Intending Nigerian travellers to the United States of America who usually take advantage of the easy renewal option of drop-box for some classes of visas, may not have such luxury again.
The drop- box option which used to take an average of 4 days to complete and visas issued, now drags for as long as 30 days.
The drop-box service offers interview waiver at the US embassies across the country to applicants seeking visa reissuance under the B1/B2, F, M, L and H visa classes.
However, the service, which guarantees visa reissuance, now requires more than the dropping-off of passports at designated places and collecting them later with stamped visas.
Some applicants seeking reissuance of certain classes of visas may be subjected to interviews, provision of extra documents, some levels of verifications, among others.
This means the four-five days processing window may not suffice again. It could be delayed up to 30 days due to the extra requirements in some cases, especially time for the verification of the documents and claims of the applicants.
The double layer of checks is obvious going by the immigration challenges and security issues in the US.
Already, some applicants seeking visa reissuance under the appropriate visa class with the drop-box service are feeling the heat. Some are asked to provide additional requirements, which include interview, presentation of voluminous documents, and phone interrogations which, according to them, were not needed for drop-off before now.
Mike Oniga, a frequent traveller who could not make his trip to New York last December due to delay in the issuance of his visa, said he went for the drop-box option but was called for interview afterwards.
“During the interview, I was asked several questions bordering on my company, my recent travel to Middle East, among others. I was agitated at some point because I have had several visa renewals and have visited the US several times,” Oniga said.
Another complainant who pleaded anonymity said he was surprised when his passport was not ready after the stipulated time, resulting in the rescheduling of his business appointment in Chicago.
“I was worried and while waiting to get an email or text message that it was ready for collection at the DHL office in Oshodi, my pickup centre, I was invited for an interview. I went for the interview and my passport was released 10 days after the drop-box submission,” he said.
A woman who identified herself simply as Mrs. Ibidapo said her visa was abruptly revoked by the United States Embassy in Lagos, for no reason, after she was invited to the embassy and told to come with her valid US visa.
“I have been crying every day with no one ready to tell me why my visa was revoked. I have never overstayed in the US and was there last year, without any incident,” she said.
She is not alone. The number of Nigerians having such visas revoked by the US Embassy in Nigeria has risen sharply in the past months. Dozens of Nigerians with valid visas trying to obtain a new visa for a spouse, parents or a family member said the visa applications were denied, and their own visas revoked for no reason.
Reacting to the development, a US State Department Official in Washington said, “The U.S. Mission to Nigeria has not cancelled the interview waiver process or drop-box”.
“When we receive derogatory information that indicates potential visa ineligibility, we take immediate actions such as entering the information in U.S. government databases and revoking visas if appropriate.”
With regard to revocations, the official from the Bureau of Consular Affairs told BusnessDay that Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits the United States from discussing individual visa cases.
“The Department has broad authority, under Section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, to revoke visas based on information that comes to light at any time indicating that a visa holder may be inadmissible to the United States or otherwise ineligible for a visa,” the official said.
However, some immigration lawyers and security experts think the development is geared towards ensuring extra scrutiny for Nigerians considering the fact that there are cases of terrorism in the country, which the Nigerian government has not addressed.
“With all the terror acts and threats, you don’t expect the US to open its doors to anybody. They are making sure visitors are not security threats to American citizens and the country at large when they visit,” said Ikile Adams, a lawyer and immigration expert.
In a recent video released by Per Second News, Canadian Immigration officials said a large number of Nigerians who enter the US on tourism visas end up applying for asylum in Canada through its land border with the US.
So, the double check, according to the lawyer, is in the right direction as countries have the right to decide who comes in and how to secure their territories.
OBINNA EMELIKE & TEMITAYO AYETOTO
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