Photo: US Visa on a Nigerian Passport – courtesy googlephoto
The US Department of State is introducing a premium visa processing service that will allow business and tourist visa applicants to bypass lengthy interview waiting times for an additional fee.
Under the pilot programme, which will run from 1 July to 31 December, eligible applicants for B1 and B2 US visas can pay an extra ₦1.02 million (approximately ₦1,024,800) on top of the standard US visa application fee of about ₦252,800, bringing the total cost to roughly ₦1.28 million. In return, applicants will receive a guaranteed visa interview appointment within 10 days at participating US embassies and consulates.
The initiative comes as US visa interview waiting times have stretched to several months in many countries, with some applicants facing delays of more than a year, making last-minute business and leisure travel increasingly difficult.
However, there is an important condition. Once an expedited interview slot becomes available, applicants will have only five to 10 minutes to complete payment. Failure to pay within that window will result in the appointment being released for other applicants, while the expedited processing fee remains non-refundable.
US officials also stressed that paying for the premium service does not improve an applicant’s chances of receiving a visa. The additional payment only guarantees a faster interview appointment and has no impact on the final visa decision.
The State Department estimates that approximately 25,700 travellers will use the premium service annually, generating around ₦26.4 billion (approximately US$19.3 million) in revenue. The list of participating embassies and consulates is expected to be announced before the programme begins in July.
