Darhmee: Thanks CO but is there a way we could change her occupation since fashion designing is not a qualifying job? Or rather register her eligibility through her O'level testimonial? Or is it late because the form was sent to kCC around 15th of may

Whatever you do, you must be truthful during the interview. When people present fraudulent documents, or lie about a material fact, they can be permanently barred from the United States. I would also take this opportunity to point out that Embassies and Consulates have a strong working relationship with local law enforcement, and that the number of persons who are arrested after trying to obtain visas through fraud / deception is rising as we crack down on Diversity Visa fraud.

That said -- and I don't mean to imply that you specifically would falsify anything -- your mother does not have time to get a new occupation. A person must have worked in a qualifying occupation for at least two years. If there is a way for your mother to obtain the equivalent of a secondary school degree between now and her interview, that would qualify her; but please don't listen to anyone who offers to provide her a fake document. That could have extremely serious repercussions.

wehla:
@Consular Officer thank you for your response. My Friend in Texas who is inviting me said I should re-apply next year with my family.
pls, what should I do and what are my chances? My biz is very stable and I have good assets. Thanking U

Good morning -- It's really impossible for me to say without interviewing you in person. From what you write, you sound like a good applicant, but beyond that I really can't make a prediction. Good luck!

D-dream77:
Dear V.O thanks for your kind response. I'll like to know if my job qualifies for the DV 2014. I'm a winner and my forms have been submitted to KCC. I've been into sales and marketing for more than 8yrs. I currently have my own registered company. We are into sales and supply of personal gadgets (laptops, smart phones, gaming consoles, tablets... just to mention a few. I have also established and maintained a good relationship with an American gadgets wholesale company in Michigan where I buy most of my gadgets from and I get my items shipped from the US to Nigeria. In my BIOGRAPHIC DATA form where "Job title" is listed I filed in that I'm an "Infotech Dealer" but on present occupation "Infotech supplier" I hope this isn't going to be an issue and Do I qualify for the visa? I have my "O" levels.

I am not so sure that your job qualifies for the Diversity Visa program. You should check http://www.onetonline.org/ and see what the "job zone" score is for the work you do. It's going to be tough to prove. That said, if you have your O levels AND qualifying WAEC / NECO scores, you're academically qualified no matter what your job is. Good luck!

Raahym: DEAR VO,

REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP HERE.
I AM A WORKING DAD IN SOUTH AFRICA. I RECENTLY APPLIED FOR A NON-IMMIGRANT VISA TO THE UNITED STATE ON THE REQUEST OF MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER AFTER WE HAVE VISITED THE UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES AND WE WERE REFUSED. BEFORE NOW IN 2002 I HAD APPLIED FOR A STUDY PERMIT AT THE US EMBASSY IN LAGOS AND WAS REFUSED BUT I HONESTLY FORGOT ABOUT THIS BEEN THAT MY STATUS HAS CHANGED AND ITS BEEN A LONG TIME THUS FORGOT TO MENTION IT IN THE NEW APPLICATION AND THE VISA OFFICER MADE REFRENCE TO THIS AND REFUSED MY ENTIRE FAMILY BASED ON THIS, HE SAID AND I QUOTE "I HAVE DOUBTS"

PLEASE ADVICE AS WE INTEND TO APPLY AGAIN IN APRIL NEXT YEAR FOR OUR 5TH YEAR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. WHAT CHANCES DO WE HAVE AND HOW DO WE APPROACH?

Good morning! I'm afraid that so many factors are involved in a visa decision that I really can't give a solid answer without interviewing you in person. The basic issue is that you must convince the interviewing officer that you intend to abide by the terms of the visa, and (for a tourist visa) that you intend to return home in a timely fashion. Forgetting to mention a previous refusal can have a negative effect on the outcome, as you unfortunately experienced. I'd say, if you know you have strong ties to your home country and can speak in concrete terms about what you want to do in the U.S., there's no reason why you shouldn't try again.

Dear VO,thanks for your prompt response on various questions here is really enlighten..the last time I applied for a visa was Nov.2012it was my second time I really don't wish to apply again..coming accross this thread made me understand so many thing about us visa,though I applied with single,since I was denied,I decided to get married,I wish to apply for the course again next year,what's my chances in getting visa,aplying again,I must get another I-20and I-90,wish will cost me..thanks very much once again for your time...

consular offier,mornin sir.can an applicant be qualify under dvprogram who is a security officer under a mission.like us conslate,british consulate,german consulate etc. without havin a high school diploma but with 6 years workin experience.

secondly,i have a friend who travelled to america thru d dv program in 2011,n wana visit me to come over der,how do i go about it n wat n wat do i need...tank u sir.

Hi VO,

In the DV program, we are asked where we intend to stay when we get to the US. does it matter what relationship one has with the proposed host? if for example, the proposed initial host is a friend who moved to the US under the DV program the year before and has not been in the US for up to 12 months but is willing to accommodate me, will that raise any issues?

omorttee4u: Dear VO,thanks for your prompt response on various questions here is really enlighten..the last time I applied for a visa was Nov.2012it was my second time I really don't wish to apply again..coming accross this thread made me understand so many thing about us visa,though I applied with single,since I was denied,I decided to get married,I wish to apply for the course again next year,what's my chances in getting visa,aplying again,I must get another I-20and I-90,wish will cost me..thanks very much once again for your time...

Greetings! Yes, you will need a new I-20 and other supporting documents. If you have the documents and can explain why you want to attend the school and how you will pay, you should have no problems.

usef83: consular offier,mornin sir.can an applicant be qualify under dvprogram who is a security officer under a mission.like us conslate,british consulate,german consulate etc. without havin a high school diploma but with 6 years workin experience.

secondly,i have a friend who travelled to america thru d dv program in 2011,n wana visit me to come over der,how do i go about it n wat n wat do i need...tank u sir.

Greetings! Unfortunately I don't believe a security officer would qualify. A security guard is Job Zone 2; there doesn't seem to be a job zone classification for a security manager.

To visit your friend, you would need a non-immigrant visa. You can make an appointment by following the instructions at http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html

okeymen: Hi VO,

In the DV program, we are asked where we intend to stay when we get to the US. does it matter what relationship one has with the proposed host? if for example, the proposed initial host is a friend who moved to the US under the DV program the year before and has not been in the US for up to 12 months but is willing to accommodate me, will that raise any issues?

Greetings! The relationship with the host does not really matter, nor does the length of time the person has resided in the U.S. -- unless it's a person whose name has appeared in conjunction with previous visa applications, especially bad ones. That makes us make this face: Otherwise, we just want to be sure you won't be on the street when you arrive in your new country.

VisaOfficer:

Greetings! The relationship with the host does not really matter, nor does the length of time the person has resided in the U.S. -- unless it's a person whose name has appeared in conjunction with previous visa applications, especially bad ones. That makes us make this face: Otherwise, we just want to be sure you won't be on the street when you arrive in your new country.

Hahahahaha...nice one. we are so busy looking at things from our side of the window its easy to forget that its human beings on the other side too. thanks again!

Dear VO,

Can a Canadian citizen apply for (USA) tourist visa for his spouse?

If yes, do I have to travel down to Nigeria or apply here at US consulate in Ottawa?

Thanks.

Dear VO,thanks for your reply as I said where job title is on my Biographic data, I filled in Infotech dealer. Doesn't it fall under the category of Sales Manager and Purchasing Manager since I buy and sell "trading"? I have worked as a sales manager for 2years before I established my own company.
Please what is the most important criteria to qualify for an immigrant visa my "O" levels or job experience? Sincerely I'm a bit discouraged. If you were in my shoes will you go ahead for the visa or you'd opt out before getting an interview date. Besides how do I check the "job zone score"? Thank you. Looking forward to your honest opinion.

VisaOfficer:

Greetings! The relationship with the host does not really matter, nor does the length of time the person has resided in the U.S. -- unless it's a person whose name has appeared in conjunction with previous visa applications, especially bad ones. That makes us make this face: Otherwise, we just want to be sure you won't be on the street when you arrive in your new country.

this post answered a question that has been bordering my mind for quite sometime@ VO ...keep up d good work,more grease to ur elbow

VisaOfficer:

Greetings! The relationship with the host does not really matter, nor does the length of time the person has resided in the U.S. -- unless it's a person whose name has appeared in conjunction with previous visa applications, especially bad ones. That makes us make this face: Otherwise, we just want to be sure you won't be on the street when you arrive in your new country.

@ face !!! mad funny !!!

Dear VO,thanks for your reply as I said where job title is on my Biographic data, I filled in Infotech dealer. Doesn't it fall under the category of Sales Manager and Purchasing Manager since I buy and sell "trading"? I have worked as a sales manager for 2years before I established my own company.
Please what is the most important criteria to qualify for an immigrant visa my "O" levels or job experience? What are the qualifying scores for the WEAC and NECO "O" levels? Sincerely I'm a bit discouraged. If you were in my shoes will you go ahead for the visa or you'd opt out before getting an interview date. Besides how do I check the "job zone score"? Thank you. Looking forward to your honest opinion.

Breaking news for Nairaland readers! You're the first to know!

NEWS: Effective September 1, 2013, the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application and the DS-261 (Choice of Address and Agent) will replace the paper-based DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (parts I and II) and the DS-3032 (Choice of Address and Agent). Beneficiaries submitting new cases that arrive at the National Visa Center (NVC) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on or after September 1 will be instructed to complete the DS-260/261 in lieu of the DS-230/3032. Please see http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_5164.html for more information.

This is part of our move to "go paperless" and stop killing so many trees. I'm sure it will be confusing at first, but it's just like what the Non-Immigrant Visa Units are already doing, with their online applications. I'll keep you all posted as this develops. (Don't ask me anything yet; I'm still reading the instructions myself.)

Qc-1:


Dear VO,

Can a Canadian citizen apply for (USA) tourist visa for his spouse?

If yes, do I have to travel down to Nigeria or apply here at US consulate in Ottawa?

Thanks.

Hello there! Well, if it's a tourist visa, your spouse should apply on her own behalf. I mean, you can fill the paperwork out for her (as long as she reviews it and can swear it's all true), but there's no petition to be filed on her behalf. She can apply in Canada if she's in Canada. Either way, best of luck!

D-dream77:
Dear VO,thanks for your reply as I said where job title is on my Biographic data, I filled in Infotech dealer. Doesn't it fall under the category of Sales Manager and Purchasing Manager since I buy and sell "trading"? I have worked as a sales manager for 2years before I established my own company.
Please what is the most important criteria to qualify for an immigrant visa my "O" levels or job experience? Sincerely I'm a bit discouraged. If you were in my shoes will you go ahead for the visa or you'd opt out before getting an interview date. Besides how do I check the "job zone score"? Thank you. Looking forward to your honest opinion.

Well, "Sales Manager" is a qualifying occupation, but you'd have to convince us that you meet the description at http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2022.00 . As you can imagine, we see many applicants who use very grand titles to describe the work they do, and it turns out that they don't really qualify. If I were you I'd review http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/11-2022.00 and honestly ask myself if the information describes what I do every day.

http://www.onetonline.org/find/ is the site you can use to check the job zone score. Type in the job under "Keyword" and see what comes up.

O levels are not enough to qualify for a Diversity Visa; you also need to show passing WAEC or NECO scores (for the WAEC, at least five scores of five or better). Academics and work experience are equally important, in the sense that if you don't have one, you need to have the other, but either one is good.

I don't know if you should apply or not. My sense, honestly, is that you should. You wrote "I've been into sales and marketing for more than 8yrs. I currently have my own registered company. We are into sales and supply of personal gadgets (laptops, smart phones, gaming consoles, tablets... just to mention a few. I have also established and maintained a good relationship with an American gadgets wholesale company in Michigan where I buy most of my gadgets from and I get my items shipped from the US to Nigeria." If that is all literally true... and it's not a one-person company composed of you by yourself... well, frankly, I'd give you the visa, based solely on what you've written here. That's my personal opinion and should not be taken as U.S. Government policy, of course.

okeymen:

Hahahahaha...nice one. we are so busy looking at things from our side of the window its easy to forget that its human beings on the other side too. thanks again!

As the great American philosopher Stephen King says, "Life is short and pain is long and we were all put on this earth to help each other." That's true on every side of every window.

thank u sir for d previous respond,u doin a great job here..
my question are.
i hav a younger broda who is 22years of age n is a foothballer,though he had a high result but d result is not good enough.but based on his foothball experience is he eligible for dv visa is not qualify.

secondly,are dey goin to select more winners again by october dis year.

lastly,will nigeria eligible for next dv programme for dv 2015.
hope to hear frm u sir..tanx.

Am applying for a student visa the second time,i was denied because i was supporting myself.so my dad is supporting me now.what are my chances?

Thanks CO.. God Bless!

VisaOfficer:

Whatever you do, you must be truthful during the interview. When people present fraudulent documents, or lie about a material fact, they can be permanently barred from the United States. I would also take this opportunity to point out that Embassies and Consulates have a strong working relationship with local law enforcement, and that the number of persons who are arrested after trying to obtain visas through fraud / deception is rising as we crack down on Diversity Visa fraud.

That said -- and I don't mean to imply that you specifically would falsify anything -- your mother does not have time to get a new occupation. A person must have worked in a qualifying occupation for at least two years. If there is a way for your mother to obtain the equivalent of a secondary school degree between now and her interview, that would qualify her; but please don't listen to anyone who offers to provide her a fake document. That could have extremely serious repercussions.

Hello Consular Officer:

I have another question and it's regarding proof of money transactions.

There is a debate on how the post looks at this, specifically Western Union receipts.

I send money to my Spouse on a monthly basis from the US for her support and for adult education school fees, I included those receipts as proof of financial intermingling.

Some folks worry that this might be looked at negatively. I can possibly understand if the money was coming from a foreign country to a USC, but in my case it's the reverse.

I would like to hear your personal opinion in particular and the post in general on this.

Thank you once again.

VisaOfficer:

Hello there! Well, if it's a tourist visa, your spouse should apply on her own behalf. I mean, you can fill the paperwork out for her (as long as she reviews it and can swear it's all true), but there's no petition to be filed on her behalf. She can apply in Canada if she's in Canada. Either way, best of luck!

Thanks for the reply but She's in Nigeria, I thought I could help one way or the other. Thanks again.

usef83: thank u sir for d previous respond,u doin a great job here..
my question are.
i hav a younger broda who is 22years of age n is a foothballer,though he had a high result but d result is not good enough.but based on his foothball experience is he eligible for dv visa is not qualify.

secondly,are dey goin to select more winners again by october dis year.

lastly,will nigeria eligible for next dv programme for dv 2015.
hope to hear frm u sir..tanx.

Greetings! Unfortunately, your brother would not qualify. Athletes and sports competitors do not qualify for the Diversity Visa program.

All winners for the 2014 DV season have been selected. People can check to see if they have won at the E-DV website. https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/

If there is a 2015 Diversity Visa program, Nigeria will be eligible. At this point no one knows if there will be a 2015 program. It's possible that the whole program will be cancelled; it's also possible that nothing will change. We don't know yet, but I imagine something will be made public before October.

Prizeluv: Am applying for a student visa the second time,i was denied because i was supporting myself.so my dad is supporting me now.what are my chances?

I wish I could give you a more concrete answer, but I can't tell what your chances are from what you've written here. It really doesn't matter if you're supporting yourself or if your father is, as long as the officer believes that the support exists. There are so many factors involved in the decision that it's really impossible to say.

Wile.E.Coyote:
Hello Consular Officer:

I have another question and it's regarding proof of money transactions.

There is a debate on how the post looks at this, specifically Western Union receipts.

I send money to my Spouse on a monthly basis from the US for her support and for adult education school fees, I included those receipts as proof of financial intermingling.

Some folks worry that this might be looked at negatively. I can possibly understand if the money was coming from a foreign country to a USC, but in my case it's the reverse.

I would like to hear your personal opinion in particular and the post in general on this.

Thank you once again.

My personal opinion is that officers should never rely on documents. You wouldn't believe how many beautiful documents I've seen, including money transfer receipts, that turn out to be fakes. So it really depends how the rest of the case looks. If your spouse can answer basic questions about you and your marriage, we'll probably see the receipts as substantiating evidence. If she appears to know nothing about you, our notes will say "Presented receipts as evidence but could not answer basic questions about the relationship," and she won't get a visa. So I guess receipts are either helpful or neutral in a good case, and irrelevant in a bad case.

Dear VO, Please,I have 2 questions.

Question 1) Is travel history a prerequisite for applying for a US visa. I want to know if travel history is considered when you are making your decision. For example, in Canadian embassy, travel history is a hidden prerequisite you dont know about until you are refused. And Canada will state it clearly that you do not have travel history. Is this the case as USA.

Question 2) For a first time tourist, will a 7 days fully paid tour package bought from Virgin holidays ,tours4fun etc be a good purpose and justification for US visa.

Okontami: Dear VO, Please,I have 2 questions.

Question 1) Is travel history a prerequisite for applying for a US visa. I want to know if travel history is considered when you are making your decision. For example, in Canadian embassy, travel history is a hidden prerequisite you dont know about until you are refused. And Canada will state it clearly that you do not have travel history. Is this the case as USA.

Question 2) For a first time tourist, will a 7 days fully paid tour package bought from Virgin holidays ,tours4fun etc be a good purpose and justification for US visa.

Greetings! Prior travel is not a prerequisite. That said, a good travel history (no overstays, etc.) can be a point in an applicant's favor. But "no prior travel" would not be the sole reason for a visa refusal.

Assuming there are no factors against the applicant, a fully paid tour package would be a good purpose and justification for a U.S. visa.

Good luck!

Good Day Visa Officer, I have been following this thread and I want to say thank you for answering questions from applicants and intending applicants. I want to know what are the specific financial documents that are required from a USC petitioner for a K1 visa. Does she needs a statement of her bank accounts? Secondly I will like to know how much her annual earnings will be to cater for 3 people including herself. Thirdly how long does it take to get an interview date in Lagos after the embassy must have received the packet from NVC. Looking forward to your response.