renew their visa at the current visa fee of USD160.
According to the statement, increasing visa validity is one of several initiatives taken by the United States to reduce visa appointment wait times in Nigeria, saying that the U.S. Mission will continue to offer No-Interview Visa Renewals to those who meet the eligibility criteria.
IT SAID ONE MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR A VISA RENEWAL WITHOUT AN INTERVIEW IF THE APPLICATION IS FOR A B1/B2, F, M, J (ACADEMIC ONLY), H, L, OR C1/D (COMBINED ONLY) VISA, BUT MUST MEET CRITERIA WHICH INCLUDE BEING PHYSICALLY PRESENT IN NIGERIA, THE PREVIOUS VISA WAS ISSUED IN NIGERIA AND THE PREVIOUS VISA IS IN THE SAME CLASSIFICATION AS YOUR CURRENT APPLICATION.
To qualify for the visa renewal without interview, the previous visa would have been a full-validity, multiple-entry visa, expired within the last 48 months or will expire in the next 3 months from the date of application, the applicant has all passports covering the entire period since receiving the previous visa and the passport with the most recent visa.
The applicant has never been arrested or convicted of any crime or offense in the United States, even if later received a waiver or pardon, have never worked without authorization or remained beyond permitted time in the United States.
The statement noted that processing times for the program are expected to be up to two months and the applicant will not be able to retrieve his passport during that time stressing that each applicant must individually meet the criteria; while minors can apply without an interview only if they meet the eligibility criteria on their own.
It added that requests may be expedited if one has a life-or-death emergency, though No-Interview Visa Renewals, appointments will be very limited.
It further revealed that business travel, conferences, weddings, and graduations are not considered emergencies warning applicants to be wary as third parties unaffiliated with U.S. Embassy Abuja and Consulate General Lagos may seek to take advantage of various visa services to target visa applicants with fraudulent offers or claims.
The statement advised applicants to visit https://ng.usembassy.gov/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/ for further information
