Japa: All You Need To Know About New US Visa Policy

The United States Embassy in Nigeria has announced a new visa application process for immigrant applicants, effective January 1, 2025. Young Nigerians, including medical professionals, form a major part of African immigrants leaving the continent in droves in search of greener pasture in what is locally known as Japa in the country.

However, the updated visa process has introduced significant changes to the steps required for obtaining an immigrant visa, ensuring applicants are better prepared and processing delays are minimised.

Hereunder is a detailed breakdown of the new directive:

1. Two Mandatory Visits to the US Consulate in Lagos

Applicants with interviews scheduled after January 1, 2025, must visit the US Consulate General in Lagos at least twice:
First Visit: ‘In-Person Document Review’ with a consular staff member.

Second Visit: ‘Visa Interview’ with a Consular Officer, scheduled by the National Visa Center (NVC).

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2. Purpose of the In-Person Document Review

This initial review ensures that all required documents are complete and accurate before the visa interview.

Applicants can retrieve any missing documents before the second visit, helping to prevent delays in the application process.

Failure to complete this review will result in rescheduling the visa interview.

3. Payment and Document Submission Changes

A USA travel agent, speaking with our correspondent, highlighted the changes in the payment and document submission methods;

Payment Changes: Payments, previously made via Guarantee Trust Bank (GTBank), must now be made through First Bank.

The agent also said, “While applicants could make payment online previously, applicants must now go to any First Bank branch to make payments.”

Document Courier Update: The new process replaces DHL with OIS as the official document handling agency.

4. Schedule Adjustment for Existing Applications

Applicants with previously scheduled interviews for 2025 will receive emails detailing their first visit date for the document review.

“For example, if your scheduled interview date is January 6, 2025, this date will now serve as your first visit for the document review, and a new date will be assigned for your visa interview,” the travel agent explained.

5. Scope of the New Directive

Explaining to whom the new directives apply, the travel agent clarified that only immigrant Visa applicants are affected, noting that this directive does not affect the Dropbox visa system.

Why This Change?
The embassy stated that the new process was designed to help applicants prepare for their visa interviews and prevent delays in processing immigrant visas by addressing documentation issues upfront.

Experts highlighted that the new directives streamline the process but require applicants to adjust to the two-visit system. She noted that while this process replaces some steps, it ensures better preparedness for applicants, ultimately reducing delays.

By understanding the changes and preparing accordingly, applicants can navigate the revised immigrant visa application process smoothly and effectively.