Drop Box: US cancels interview waiver for visa renewals in Nigeria

The U.S. Embassy has removed the drop box visa processing option for Nigerian applicants, ending the interview waiver previously available for eligible visa renewals.

Reports indicate that the feature, which allowed certain applicants to renew their visas without an in-person interview, has been quietly removed from the appointment booking platform.

While the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has not issued an official statement, many applicants attempting to schedule visa renewals have noticed that the drop box option is no longer available.

Sources suggest the feature may have been removed in late January, coinciding with a series of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump that have had global effects.

This change comes amid a significant backlog of visa applications. Many applicants had already faced long wait times, with some waiting nearly a year to secure appointments. As of January, drop box appointment slots were unavailable in Lagos, forcing many to seek alternatives in Abuja.

With the complete removal of the drop box feature, all applicants must now undergo in-person interviews, reverting to the pre-2020 visa renewal process.

This is not the first time the service has been suspended. In 2018, during Donald Trump’s first administration, the U.S. government withdrew the drop box option, citing concerns over visa overstays by Nigerian travelers.

This led to mandatory in-person interviews for all applicants, causing longer processing times and delays in securing visa appointments.

With the latest removal of the drop box feature, Nigerians seeking U.S. visas will now face extended wait times, which could particularly affect medical and business travelers, students, and frequent visitors who previously relied on the system for quicker renewals.