This was contained in a statement on Wednesday by the Embassy’s Senior Public Affairs Specialist, Aishah Gambari.

The statement was titled, ‘U.S. Embassy in Abuja Begins Interview Waiver Program for Certain Visa Renewals’

The statement said there would be no interviews for visa renewals where:

“The visa is B1/B2, F, M, J (academic only), H, L, or C1/D (combined only);

“The applicant previously received a U.S. non-immigrant visa that expired within the last 24 months, or will expire in the next three months from the date of application;

“The previous visa was issued in Nigeria;

“The previous visa was a full validity, multiple entry visa;

“The applicant is applying for the same visa classification as the prior approved visa;

“The applicant has never been arrested or convicted of any crime in the United States (even if they later received a pardon or waiver);

“The applicant has never worked without authorization or overstayed in the United States; and

“The applicant has not had any significant life changes.”

The Embassy added, “A parent’s qualifications cannot extend to a child. The child must independently meet each requirement. The number of applicants accepted for the Interview Waiver Program may initially be limited.”

It urged qualified applicants seeking to utilise the no-interview programme to set an appointment for document review online, adding that applicants won’t have access to their passport until completion of processing which may be up to two months.

The Embassy also said application fees would remain at $160 for non-petition-based non-immigrant visas, and $190 for petition-based non-immigrant visa categories.

The embassy which said the services that will be affected include routine American citizen services and the educational advising centre said the decision was taken for security reasons.

The statement read “The U.S. Embassy in Abuja will be reducing public operations effective Friday, July 16 through Friday, July 23 as a security precaution.  July 20 and July 21 are local holidays and the Embassy is scheduled to be closed to the public on those days. The Embassy plans to resume full public operations on Monday, July 26. Services affected include routine American citizen services, visas, and the Education Advising Center. U.S. Citizens who experience an emergency may contact the duty officer through the Embassy switchboard on +234 (9) 461-4000, then press zero.”

But the US Mission on Friday in a visa fraud alert urged Nigerians to disregard information stating that a new work visa has been created.

The statement read, “The U.S. Mission to Nigeria is drawing the general public’s attention to a fake “press release” claiming to offer a new type of work visa to Nigerians.

“Scammers and fraudsters circulate this phoney information that the new work visa applies to Nigerian citizens aged 40-55.

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja and Consulate in Lagos is warning Nigerians not to fall victims to the scam. It is the same old scam, but in fresh packaging – don’t become a victim!

“If you have questions about whether visa information is legitimate, please refer only to official sources: travel.state.gov, ng.usembassy.gov/visas, and www.ustraveldocs.com/ng.”

The US embassy in a statement released on Monday, November 30, stated that abhorrent attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States stands with the Nigerian government and people as they fight to defeat terrorism and work to bring the perpetrators to justice.

It read “The United States condemns in the strongest terms the November 28 violent attack in Borno, Nigeria. The United States offers our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those killed or kidnapped. These abhorrent attacks are a stark reminder of why the United States stands with the Nigerian government and people as they fight to defeat terrorism and work to bring the perpetrators to justice.”