The United States Diplomatic Mission to Nigeria has announced the indefinite suspension of interview waivers for visa renewals, otherwise known as the ‘Dropbox’ process.

The suspension takes effect at the close of business on Tuesday, May 14, 2019, according to an emailed statement.

It said,

“Visa applications will no longer be accepted by DHL in Nigeria. Those who have already submitted their passports via ‘Dropbox’ to DHL for processing either at the US Embassy in Abuja, or the Consulate General in Lagos, will not be impacted by this change.

“All applicants in Nigeria seeking a nonimmigrant visa to the United States must apply online, and will be required to appear in-person at the US Embassy in Abuja or US Consulate General in Lagos to submit their application for review. Applicants must appear at the location they specified when applying for the visa renewal.”

The US Mission to Nigeria said processing of diplomatic and official (A, G, and NATO class) visa applications would continue unchanged.

“Mission Nigeria’s processing procedures are regularly reviewed in order to assess our ability to quickly, efficiently, and securely process visa applications.

“The US Mission is taking this step to provide more efficient customer service and promote legitimate travel, and will continue to facilitate applications of established travelers to the best of its ability,” it added.