Nigeria Interview Logistics · Updated May 2026

Lagos Document Review: the Pre-Interview Document Verification Visit

Lagos now makes you visit the Consulate twice. Here is what the separate Document Review is, how it is scheduled, and exactly what to bring so it does not delay your interview.

Summary

Before your immigrant visa interview, the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos requires a separate in-person Document Review. This started January 1, 2025, and applies to every applicant. You do not schedule it: after the National Visa Center sets your interview date, the Consulate emails you a Document Review date, usually two to four weeks before the interview. First upload scans of your civil documents to ceac.state.gov/iv, then bring the originals in person. Bring the same originals to both the Document Review and the interview. Nigerian documents are in English (no translation) and Nigeria is not a Hague Apostille country (no apostille). For interview-day logistics, see the companion Lagos consulate trip guide.

At a glance

Topic	Details
What it is	A separate, mandatory in-person Document Review visit to the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos that happens before your immigrant visa interview. A consular staff member checks that your civil documents are complete and current so the interview is not derailed by a missing paper.
When it started	Effective January 1, 2025, every immigrant visa applicant must visit the Consulate in Lagos at least twice: once for the Document Review, then again for the interview.
How it is scheduled	You do not book it yourself. The Consular Section emails you the Document Review date, approximately two to four weeks ahead of your interview date (the interview date is set by the National Visa Center).
Upload first	Before the Document Review, upload your scanned civil documents to your case at ceac.state.gov/iv, following the Consulate's instructions. Then bring the originals in person.
What to bring	All required original civil documents, plus photocopies: passport, original birth certificate, original marriage certificate, original police certificate (for applicants over 16), Form I-864 Affidavit of Support, two 2x2 inch photos per applicant, the DS-260 confirmation, and the NVC interview letter. Bring the same originals to both the Document Review and the interview.
Originals vs copies	Both. Upload copies to CEAC beforehand and carry the originals to the visit. Nigerian civil documents are issued in English, so there is no translation step, and Nigeria is not a Hague Apostille country, so no apostille is needed for the U.S. filing.
If you skip it	If you do not complete the Document Review before your interview, the Consulate will require you to reschedule the interview, which adds weeks. Treat the Document Review email as a hard deadline.
Where	U.S. Consulate General Lagos, 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos. Both visits are at the same address.

Process verified May 2026 against the U.S. Embassy Nigeria two-visit update and the U.S. Consulate Lagos post supplement. Procedures change; verify directly before your visit.

The order of operations: from NVC to your two Lagos visits

The Document Review is not a step you trigger. It is generated off the interview date the National Visa Center (NVC) assigns. Work in this order so the email date does not catch you unprepared.

Step 1: Get documentarily qualified at the NVC and receive your interview date
The two-visit process starts only after the National Visa Center (NVC) finishes its review and schedules your interview at Lagos. You cannot trigger the Document Review yourself; it is generated off your NVC-assigned interview date. Make sure your case is documentarily qualified at NVC first.
Step 2: Upload your scanned civil documents to CEAC
Before the Document Review, scan and upload your civil documents to your case at ceac.state.gov/iv, following the Consulate's uploading instructions. This is the copy step. The Consulate uses these uploads to pre-check your file, and skipping it can cause significant delays.
Step 3: Watch your email for the Document Review date
You do not schedule the Document Review. The Consular Section emails you a date, usually two to four weeks before your interview. Check your inbox and spam folder daily once your interview is scheduled, and respond promptly so you do not miss the window.
Step 4: Attend the in-person Document Review with your originals
Go to the Consulate at 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, on your assigned date with every required original document and a photocopy of each. A consular staff member (local staff, not the interviewing officer) checks that your paperwork is complete and current and tells you on the spot if anything is missing.
Step 5: Fix any gaps before interview day
The whole point of the Document Review is to catch a missing or expired document while there is still time. If staff flag a gap, use the two-to-four-week window to obtain the correct original (for example, a fresh National Population Commission birth certificate or a current police certificate) before the interview.
Step 6: Return for the interview with the same originals
On the NVC-assigned interview date, come back to the same Consulate for the interview with a consular officer. Bring all the same originals again, because clearing the Document Review does not let you leave your documents behind. For interview-day logistics (timing, security, passport return), see the companion Lagos consulate trip page.

Decision rule if staff flag a missing document: use the two-to-four-week gap before the interview to obtain the correct original. Need a birth record? Order a fresh National Population Commission certificate. Police certificate expired or wrong? Request a current one. Do not wait for interview day to discover the gap; the Document Review exists precisely so you can fix it in time.

What to bring to the Document Review (and the interview)

Bring the same set of originals to both visits, plus a photocopy of each. The Consulate is explicit that clearing the Document Review does not let you leave your documents behind. For a marriage green card, your original marriage certificate and original NPC birth certificate are the core records staff check.

•Appointment / NVC interview letter (printed copy)
•Unexpired passport for each applicant, plus a photocopy of the biographic page
•Two (2) color photographs per applicant, 2 x 2 inches (5 cm x 5 cm), meeting State Department photo rules
•DS-260 confirmation page
•Original birth certificate for each applicant (the National Population Commission certificate, or NPC attestation for unregistered births)
•Original marriage certificate (for the marriage green card, this is your core relationship document)
•Original divorce decree or death certificate if either spouse was previously married
•Original police certificate for every applicant aged 16 or older
•Form I-864 Affidavit of Support from the U.S. petitioner, with supporting financial evidence
•Completed medical exam from an approved Lagos panel physician (IOM or Q-Life), sealed
•Photocopies of every original above

Upload first, then carry originals: the Consulate asks you to upload scans of these documents to your case at ceac.state.gov/iv before the Document Review, and then bring the originals in person. Doing only one of the two can significantly delay your case.

How the Document Review differs from interview day

These are two different appointments at the same address, on different days, two to four weeks apart. The Document Review is a paperwork check, usually with local consular staff, who confirm your civil documents are complete and current and tell you what is missing. No eligibility decision is made. The interview is the formal visa appointment with a consular officer who asks questions about your marriage and your case and decides it.

Visit 1: Document Review

Scheduled by email, two to four weeks before the interview. Local staff verify your originals against your CEAC uploads. The goal is to catch a missing or expired document early. Bring all originals and copies.

Visit 2: The interview

Scheduled by the National Visa Center. A consular officer interviews you and decides the case. Bring the same originals again. For timing, security, the electronics rule, and passport return, see the Lagos consulate trip guide.

For everything that happens on interview day itself, see the companion Lagos consulate trip guide. This page is only about the Document Review visit, so it does not repeat interview-day logistics.

What applicants report

Aggregated from the U.S. Embassy Nigeria official two-visit notice, the U.S. Consulate Lagos post supplement, U.S. immigration-attorney write-ups on Lagos, and 2025 to 2026 two-visit prep guides. The Document Review is new, so public forum chatter is still thin; we lead with the patterns that repeat across sources. Use as context, not legal advice; your case may differ.

Tips from the community

The Document Review date arrives by email, not in your appointment letter
Applicants are repeatedly caught off guard because the NVC letter only gives the interview date. The separate Document Review date comes later, in a Consular Section email, usually two to four weeks before the interview. Watch your inbox and spam folder daily once your interview is scheduled.
U.S. Embassy Nigeria official notice and EB-3 two-visit guide, 2025 to 2026
Bring originals to BOTH visits, not just the interview
A common mistake is treating the Document Review as a drop-off or a copies-only check. The Consulate is explicit: bring all required original documents to both the Document Review and the interview. Clearing the review does not let you leave anything behind.
U.S. Embassy Nigeria official notice and Lagos post supplement, 2025 to 2026
Local staff run the review and can be stricter than the officer
Immigration attorneys note the Document Review is handled by local consular staff, who applicants describe as sometimes stricter or less flexible than the interviewing officer about formatting and completeness. Make sure every original is the right NPC-issued version and that names match your passport exactly.
JQK Law Lagos update, 2024 to 2025
Use the gap between visits to fix anything flagged
The review exists so you can retrieve a missing or expired document before the interview. Applicants who treat the two-to-four-week window as buffer time, ordering a fresh NPC certificate or current police certificate the moment staff flag it, avoid having to reschedule the interview entirely.
U.S. Embassy Nigeria official notice and attorney guidance, 2025

In their words

“You do not need to schedule an appointment for the In-Person Document Review. The Consular Section will notify you via email of the document review appointment date, which will be approximately two to four weeks ahead of your visa interview.”
U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, official two-visit update (effective January 1, 2025)

“This two-step process effectively doubles the number of embassy visits for applicants, adding weeks or even months to the timeline, and local staff can sometimes be stricter or less flexible than consular officers.”
Paraphrased from JQK Law Lagos immigrant visa update, 2024

Sources

U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Nigeria: Effective January 1, 2025, you must visit Lagos at least twice (verified May 2026)
U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Nigeria: Immigrant Visas Processing in Lagos (verified May 2026)
U.S. Department of State: U.S. Consulate General Lagos (LGS) post supplement (verified May 2026)
InvestMigrate: Lagos 2025 Two-Visit Requirement Guide (verified May 2026)
JQK Law: Lagos, Nigeria Immigrant Visa Interview update (two-step process, delays) (verified May 2026)
National Visa Center document upload portal: ceac.state.gov/iv

Frequently asked questions

What is the Lagos Document Review, and is it the same as my interview?

No. The Document Review is a separate, earlier visit to the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos where a consular staff member checks that your civil documents are complete and current. It happens roughly two to four weeks before your visa interview. The interview itself is a later, separate visit with a consular officer. Effective January 1, 2025, every immigrant visa applicant must complete both.

How do I schedule the Document Review appointment?

You do not. The National Visa Center sets your interview date, and the Consular Section then emails you a separate Document Review date, usually two to four weeks before the interview. Watch your email (including spam) closely once your interview is scheduled, because you cannot book or move this appointment yourself.

What do I bring to the Document Review?

All of your required original civil documents plus a photocopy of each: your passport, original birth certificate (the National Population Commission certificate or attestation), original marriage certificate, original police certificate for anyone over 16, Form I-864 Affidavit of Support, two 2x2 inch photos per applicant, the DS-260 confirmation, and the NVC interview letter. Before the visit, you also upload scans of these documents to your case at ceac.state.gov/iv.

Do I bring originals or photocopies to the Document Review?

Both. You upload copies to CEAC online beforehand, and you carry the original documents in person to the Document Review. The Consulate is explicit that you must bring all required original documents to both the Document Review and the interview. Bringing only copies, or leaving originals at home, can delay your case.

What happens if I miss or skip the Document Review?

If you do not complete the Document Review before your interview, the Consulate will require you to reschedule the interview, which can add weeks to an already long timeline. Treat the Document Review email as a hard deadline and confirm your attendance promptly.

Do my Nigerian documents need translation or an apostille for the Document Review?

No. Nigerian civil documents are issued in English, so there is no translation requirement, and Nigeria is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so no apostille exists for the U.S. filing. Bring the genuine original issued by the correct authority (for births, the National Population Commission), and make sure names match your passport.

Is the medical exam part of the Document Review?

No, the medical exam is a separate step done at an approved Lagos panel physician (IOM Migration Health Assessment Centre or Q-Life Family Clinic), and the State Department advises allowing at least seven days to complete it. Schedule the medical so the results are ready before your interview; the Document Review focuses on your civil documents, not the medical.

How is the Document Review different from interview day?

The Document Review is a paperwork check, usually with local consular staff, with no eligibility decision made. The interview is the formal visa appointment with a consular officer who asks questions and decides the case. They are on different days, two to four weeks apart, but at the same Consulate. For interview-day logistics like timing, security, and passport return, see the Lagos consulate trip guide.

Key takeaways

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Since January 1, 2025, Lagos immigrant visa applicants must attend two visits: a Document Review first, then the interview two to four weeks later.
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The Document Review is a civil-document completeness check with consular staff, not the interview and not an eligibility decision.
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You do not schedule it. The Consular Section emails you the date after the NVC sets your interview, so watch your inbox and spam folder.
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Upload scanned documents to ceac.state.gov/iv before the visit, then bring the originals in person to both the Document Review and the interview.
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Marriage-green-card applicants should carry the original NPC birth certificate, original marriage certificate, original police certificate, I-864, photos, and the DS-260 and interview-letter printouts.
✓
Use the two-to-four-week gap to replace anything staff flag as missing or expired, so the interview is not rescheduled. No translation or apostille is needed for Nigerian documents.

Document Review or interview already scheduled?

Jump to the checklist to see exactly which originals to carry to both visits.

View the document checklist ↑

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