Greetings op..

Your doing a marvelous job here. M a little bit confuse here, CU's am new here. What's the amount or range you need to have in your bank account before going to interview? Thanks in advance.

abujaniv:
Hello, Nairaland! Our last thread was lost due to the Nairaland data loss, so we're re-starting the Non-Immigrant Visa discussion.

We are U.S. Foreign Service Officers working in Abuja and Lagos. We'll be happy to answer as many of your Non-Immigrant Visa questions as possible. Please note that we do not comment on specific cases, we do not offer advice, and we will not answer abusive or insulting posts.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Our best,
AbujaNIV

Good afternoon, I know that a father is meant to sign a Consent form if his children, who are minors, are being taken to the US, either for a visit or sightseeing.

In a situation where the father refused his consent and the mother of the children forged the father's signature on the consent form and on getting wind of this act of desperation, the father wishes to inform the embassy/consulate to deny visa to the children. Which department/unit should he notify? If visa were issued unwittingly based on this pretext, what actions would be taken by the embassy/consulate upon being made aware of the deception?

Thank you.

Hello vo,please I have an immigrant petition going on,can apply for a visit separately?

We are U.S. Foreign Service Officers working in Abuja and Lagos. We'll be happy to answer as many of your Non-Immigrant Visa questions as possible. Please note that we do not comment on specific cases, we do not offer advice, and we will not answer abusive or insulting posts.

While we will attempt to explain U.S. immigration policies and provide overall visa application guidance, any opinions expressed are the personal views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government.

There is a separate Immigrant and Diversity Visa thread at https://www.nairaland.com/1792591/u.s-immigration-questions-ask-u.s., also handled by a U.S. Foreign Service Officers in Nigeria, so please use this thread only for questions about Non-Immigrant Visas.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Our best,
AbujaNIV
[/quote]

abujaniv:
Hello, Nairaland! Our last thread was lost due to the Nairaland data loss, so we're re-starting the Non-Immigrant Visa discussion.

We are U.S. Foreign Service Officers working in Abuja and Lagos. We'll be happy to answer as many of your Non-Immigrant Visa questions as possible. Please note that we do not comment on specific cases, we do not offer advice, and we will not answer abusive or insulting posts.

While we will attempt to explain U.S. immigration policies and provide overall visa application guidance, any opinions expressed are the personal views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Government.

There is a separate Immigrant and Diversity Visa thread at https://www.nairaland.com/1792591/u.s-immigration-questions-ask-u.s., also handled by a U.S. Foreign Service Officers in Nigeria, so please use this thread only for questions about Non-Immigrant Visas.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Our best,
AbujaNIV

Hello V.O, good job and GODbless you. I've got just two questions:
1. I did my court marriage couple of weeks ago and will be having the church wedding in 2months after Which I will love to be US for my honey moon for a week or two. What documents are expected of me at the embassy as I have a relative in Maryland ready to assist with all necessary docs?

2: How long does the process take and what are my chances.?

Thanks in anticipation.

Dear VO. I applied for a visitor visa in september
last year to spend the 2014 Christmas with my dad
(USC).
my dad got naturalized in 2009 and he has since
been processing papers for me, my wife and my
two children. I went with every necessary
documents bearing in mind that I have a good job
with Babcock.
At the interview, the vo did not request for anything
other than the question "HAVE YOU TRAVELLED
BEFORE" and "DOES YOUR WIFE HAVE A VISA" to
which I Gave a negative answer which is the truth.
Almost immediately (the interview did not last up to
60seconds) she told me I was not eligible. I
assumed it was because I have never travelled
before but I did possess all the required documents
to make this possible.
I wish to apply again, to visit my dad sometime
soon. what should I do to make it possible this time.

Hello Nairaland,
I applied for j-1 visa in September 3rd, 2014 but my ds-2019 had not gotten to me so I decided to appear for the interview which they gave me opportunity to come back when I get my ds-2019. I went back to the embassy on the 18th February with complete documents and I was granted visa that I should pick up the following Monday (23rd february) but to my surprise, no mail, sms or call to notify me. I'd been at thhe pick up center several times without result. Meanwhile, I was mailing and calling customer care but no positive response whatsoever but to wait till I'm notified. So I summoned courage to go and complain at Walter carington V-I where they told me to go and fill another ds-160 and come and submit today which I did. All they said was to ask where my passport is (already with them) and re-submitted ds-2019. So he said I should go that they will give me a call. I asked what really happened but he said do I need to be told all the stories.
Now I've spent 2 weeks from the date I'm supposed to resume and I just have to wait for their call.
Can you pls tell me what to do?

@Abujaniv, @Lagosniv

Please can you kindly assist with reason for refusal. My fiancee and I planned attending a church conference in US. She applied and was refused. I have a visa and she stated in her application that she will be going with someone, A friend. She works in a decent company and earns 50k monthly. She has actually saved some money for this event. We are even having our wedding in June 2015. What is your advise?

Hi there,a friend of mine overstayed n was subsequently refused recently. She actually gave birth in d US and would love to visit the US again,what should she do?

Please I tried to book for interview today by signup after which I like was logged in,the available time is not okay for me then I logged out,but to logging again after some hours became problems, please help me out.

Greetings Nairalanders,

Please help us get the word out that non-immigrant visa (NIV) applicants do not need to queue for their appointments more than 30 minutes ahead of time. We realize that especially in Lagos, people often come very early for their appointments to avoid being stuck in traffic; but there’s no need to join the queue hours early. Queuing so early creates large crowds who must stand in the heat (and sometimes the rain), putting themselves at risk from passing vehicles, and also blocking the road to drivers. These crowds are dangerous and unpleasant for applicants!

Also, queuing so early does not get you in and out of your interview more quickly, as we see applicants in order according to their interview times. We guarantee that If you join the queue 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment, you will be inside our waiting room in time for your interview.

Please be considerate and do your part to keep our queue from turning into a crowd.

On a separate note, lately most of the questions posted in this thread have been about individual cases (“What are my chances?” or “Why was I refused?”). Please remember that we do not comment on individual cases. We thank you for your understanding!

Greetings Nairalanders,

Please review the guidance and regulations below to ensure that you are prepared for your visa interview:

• Applicants must submit their online DS-160 applications two business days prior to the interview date. Applicants who fail to do so may be turned away and required to schedule a new interview and pay a new visa fee.

• Applicants are not permitted change or modify the DS-160 application once it has been submitted. Please check that all information is correct when assisting others with their applications.

• The completed DS-160 application form will generate a confirmation page with an alpha-numeric barcode, which must be used to schedule an interview appointment.

• Applicants must also print the DS-160 confirmation page and bring it with them to the interview. The alpha-numeric barcode on the DS-160 confirmation page will be compared to Mission Nigeria’s applicant entry list. If the barcode on your confirmation page does not match the barcode on the entry list, your will be turned away and instructed to schedule a new appointment and pay a new visa fee.

• Attempts to manipulate the appointment system – such as selecting a visa class for which you are ineligible – as a means to procure an earlier appointment date will result in additional fees and processing time, as you will be turned away and required to schedule a new appointment and pay a new visa fee.

• Similarly, all drop box visa applicants must register their MRV fee receipts through the appointment system and answer the drop box screening questions in order to participate in this program. Drop box-eligible applicants must include the Drop Box Confirmation Page in their application packet in order to qualify.

Our Best,
AbujaNIV

Hi Visa Officer

Quick question please.

When submitting an invitation letter for a tourist visa on a trip that is self sponsored (meaning the traveler will only be staying with the person sending the invitation but all other expenses are paid by self) does one also need supporting documents like W-4, proof of employment for the person who is inviting or will the letter suffice?

Thanks

Dear VO,pls I submitted my papers for US visa renewal for my wife,my daughter and my son.About 2 weeks later,I got a mail that our passports are ready at DHL but my daughters passport was not sent along with the others.She is 14.Ive since called the customer care and all I got in response was the visa was still in process.My daughter missed a trip to the UK just because her passport was stuck at the U.S. consulate.Pls what can I do as I have no information at all.Its six weeks already.Thank you.
Her passport no is A05869408

I applied for a B1/B2 VISA in 2011 and my passport was said to be not qualified to be used for the application so,i was asked to get another one. I claimed I knew no one at that time and when I applied again an agent which I employed his services prepared my documents and got someone to invite me ,claiming that he is my uncle . That same application was denied even though i answered all questions asked. I have applied again and was refused because I couldn't give details of my claimed relative in the US. What can I do to come clean regarding the false information I gave about the uncle of mine I never had living in the US because something tells me its on that basis am been consistently refused

Apart from the Ticket, what other documents are required for booking a flight to America.
Cos i heard about some medical stuff like the yellow fever card.
Please i need info cause my uncle will be travel ready in two months time.
RASAP

Hi VO,
I and my family have been refused B1/B2 visa twice
we all have been to UK and we still have valid visa
I am self Employed, I am into bureau De change (Authorised forex dealer), I have my own registered company with good monthly Turn over
my personal account too is very ok.
Am I been denied because i am self employed

On DS-160 Form, under primary occupation i choose Business and I wrote Self employed in the colum present employer or school name

please VO guide me as i am planning to go back to US embassy next week

Thank you

Dear VO,
I planned to visit South Africa last year December to spend my end of the year holiday there, but i didn't made because my mother felt sick and which is so terrible and i cannot leave her and travel abroad in that condition (She's now a late). The South Africa Visa is now expired without using it and which am now planning to apply for US Business Visa in few months to this time...I want to know if the expired South Africa Visa will not cause any error while being at the US embassy for the interview.

Please my husband's visa was revoked in the year 2012 @ Heathrow airport, London because he has a wound on his leg which he treated but still fresh. He was hit by a motorcycle here in Lagos Nigeria before he travelled to London then from London to travel to USA, during search at d airport, they noticed the wound and revoked his visa and his wound was misjudged to be a bullet wound. He has all his medical report from the hospital that treated him in London. During our last Interview on march 11th, 2015, he explained everything to the consular office but still, we were denied visa. Pls what can he do, to clear himself up? He is Innocent.

Kindly avail me your thoughts on my dilemma as stated below:

QUES 1.
I and my wife 'playfully' (ie without any serious intention to immigrate) applied for DV 2012 and we didnt even bother to find out whether we won or not, though we didnt get any correspondence that we had been selected.

Fastforward to 2015, myself, wify and 2 children are planning to apply for tourist visa to the US.

Do you think that 'playful' DV application will not be our undoing now (cos I dont know whether our names will pop up in their system as people who have once applied for DV before(immigration visa) now applying for non-immigrant tourist visa)

N/B:
We have previously travelled as a family to the UK in 2013 and will be doing same this year.

Thank you as I await your response.

Gud day all pls I need an explanation when they ask u ur monthly income do dy mean d one u receive after tax or before tax .thks

Hello VO, please I will like to know if one is renewing his b1/b2 and can't remember his parents DOB that was initially filled can one just ignore the question by clicking on the not applicable box or fill in the DOB that he believes was likely to be used.

Thank you

Hello Visa Officer,
Thank you for your excellent work here for us all.
I was denied a B1/B2 visa on 11th March 2015 at the US consulate in Lagos, Nigeria. Below are my experience with a "lady" Visa Officer;
VO: Hello
Me: Hello
VO: Who are you going to meet in Bleep State in America
Me: My relative
VO: What does he do in America?
Me: He is a Nurse
VO: Who is sponsoring your trip?
Me: Myself
VO: What do you do?
Me: I am a welding Instructor
VO: How much is your monthly salary?
Me: 120000 naira
VO: Is this your first time traveling?
Me: Yes
VO: Are you married?
Me: Yes
VO: Any child?
Me: No
VO: Please place your left four fingers on the bio data machine
Me: OK
VO: Sir, at the moment we cannot get you a visa. You can try again. Thank you!
Now my question is... Can I apply for an F1 Visa within a period of 30 days or I should wait till after 90 days? Kindly advice.
Thank you.

Hi VisaOfficer,

I'm applying for a certificate programme at University of Pacific California for a 6-month course which includes classroom classes and clinical attachment.
Do I qualify for a student visa, or which other type of visa can I apply for?

Thanks,

Hi abujaniv,

How's it going? I've got a 2-year US visa which expires in August (I also plan to visit the US in August), and I would like to know if I have to wait till it expires before I can use the dropbox renewal service, or if I can start the renewal process before the expiry date.

Thanks.

Greetings all, and thanks very much for your questions.

A number of the questions regard the reasons for individual refusals, or are requests for us to tell you your "chances" for a visa issuance. Again, we cannot comment on the reasons for any individual refusal on this forum, nor will we discuss your "chances" for a visa with you.

There was a question about following up on a child's passport location, when the rest of the family's passports have been returned to DHL with visas. This sounds like a case of the 14-year old child needing to come in for fingerprinting prior to being issued via our dropbox program. However, DHL isn't the one to ask about this. We reccomend you contact our office directly (LagosNIV@state.gov ) to inquire about the passport's whereabouts and any additional requirements prior to visa issuance.

A number of people have asked questions regarding invitation letters and other documentary evidence needed for visa issuance. (One person even asked if we want to see a W-4 for the applicant's friend in the US.) A reminder that we do NOT require letters of invitation for B1/B2 visa applications, nor do we generally require any kind of paperwork at all. You're coming to the consular section for an in-person interview, not to drop off documents. If there's a document you need and you don't have it, we're always able to give you a chance to come back with it. But - especially for B1/B2 applications - it's very rare that we'll look at any documents at all, and we generally don't need any documents to make our decision. So there's no need fretting over an invitation letter, proof of employment, or something like a W-4.

Another writer has asked about what he can do regarding having falsely claimed he has a relation in the U.S. Again, we cannot comment on individual cases, but we would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to please be honest in any interactions with the U.S. government. We take fraud and misrepresentation very seriously, and misrepresenting yourself to get a visa can have life-long consequences.

There was a question about playing the diversity visa (DV) lottery, and how it impacts future non-immigrant visa issuance. We look at a number of areas to determine immigrant intent, including work, prior travel, family status, social and cultural ties to Nigeria, prior interactions with the U.S. government, pending immigrant visa petitions, and many other factors. While a DV entry might be one factor a consular officer could consider during adjudication, it would not be the only one, nor the sole factor for any decision regarding visa issuance.

Thanks again for your questions everyone. We look forward to continue commenting on as many issues as we can.

abujaniv:
Greetings all, and thanks very much for your questions.
A number of the questions regard the reasons for individual refusals, or are requests for us to tell you your "chances" for a visa issuance. Again, we cannot comment on the reasons for any individual refusal on this forum, nor will we discuss your "chances" for a visa with you.
There was a question about following up on a child's passport location, when the rest of the family's passports have been returned to DHL with visas. This sounds like a case of the 14-year old child needing to come in for fingerprinting prior to being issued via our dropbox program. However, DHL isn't the one to ask about this. We reccomend you contact our office directly (LagosNIV@state.gov ) to inquire about the passport's whereabouts and any additional requirements prior to visa issuance.
A number of people have asked questions regarding invitation letters and other documentary evidence needed for visa issuance. (One person even asked if we want to see a W-4 for the applicant's friend in the US.) A reminder that we do NOT require letters of invitation for B1/B2 visa applications, nor do we generally require any kind of paperwork at all. You're coming to the consular section for an in-person interview, not to drop off documents. If there's a document you need and you don't have it, we're always able to give you a chance to come back with it. But - especially for B1/B2 applications - it's very rare that we'll look at any documents at all, and we generally don't need any documents to make our decision. So there's no need fretting over an invitation letter, proof of employment, or something like a W-4.
Another writer has asked about what he can do regarding having falsely claimed he has a relation in the U.S. Again, we cannot comment on individual cases, but we would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to please be honest in any interactions with the U.S. government. We take fraud and misrepresentation very seriously, and misrepresenting yourself to get a visa can have life-long consequences.
There was a question about playing the diversity visa (DV) lottery, and how it impacts future non-immigrant visa issuance. We look at a number of areas to determine immigrant intent, including work, prior travel, family status, social and cultural ties to Nigeria, prior interactions with the U.S. government, pending immigrant visa petitions, and many other factors. While a DV entry might be one factor a consular officer could consider during adjudication, it would not be the only one, nor the sole factor for any decision regarding visa issuance.
Thanks again for your questions everyone. We look forward to continue commenting on as many issues as we can.

Hello VO so if i put to bed and i return i will have to renew my visa in order for me to visit again secondly what if i leave my first child who is an infant behind with my husband to have my second child in the US how do i get a visa for my first child when we want to travel for hoildays will he also go for an interview or drop box