US Embassy Announces Stricter Visa Interview Requirements for Nigerian Applicants, Effective April 22
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has announced new requirements for visa interview applicants, emphasizing strict adherence to updated documentation procedures beginning April 22, 2025.
In an official statement issued on Friday, the U.S. Mission clarified that all applicants attending visa interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 confirmation form with a barcode starting with “AA00”. This barcode must exactly match the one used during the online appointment scheduling process.
“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 embassy stated.
Applicants who arrive with mismatched barcode information will be denied entry to the Consular Section and disqualified from their scheduled interview.
The embassy strongly advises all visa applicants to verify that the DS-160 barcode matches their appointment details at least two weeks prior to the interview date. It also cautions that previous DS-160 forms cannot be reused for new appointments.
In the event of a mismatch, applicants must log into their AVITS account no later than 10 days before the appointment to request a correction by submitting a support ticket.
“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 statement added.
Furthermore, the Embassy reiterated that visa interviews must be scheduled at the same location selected in the DS-160 form. Those who fail to comply will have to reschedule and may be required to pay new visa fees if their previous payments have expired.
It was also noted that since January 1, 2025, all applicants are expected to make two separate visits to the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos as part of the visa application process.
The Embassy urges all applicants to closely follow these new protocols to avoid disqualification or delays in processing.
