US embassy announces new visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants

The United States Embassy has announced new visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, set to take effect from April 22, 2025. In a statement issued on Friday, April 11, the U.S. mission outlined that all applicants scheduled for interviews at its Abuja and Lagos offices must present a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation barcode starting with “AA” followed by two zeroes (00). This barcode must exactly match the one used to book the interview appointment.

According to the embassy, failure to present a matching DS-160 barcode will result in denial of entry to the Consular Section and disqualification from the scheduled visa interview. The embassy stressed the importance of consistency between the DS-160 form and appointment details, urging applicants to confirm the accuracy of their information at least two weeks ahead of their interview date.

The embassy further stated that DS-160 forms from previous applications cannot be reused. In cases where applicants discover an incorrect barcode, they are required to log into their AVITS account at least 10 days before the interview and create a support ticket requesting correction.

Applicants must also ensure that their interview appointment is booked at the same location specified in the DS-160 form. Those who are turned away for non-matching information will be required to rectify the error and reschedule their interview. If the original visa fee has expired by the time of rescheduling, a new payment may be necessary.

Since January 1, all applicants have also been required to appear twice at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos as part of the updated visa application procedure. The embassy emphasized that these measures aim to streamline the application process and maintain consistency in documentation.