The United States Embassy has announced new visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, effective April 22, 2025. In a statement released on Friday, April 11, the U.S. mission emphasized the need for applicants scheduled for interviews in Abuja and Lagos to present a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation barcode that begins with “AA00”.
This barcode must match exactly with the one used to book the interview appointment. Failure to present a matching DS-160 barcode will result in the applicant being denied entry into the Consular Section and disqualified from the scheduled interview.
The embassy urged applicants to double-check that their DS-160 form details align with their appointment information at least two weeks before their interview. It also warned that DS-160 forms from previous applications cannot be reused.
In cases where an incorrect barcode is identified, applicants must log into their AVITS account at least 10 days before the scheduled date and create a support ticket to request corrections.
Additionally, applicants are expected to schedule interviews at the same location stated on their DS-160 form. Anyone turned away due to mismatched information must resolve the issue and reschedule their appointment. If the original visa fee has expired by the time of rescheduling, a new payment will be required.
The embassy also reminded applicants that, since January 1, 2025, all visa applicants are required to appear twice at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos as part of the updated process.
These new rules are part of efforts to streamline the visa application process and ensure accuracy and consistency in documentation.