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Nigerians Can Now Renew Student Visas Without Interview – US
The US says Nigerians can now renew their student visas without an interview.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the United States Embassy in Nigeria has said no-interview student visa renewals are now available for Nigerians.
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The embassy made the disclosure in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to the embassy, Nigerians currently studying in the country on an F1 or academic J1 visa may be qualified to renew their student visas without an interview when they return to Nigeria over the winter break.
The US noted that applicants must be physically in Nigeria and must be renewing a student visa that is still valid or has expired within the past 24 months to qualify for this service.
Visa renewal requirements include applications to continue participation in the same major course of study even if at a different institution, or attendance of the same institution even if in a different major course of study.
The statement stated that scheduling a no-interview student visa renewal appointment requires applicants to drop off their passports at a DHL location in Lagos, on a date and time scheduled using the consulate’s online booking system.
“The US mission in Nigeria is committed to returning your passport to you within two weeks from your appointment date and will prioritize any required follow up interviews,” it reads.
HOW TO APPLY
To schedule a no-interview student visa renewal appointment, applicants are expected to visit www.ustraveldocs.com/ng and “follow the instructions”.
Eligible candidates are then required to visit a designated DHL facility to drop off their applications on the day and time of their scheduled appointments with the following documents:
- A printout of your submission letter (printed from www.ustraveldocs.com/ng)
- A DS-160 completed in the last six months
An approved I-20 - A receipt for your I-901 SEVIS fee
- Your passport containing the expired student visa (if that passport has expired, a current valid passport must be included)
- A passport photograph taken in the last six months meeting these requirements
The US embassy noted that applicants who do not meet these criteria should visit and schedule a regular appointment at www.ustraveldocs.com/ng.
“If someone in your family or group does not meet the qualifications above, they must schedule a regular appointment. Each applicant must meet the qualifications individually,” the statement reads.
“For instance, we cannot accept a renewal for a child if the parent is the only one who qualifies under the guidelines. In that case, the child would need to schedule an appointment and come to the embassy or consulate for an interview.”
An applicant who wants to remove a dependent that does not qualify for student renewal from their profile are advised to follow these steps:
- Log in to the primary applicant’s profile
- Click ‘New Scheduling Appointment’
- Follow the steps until your reach Step 6.
- At Step 6, check for the dependent’s information and click “x” to remove the dependent from the primary applicants’ profile.
“Scheduled applicants who qualify for the no-interview student visa renewal based on the above criteria can cancel their appointments and re-apply at this link,” the statement reads.
“During the rescheduling process you will be asked questions confirming eligibility for the student renewal program and be provided instructions on how to submit the application through the document delivery center.
FURTHER READING
“If you do not qualify for a no-interview student visa renewal, please do not cancel your appointment.”
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