ABUJA, Nigeria – The United States mission in Nigeria has announced important changes to its visa interview requirements, effective Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
The updates were detailed in a statement released on Friday, April 11, 2025, advising visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos to carefully review their documentation to ensure they meet the new criteria.
A key update involves the DS-160 visa application form, which all applicants must submit.
The US mission now requires that the barcode number on the form begins with “AA” followed by two zeroes.
This barcode must exactly match the one used when scheduling the visa appointment online.
The mission emphasized that failure to align the barcode numbers could result in the denial of entry into the consular section or a refusal to proceed with the visa interview.
“To avoid any delays or issues, applicants are advised to double-check that the barcode on their DS-160 form aligns with the one used for appointment scheduling, at least two weeks before their interview,” the statement said.
“Reusing a DS-160 from a previous application is not allowed.”
In cases where the barcode number on the DS-160 form is incorrect, applicants are urged to log into their AVITS account at least 10 days before their appointment and create a support ticket to request a correction.
Additionally, applicants are advised to ensure that their appointment is made at the consulate location selected during the DS-160 application process, either in Abuja or Lagos, as part of the updated requirements.
The revisions are part of the mission’s ongoing efforts to streamline the visa processing experience and improve efficiency.
Since January 1, 2025, all visa applicants have been required to visit the Consulate General in Lagos twice during the application process, further underscoring the US mission’s commitment to improving service delivery.
