The United States Embassy has announced new visa interview requirements for Nigerian applicants, effective April 22, 2025.
In a statement released Friday, the embassy stated that all applicants attending visa interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation barcode that begins with “AA” followed by two zeroes (00). Importantly, this barcode must match the one used to schedule the interview appointment online.
The embassy emphasized that mismatched barcode information will lead to denial of entry into the consular section and disqualification from the visa interview.
“Starting April 22, 2025, all visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA and followed by 00 – two zeroes) that matches the one used to make their appointment online,” the statement read.
“You also must make your appointment in the location you selected when filling out your DS-160.”
Applicants are urged to verify that the barcode on their DS-160 form aligns with the one used during appointment scheduling at least two weeks before their interview.
The mission further clarified that DS-160 forms from previous applications cannot be reused. In case of a mismatch, applicants must log into their AVITS account and create a support ticket to correct the barcode—no later than ten days before the scheduled appointment.
“If the DS-160 barcode is incorrect, you must log into your AVITS account at least 10 days before your appointment to request a correction,” the statement added.
The embassy also reminded applicants to ensure that their interview location matches the one selected on their DS-160 form. If turned away due to barcode issues, applicants will need to book a new appointment—and may need to repay the visa fee if it has expired.
These new measures are part of the US mission’s efforts to streamline visa processing and reduce administrative errors.
Since January 1, 2025, all visa applicants have also been required to visit the US Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the application process.
