The United States Embassy has announced new visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, scheduled to take effect from April 22, 2025.
In a statement released on Friday, the US Mission clarified that all applicants attending interviews in Abuja or Lagos must present a DS-160 visa application form featuring a confirmation barcode beginning with “AA” followed by two zeroes (00). The barcode must exactly match the one used to schedule their appointment online.
“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 said in the statement.
The mission warned that applicants whose barcode details do not match will be denied entry to the Consular Section and disqualified from their scheduled interviews.
To avoid disqualification or delays, the US Embassy urged Nigerians to double-check their DS-160 and appointment details ahead of time. “We strongly recommend verifying your DS-160 barcode and appointment details no later than two weeks before your interview date,” the statement advised.
The embassy emphasized that previously submitted DS-160 forms are no longer valid for reuse. In the event of a mismatch, applicants are required to log into their AVITS account and submit a support ticket at least 10 days before their interview.
“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.
It was also stated that applicants must attend their interview at the location selected during the DS-160 form submission. Those turned away for inconsistencies will need to book a new appointment—and possibly pay a new visa fee if the previous one has expired.
Since January 1, the US Consulate General in Lagos has already begun implementing a policy requiring applicants to visit the visa facility twice as part of the processing procedure.
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