Visa applicants scheduled for United States visa interview in Abuja have been left stranded following the decision of the embassy to shut down its operations in the state indefinitely.
The United States Embassy in a statement on Tuesday said it has shut its visa and consular services section at its embassy in Abuja indefinitely.
Visa interview were previously conducted only in Lagos and Abuja. With the closure of the Abuja centre, hundreds of applicants scheduled to be interviewed in Abuja are now wondering what will happen to them.
Many of them will now be forced to come down to Lagos, from whatever State they reside for the interview, without guarantee of getting the visa.
“I reside in Abuja and this is the second time I have applied for the visa because I was told I applied for the wrong visa type. I had to cough out another N57,600 within a space of one month just to apply for the visa. I thought I had crossed the bridge, only to wake up to the news that US had shut down its visa and consular services in Abuja,” an applicant, who will not want her name mentioned told BusinessDay.
Another applicant who simply identified himself as Yomi told BusinessDay that he was supposed to go to United States next month for a conference but unfortunately, he could not get a visa interview in Lagos within the short period of time he had left to attend the conference and had scheduled an appointment in Abuja.
Yomi said he had no other option than to quickly book a return flight to Lagos and hope he can get an interview appointment in Lagos.
U.S. Mission in Nigeria revealed that no fewer than 220,000 Nigerians applied for non-immigrant visas in 2016. Travel experts say this number may have increased since then and therefore the closure is likely to place increased pressure on the Lagos office, which has been the busiest of the two issuing offices.
In a statement issued by the embassy on its website yesterday, it stated that, “Until further notice, all consular appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja have temporarily ceased for both visa and for American Citizen Services. Consular functions in U.S. Consulate Lagos are not affected and will continue. Scheduled visa and ACS applicants for Abuja will be contacted for rescheduling.”
BusinessDay contacted Tosin Akin-Ogundeji, Information Specialist, Public Affairs Section (PAS) U.S. Consulate General who refused to disclose the reason for the decision.
“I am not sure when the Abuja ban will be lifted. I cannot tell you the reason why. I currently have no detail on that,” Akin-Ogundeji said.
However, one of the traveling agents that deals with US visa processing told BusinessDay that the issue is a technical issue which the consulate is working to resolve.
