The United States Mission in Nigeria has denied report that it no longer issue visa to Nigerians who plan to go the country for educational purposes.
On its verified Twitter handle, @USEmbassyAbuja, the mission wrote, “#FakeNews Alert! Be advised, reports of Student Visa ban for Nigerians is false. If you have seen such manufactured item on Facebook and Twitter or received it via WhatsApp, please communicate that it is false.”
Nigeria accounted for over 25% of non-immigrant visas issued to Africans in 2018 alone.
The United States embassy had in May announced an immediate indefinite suspension of interview waivers for visa renewals for applicants in Nigeria.
Known as “drop-box,” the interview waiver process allowed Nigerian applicants who met certain eligibility criteria to renew their visas by submitting their passports and supporting documents for review without going through a new in-person interview each time.
With the new waiver suspension, all applicants—first time and recurring—will now be required to appear for in-person interviews at US embassies in Nigeria.
#FakeNews Alert! Be advised, reports of Student Visa ban for Nigerians is false. If you have seen such manufactured item on Facebook and Twitter or received it via WhatsApp, please communicate that it is false. pic.twitter.com/1EvoiST6ak
— U.S. Mission Nigeria (@USEmbassyAbuja) June 17, 2019