The United States Embassy has announced new requirements for visa interviews for Nigerian applicants, which will take effect on April 22.
According to a statement released by the US mission on Friday, all applicants attending interviews in Abuja and Lagos must present a DS-160 visa application form that has a confirmation barcode starting with “AA” followed by two zeroes (“00”).
Crucially, this barcode must be the same one that was used to schedule the interview appointment online.
The embassy emphasized that if the barcode information presented does not match the barcode used for the online appointment, the applicant will be denied entry to the consular section and will not be allowed to proceed with their visa interview.
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The statement explicitly warned: “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 you used to make your appointment online. You also must make your appointment in the location you selected when filling out your DS-160. Matching Barcode Numbers: If the confirmation/barcode number on your DS-160 form does not match the one you used to book your appointment, you will not be allowed to enter the Consular Section or attend your visa interview.”
Applicants are advised to double-check that the barcode numbers match at least two weeks before their scheduled appointment.
The embassy also clarified that DS-160 forms from previous applications cannot be used again. If there is a mismatch in barcodes, applicants are instructed to log into their AVITS account and submit a correction request via a support ticket at least ten days before their interview.
The US mission further stated: “At least two weeks before your interview, please double-check that the barcode number on your DS-160 form matches the one you used to schedule your appointment. You cannot reuse a DS-160 from a previous application.
If your DS-160 barcode is incorrect, you must log into your AVITS account at least 10 days before your appointment to create a support ticket requesting correction of your barcode number.”
In addition, applicants were reminded to ensure that their visa appointment is scheduled at the same location they selected on their DS-160 form.
The embassy noted the consequences of non-compliance: “If you are turned away from your appointment because your barcode numbers do not match, once you correct the problem, you will need to book a new appointment to proceed with your visa application. You may book a new appointment by logging into your AVITS account at If your visa fee has expired, you may have to pay a new fee before booking.”
These changes are part of the US mission’s ongoing efforts to make the visa processing more efficient and reduce administrative errors.
It was also noted that since January 1, all visa applicants have been required to visit the US Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the application process.
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