pinkup15:
Dear VO
great Job you are doing here, i must confess
1. sequel to this post, i felt B2 was for tourism as B1/B2 kept showing ''business'' yet i intend going on holiday. i have paid visa fees and booked interview for B2. have i done wrong
2. few friends i have claim their DS160 asked them about present employment, past employment & school. i am worried mine only asked for present employment. As such, i have not submitted my DS160 online. i am 34yrs & single. is there an anomaly in the system or all is well with my ds160

We lump together the business (B1) and tourist (B2) visa classes since so many people are travelling for both purposes. Even if you have only listed B2 on your application, we will probably update it when you arrive at the embassy.

Just fill out what the DS-160 asks you and don't try to overthink it.

...

... I would suggest that you not re-apply until your situation changes.[/quote]

Dear VO, what's thr likely situation that need to change before i apply?

Dear Visa Officer, Kindly advise me on all the likely situation that needs to change in my case. I will really love to visit and spend few weeks with my inlaw in NY. i have the means for my travelling.

Thanks

LagosNIV:


... I would suggest that you not re-apply until your situation changes.

Sconty09:
Dear Visa Officer, Kindly advise me on all the likely situation that needs to change in my case. I will really love to visit and spend few weeks with my inlaw in NY. i have the means for my travelling.

Thanks

As we've already mentioned, we aren't in the business of coaching people on how to pass the interview. I suggest you read through this entire thread where we have repeatedly outlined how VOs assess your ties to Nigeria.

uptown17:
Dear VO thanks for the response
Am going on vacation to a state and want to sponsor my mum to visit her friend in another state. Due to lack of Nigerian passports in some states, I did not wait for mum to get an E passport. I scheduled just my interview, but haven't submitted the ds160
Now she has her E- passport, should she
1. fill ds160 and say we are travelling together?
2. Can I change the appointment to now include both of us?
3. Or can she just book same appointment time with me and we will be allowed to do the interview together?

Booking appointments is not something that the VOs handle - I suggest you visit the U.S. Embassy website and send an e-mail to the folks who do the scheduling for specific information on how that can be done. As far as filling out your travel plans... if you are travelling together then why would you not say that you are travelling together?

@LagosNiv @abujaNiv
Hello Visa Officer,
I have had a 2-year b1/b2 visa issued twice(last one expired in 2013 November) I have also had an F1 visa issued which expires next month. In addition I have an EAD card(OPT issued in June) I left the US in June because I found I job in Nigeria and I love being close to my family. However, I have a conference to attend in November in Newyork and would like to attend.
1) is it ok to apply for a B1/B2 since my purpose of travel is just to attend the conference? Because I don't want to go into
The US with my EAD card as that would be dishonest, since I'm not going to work.
2) I know I'm eligible for a dropbox, do I still need to fill out a DS160 or is there any other form I need to fill. Can you walk me through the process of the dropbox. (I have searched online and still don't get it)
3) I hope I wouldn't be confusing the embassy cos I have a valid F1, valid EAD yet I want a B1/B2 because the purpose of my travel is just for the conference? FYI : I am not using the F1 or EAD cos I decided to relocate back to Nigeria after being done with my studies.
Could you advice me generally?

Thanks,

LagosNIV:

There is no way to tell how long administrative processing will take - we don't know ourselves. If you need to pick up your passport to travel somewhere else then you are welcome to contact the U.S. Consulate.

[quote author=LagosNIV post=37131210]
Thanks for your help VO,
I got my passport with visa today after 10 business days.
Cheers.

hello,
I have a son who happens to be a US citizen,He is a year and 6 months old, few months ago i applied for a tourist visa to take my son to the US to visit his dad and i was denied...Now i intend reapplying,my son does not need a visa cos he has a US passport,but i really need the visa because my son needs to see his dad...what should i do ?

Thanks for your prompt response, i have just joined this page on visa issues,I would be happy if you can send me a link to how VO assess ties to Nigeria.

Thanks

LagosNIV:


As we've already mentioned, we aren't in the business of coaching people on how to pass the interview. I suggest you read through this entire thread where we have repeatedly outlined how VOs assess your ties to Nigeria.

Dear Vo,
pls permit me to rephrase my question. I was NOT given any letter, same as the first time. why is that

LagosNIV:


As the generic letter states, you were probably refused under section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. As a matter of policy, we don't give applicants specific reasons - we aren't here to coach people through the visa process when they aren't qualified.

abujaniv:


Hello chinelo5,

Several things:
1) Yes, apply online and drop off your passport with confirmation page to DHL in Port Harcourt. Learn more here --> http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ng/ng-niv-visarenew.asp
2) We do not require additional documents for our interviews so you shouldn't be surprised that we didn't ask to see them!
3) Lagos and Abuja are the only places where we do visa interviews. If it is determined that an interview is needed to adjudicate your case, you must decide now which location is most convenient for you.

Regards,
Abuja NIV Team

I just saw this. Thanks for your response.

Hello,
I got my F1 Student visa application approved on Monday and received my passport yesterday. When I looked closely at the visa, however, I saw that under 'annotation' my school name was misspelled. I will leave the country next week to pursue an undergraduate study in Massachusetts. Would this be a problem at the point of entry? Also, there is one star under my picture in the visa. What does this mean?

Kemo88:
@LagosNiv @abujaNiv
Hello Visa Officer,
I have had a 2-year b1/b2 visa issued twice(last one expired in 2013 November) I have also had an F1 visa issued which expires next month. In addition I have an EAD card(OPT issued in June) I left the US in June because I found I job in Nigeria and I love being close to my family. However, I have a conference to attend in November in Newyork and would like to attend.
1) is it ok to apply for a B1/B2 since my purpose of travel is just to attend the conference? Because I don't want to go into
The US with my EAD card as that would be dishonest, since I'm not going to work.
2) I know I'm eligible for a dropbox, do I still need to fill out a DS160 or is there any other form I need to fill. Can you walk me through the process of the dropbox. (I have searched online and still don't get it)
3) I hope I wouldn't be confusing the embassy cos I have a valid F1, valid EAD yet I want a B1/B2 because the purpose of my travel is just for the conference? FYI : I am not using the F1 or EAD cos I decided to relocate back to Nigeria after being done with my studies.
Could you advice me generally?

Thanks,

Not only is entering with your EAD card to go to school dishonet - it's also illegal. If you get sent to secondary at the POE they could potentially revoke everything and ban you from the country.

You need to start the application just like anyone else to submit through dropbox - full instructions can be found here: http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/niv_dropbox.html

You won't confuse us - plenty of people travel on multiple visa classes.

olajebu:
hello,
I have a son who happens to be a US citizen,He is a year and 6 months old, few months ago i applied for a tourist visa to take my son to the US to visit his dad and i was denied...Now i intend reapplying,my son does not need a visa cos he has a US passport,but i really need the visa because my son needs to see his dad...what should i do ?

You are eligible to re-apply for the visa, but you will have to be found eligible under U.S. immigration law.
Have you considered looking into an immigrant visa?

mimzy:
Dear Vo,
pls permit me to rephrase my question. I was NOT given any letter, same as the first time. why is that

I don't know what you were told during your interview. I have no way of knowing what is going on with your case. Were you told that you weren't eligible for some reason?

angel2019:
Hello,
I got my F1 Student visa application approved on Monday and received my passport yesterday. When I looked closely at the visa, however, I saw that under 'annotation' my school name was misspelled. I will leave the country next week to pursue an undergraduate study in Massachusetts. Would this be a problem at the point of entry? Also, there is one star under my picture in the visa. What does this mean?

Contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to make a correction if you have confirmed the misspelling. They can advise you on how to correct this.

AbujaNIV and I try to get to your questions as soon as possible, but if you are looking for a quicker response time you can join our Google Hangout on August 28th at 12 noon. Three American Visa Officers and Oluwaseun P of 99.3 NigeriaInfo FM will be responding to your visa related questions live: https://plus.google.com/events/c21kfgf7raio6u0539vn0d8i10o #AsktheVOs

the vo only told me and i quote "i am deeply sorry but i will not be able to grant your visa at this time. your are welcome to reapply again

LagosNIV:


I don't know what you were told during your interview. I have no way of knowing what is going on with your case. Were you told that you weren't eligible for some reason?

@AbujaNIV, LagosNIV I filled the contact of the hotel that i'll stay during my visit as my contact organisation on my DS-160 because i don't have anybody or organisation in the US, hope that will not be a problem?

Hello VO,
I appreciate your work here. I have a valid tourist visa, I am planing a vacation for my 3children and wife. Will I be allowed to going in for the interview with them, I am the one sponsoring the trip. Will the major be allowed to come in with them even without a valid appointment. Am I required to come along with my passport (visa).

Hello VO,

Great responses. I have an enquiry too.
I applied to renew my non immigrant via Dropbox but I received a call inviting me to finger print at the embassy. Does this mean I have to be interviews? If so, what documentation do I need? I have sent an email but received no response.

Kindly note- this is my 3rd visa, I have travelled to the U.S. Several times and i applied with a new passport (I also sent my old passport with the application)

Hello VO!
I was previously denied NIV about 5 different times, the last was 3years ago. No particular reasons was given on these denials even with my traveling experience I was denied in the last 2 applications.
Now I'm planning to reapply for a family visit. Pls what shld I do this time? Also I cannot remember or find my previous DS-160 confirmation number, how can I get this number or I shld Js creat a new application?

Thank you

Good day to you VO. I say thank you for all the assistance you have been rendering here, it goes a mile.
Please Advise me, I was once previously denied a visa and i just paid another visa fee, i wish to retrieve and continue with my previous application on the form D160 and appointment selection, my problem however is that I could not access the email I used in My previous application , I forgot the password and all effort to access it through the alternate email I provided prove abortive, i am been told my profile already exist on the database in each attempt to book appointment, please what can I do to continue with my previous application with a new email address. Thank you

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 VO, My cousin wanted to visit the states for a technical training at their manufacturer's facility in CA. While filling his NIV application form, he omitted the space for employment history. Meanwhile, he had ready included the code generated by the form in the space provided in the online appointment booking form. Having discovered this error of omission, he quickly filled another form, included the employment history in the new form. He went to the appointment booking form online to make the correction by replacing the old code with the new one. Each time he entered the new code, the next page would appear in error. This means the appointment form couldn't accept the new code for replacement. According to him, he sent the embassy an email via the appointment form portal and a query ticket was opened for him. Up till now, there was no response and he would soon have an appointment with the embassy. Please what can he do to have the code replaced successfully on the appointment form online? Cheers.

Good morning VISA officer.
I had my interview on the 11th of August for a J1 VISA for a Masters degree in the States (my sponsors insisted on J1 so I could be subject to the 2 year residency requirement).

My VISA was approved and I was told to pick up in 3 days. I went to the pickup center but my passport wasn't there. I emailed LagosNIV and they said some VISAs need more time, its still being processed and that they'ld contact me when its ready.

Its almost 2 weeks now and I haven't heard anythiing. I am so worried because I am already missing orientation and I have been given me until the 28th of August to arrive otherwise I lose a year and lose my full scholarship.

I thought the consulate was considerate of students and resumption dates but it doesn't look like that anymore

Please what can I do in my case?
Passport no: A04503391

Thankyou.

Same thing with me. Mine was since 11th of August. I don't know what to do cos if I don't get my passport in 1 week, I will lose an opportunity of a lifetime

akanjay4321:



Dear VO,
I today received a response from lagosNIV stating that my visa is not ready and some applications take longer to process than anticipated.
Does this mean my application is undergoing administrative processing? I was not given any slip stating administrative processing at the interview I was only told visa approved go for collection in two days.
How do I find out a time frame within which my visa will be ready, my travel date is fast approaching...
Thanks.

Dear Vo,
Is a month old baby entitled to drop box along side parent or required to attend interview.
Thank you

staa:
Dear Vo,
Is a month old baby entitled to drop box along side parent or required to attend interview.
Thank you

Unless the individual has held a previous visa (which a newborn child has not), they do not meet the requirements for dropbox. A parent will have to come to an interview with the child.

9jalibrarian:
@AbujaNIV, LagosNIV I filled the contact of the hotel that i'll stay during my visit as my contact organisation on my DS-160 because i don't have anybody or organisation in the US, hope that will not be a problem?

You can do that - we realize that folks going on vacation don't always have a contact person in the U.S.

Dovent:
Hello VO,
I appreciate your work here. I have a valid tourist visa, I am planing a vacation for my 3children and wife. Will I be allowed to going in for the interview with them, I am the one sponsoring the trip. Will the major be allowed to come in with them even without a valid appointment. Am I required to come along with my passport (visa).

You probably won't be allowed to attend the interview - the children can have a parent with them, but your wife will already be interviewing. Just give her your passport if you want to show the VO that you already have a visa.

Mamamoby:
Hello VO,

Great responses. I have an enquiry too.
I applied to renew my non immigrant via Dropbox but I received a call inviting me to finger print at the embassy. Does this mean I have to be interviews? If so, what documentation do I need? I have sent an email but received no response.

Kindly note- this is my 3rd visa, I have travelled to the U.S. Several times and i applied with a new passport (I also sent my old passport with the application)

You need the same documentation you would need for an interview... We have gone over what this information is for the different visa classes on several occassions. If you are coming in, you have probably been randomly selected from the drop box for an interview.