U.S. says its Student Visa Surge programme begins November 24, 2021

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Friday said that starting November 24, it will be be expanding operations to better serve the student population of Nigeria as it kicks off the Student Visa Surge programme.

In a statement released by Temitayo Famutimi, Information Specialist at Public Affairs Section (PAS), U.S. Consulate General, the new “approach will be two-fold:  a special procedure for students who need to renew student visas to continue their course of study, and a series of dedicated interview days for prospective new students.” 

According to the statement, on New Student Visa Applications, “you may be eligible for a priority student visa interview slot if you are a prospective student seeking an F1 visa appointment and you have not been refused an F1 visa in the past six months.  We encourage all students to submit the documents listed below as soon as possible to take advantage of this limited opportunity.  Please note that in order to schedule as many qualified and interested students as possible, we are unable to accommodate any requests to reschedule your appointment. 

“Abuja applicants:  Abuja student surge days will take place on December 8, December 15, and January 12.  These surge days will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  To make an appointment in Abuja, visit www.ustraveldocs.com/ng and review the criteria and instructions to request an emergency student visa interview, and prepare the below documents: 

1. A completed DS-160  
2. An approved I-20  
3. A receipt for your I-901 SEVIS fee  
4. A GTBank (MRV) receipt for your visa fee  
5. A scan of the biopage of your current valid passport 
6. A scan of your passport photograph meeting these requirements 
   “Lagos applicants:  Lagos student surge days will take place on November 24, December 8, and December 15.  These surge days will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  To make an appointment in Lagos, you should e-mail all of the following documents to LagosStudents@state.gov: 

1. A completed DS-160  
2. An approved I-20  
3. A receipt for your I-901 SEVIS fee  
4. A GTBank (MRV) receipt for your visa fee  
5. A scan of the biopage of your current valid passport  
6. A scan of your passport photograph meeting these requirements.”  
   
   For Returning Student Visa Applications, the statement noted: “If you are currently studying in the United States, you may be eligible for a special application procedure.  To qualify for this procedure, you must be renewing a student visa that is still valid or has expired within the past 24 months and are renewing your visa either to: (a) continue participation in the same major course of study even if at a different institution; or (b) attend the same institution even if in a different major course of study. 
   
   “Abuja applicants:  Go to www.ustraveldocs.com/ng and follow the instructions to complete your visa application.  Visit a designated DHL facility and mail the following documents: 

1. A printout of your Confirmation page (printed from www.ustraveldocs.com/ng) 
2. A completed DS-160  
3. An approved I-20  
4. A receipt for your I-901 SEVIS fee  
5. A GTBank (MRV) receipt for your visa fee  
6. Your passport containing the expired student visa (if that passport is expired, a current valid passport is also required) 
7. A passport photograph meeting these requirements 
8. Proof of continued full-time enrollment (such as transcripts, tuition payment, etc.) 
   
   “Lagos applicants:  Bring all of the following to the U.S. Consulate in Lagos at 12:30-1:00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, between November 25 and January 5: 

1. A completed DS-160  
2. An approved I-20  
3. A receipt for your I-901 SEVIS fee  
4. A GTBank (MRV) receipt for your visa fee  
5. Your passport containing the expired student visa (if that passport is expired, a current valid passport is also required) 
6. A passport photograph meeting these requirements 
7. Proof of continued full-time enrollment (such as transcripts, tuition payment, etc.) 
   
   “For more information pertaining to student visa requirements, please visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ng/ng-niv-typefandm.asp. For questions regarding these initiatives, please contact LagosNIV@state.gov.”