By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi

The drop box visa renewal option for U.S. visa applicants in Nigeria has been quietly removed, marking a significant change in the visa application process.

This service, which previously allowed eligible applicants to renew their visas without attending an in-person interview, is no longer available on the U.S. visa appointment booking platform.

Although the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has not released an official statement, applicants attempting to schedule renewals have reported that the drop box feature is missing from the system.

Sources suggest that this change may be linked to the lingering effects of executive orders issued during Donald Trump’s presidency, which had a global impact on visa policies.

The removal comes amidst a backlog of visa applications in Nigeria, with many applicants already waiting months or in some cases nearly a year to secure an in-person appointment.

Prior to this development, drop box slots had become increasingly scarce, particularly in Lagos, prompting applicants to consider alternatives in Abuja.

Now, with the complete elimination of the drop box service, all applicants will be required to attend in-person interviews, reverting to the process used before 2020.

The drop box, officially known as the Interview Waiver Programme, was originally introduced to simplify the visa renewal process for certain applicants.

It allowed individuals who met specific criteria to submit their documents without attending an interview.

These criteria included having a prior U.S. visa that expired within the past 24 months (or 48 months during a temporary expansion in 2020), no record of overstaying or working without authorisation in the U.S., and applying for the same visa category as the previous one.

The drop box service was previously suspended in 2018 during Trump’s first administration due to concerns over visa overstays by Nigerian travellers.

At that time, all applicants were required to attend interviews, leading to longer wait times and appointment delays.

With the reversion to mandatory in-person interviews, the already lengthy visa application process is expected to become even more challenging.

This policy shift is likely to significantly affect business travellers, students, and frequent visitors who had relied on the drop box system for faster and more convenient visa renewals.