Itstyme:
For someone who resides in a different country from his birth country, i.e. Lives in UK legally but he's from Nigeria. Is he/she expected to return to Nigeria to obtain his immigrant visa after a successful filing ? Or he can remain and obtain his immigrant visa from the present country of residence.

No, you can remain in any country where you are residing while you file and interview for your immigrant visa.

brielbiz:
Hello VO,
My fiance (an American citizen) is about filling Form I-129F, our relationship has serveral red flags, wide age difference, different race, also she will be unable to have my child, but i truely love her so much, she has visited twice, meet my family and I want to spend my life with her. Now my question, is there any chance I will qualify for a visa considering all the several red flags (about 6 in this case) and since i will be applying from Nigeria where there are high rate of visa fraud.

Every visa is adjudicated based on the merits of the individual relationship - it's not based on 'chances.'

Obynocyse:
Hello VO,
I need your advice. A family who knew my family filled a visa petition for me on the grounds of adoption(because of the way things were then my dad was late and mum couldn't take care of me) which was approved by the department of Homeland Security office BUT I was not granted visa and Homeland Security was asked to review the process for possible revocation.

Now I have been denied visa twice possibly, because I didn't indicate the petition in the ds160 form although not purposely because I just stumbled on the paper that was giving to us that day (2007).

I want to know if I still have chances of getting a non immigrant visa when next I apply stating the petition in the ds160 AND how do I go about it because we are no longer depended on that family as I have a well paying job now and intend to further my studies in the US.

It sounds like you may not have been legally qualified for the U.S. visa... This can raise some serious questions in any future applications about the credibility of your application.

Good morning, VO.

I recently applied to have my name changed on my Social Security card, based on my recent marriage that took place at the local government registry in Akure, Ondo State. Social Security denied my request for the name change, after forwarding a copy of my marriage certificate to their regional office in Chicago. They will not give me a specific reason for the denial, other than that the regional office will not recocognize my Nigerian marriage certificate, and they gave me as my only option that I could petition my local circuit court to change my name. That solution is unacceptable, as I am changing my name due to marriage, not because I simply wish to change my birth name for no reason other than that I want a new name.

The manager of the local SSA office told me that, should I file a SSA claim, only then would SSA forward my Nigerian marriage certificate to a Foreign Service officer for authentication. Since I am not filing a claim, but filing just to change my surname, SSA has refused to go further to authenticate the document.

After several phone calls, further and further up the SSA chain of command, a frontline manager told me that I should have stopped by the Embassy to have my marriage certificate authenticated before I left Nigeria to come home.

My questions for you...Is this, in fact, true? Should I have come to the embassy to have my marriage certificate authenticated, prior to returning to the United States? If this is true, could you direct me to the public policy that would have instructed me to do so? And, lastly, if this is something that I should have done, what recourse do I have in order to have the embassy authenticate my marriage certificate, now that I am already at home?

Thank you, in advance, for your response to my questions.

Hello

How long does it takes the embassy to make a decision after reviewing requested documemts that are submitted after an interview.

Every case has to be assessed individually - they may need more documents. We work to complete cases as quickly as possible.

Benjamins:
Hi VO,
Is it ok to apply for a non-immigrant visa while waiting for the approval on an immigrant [F4 category] visa?
Thanks!

Yes

Hello Ma,

I hope all is well and thank you so much for helping people like us with answers.

My husband went to his interview and they requested facebook and whatsapp screenshots for all the years we have been talking, if we provide them will they grant his visa? We genuinely love each other and my kids and i really miss him. We met in Nigeria when we were kids and we lost touch when i left Home for the united states, we reconnected some years back and one thing led to the other and here we are. I am just wondering what else we can submit to prove our relationship, all our friends and families know about our love for each other and being apart these two years has been torture for us. Please help us with answers.

I don't know the specifics of your case, but if they've requested additional information he will need to provide that before the case can move forward. I recommend provide all requested information as soon as possible to keep the process moving forward.

bleek147:
Good morning sir,

i want to ask if there is any possibility if a man get married to her america citizen woman and went to the embassy together.
would they isaue out visa for the man to go back with his wife to the US.

please advise.

thank you sir

No, the immigrant visa petition requires a petition filed with a different agency. I recommend you read through this thread for more information on that process.

ekaetea:
Hello

Please I want to ask a question. My husband filed for f2a visa petitions for I and our 2 kids. We just recently received our interview letters but we were scheduled for 3 different days, though consecutive 21, 22, 23. Please is this normal because I thought we would be having our interview together as a family. Is there something wrong with this? Because I can't seem to find anyone with this experience so far.

Or should I call the consulate and reschedule the interviews for one day?
Thanks so much, awaiting your reply.

For concerns like this you should reach out to the Consulate directly.

Queena123:
Hello consular. My question is . My mom filed for me in 2010 while i was single. Now I am married and have a child. I received a letter saying I should choose an agent and pay fees. Is my change in marital status going to delay my immediate travelling with my family. Pls advise

It may, I don't know all of the circumstances surrounding your case. That being said, being honest is always the best option throughout this process as willfully misrepresenting could result in an ineligibility for the visa.

flyhigh1881:
Hello VO. Kindly advise.

My brother(a US citizen) invited my mum over to the US some years ago. She later got her permanent residency. However due to an emergency,she had to quickly come to Nigeria for a short visit but later fell ill and had to stay in Nigeria for about 5 years. Now she wants to go back to US and we don't know what to do. The expiry date on her card is 2018. Can she just buy ticket and go to the US? Someone said she can't use the card anymore and the status is expired. Is it true? Does she need to go apply for another visa? If yes,what type of visa? Also what type of documents does she need to show during the interview. She still has her work cards.

Please respond. Thanks

She will need to apply for returning resident status - it will be determined whether or not she is granted this status at the interview.

Iflyjetstoo:
Good morning, VO.

I recently applied to have my name changed on my Social Security card, based on my recent marriage that took place at the local government registry in Akure, Ondo State. Social Security denied my request for the name change, after forwarding a copy of my marriage certificate to their regional office in Chicago. They will not give me a specific reason for the denial, other than that the regional office will not recocognize my Nigerian marriage certificate, and they gave me as my only option that I could petition my local circuit court to change my name. That solution is unacceptable, as I am changing my name due to marriage, not because I simply wish to change my birth name for no reason other than that I want a new name.

The manager of the local SSA office told me that, should I file a SSA claim, only then would SSA forward my Nigerian marriage certificate to a Foreign Service officer for authentication. Since I am not filing a claim, but filing just to change my surname, SSA has refused to go further to authenticate the document.

After several phone calls, further and further up the SSA chain of command, a frontline manager told me that I should have stopped by the Embassy to have my marriage certificate authenticated before I left Nigeria to come home.

My questions for you...Is this, in fact, true? Should I have come to the embassy to have my marriage certificate authenticated, prior to returning to the United States? If this is true, could you direct me to the public policy that would have instructed me to do so? And, lastly, if this is something that I should have done, what recourse do I have in order to have the embassy authenticate my marriage certificate, now that I am already at home?

Thank you, in advance, for your response to my questions.

We don't deal with social security - that is another agency. Once we have granted the visa, we are done with the immigrant visa process. That being said, for someone immigrating to the United States it is very odd to travel before making sure that all of your paperwork is straight.

LagosNIV:


We don't deal with social security - that is another agency. Once we have granted the visa, we are done with the immigrant visa process. That being said, for someone immigrating to the United States it is very odd to travel before making sure that all of your paperwork is straight.

My husband has not travelled yet. This question had to do with my name change, as the bride, and I am the U.S. citizen. Social Security is telling me that I should have had the consulate in Nigeria authenticate my marriage certificate before I returned to the United States.

Iflyjetstoo:


My husband has not travelled yet. This question had to do with my name change, as the bride, and I am the U.S. citizen. Social Security is telling me that I should have had the consulate in Nigeria authenticate my marriage certificate before I returned to the United States.

Ok, you should do what they are asking you to do. Again, we don't control what SSA wants or what SSA does. I can't provide details on their policy because I don't have their policy. If your husband hasn't traveled yet, he should be able to get this done in Nigeria.

LagosNIV:


Ok, you should do what they are asking you to do. Again, we don't control what SSA wants or what SSA does. I can't provide details on their policy because I don't have their policy. If your husband hasn't traveled yet, he should be able to get this done in Nigeria.

Okay...so my question is this. SSA told me that you folks, at the consulate, will authenticate our Nigerian marriage certificate. I cannot find out any information about this on your website. Is this something that your personnel at the consulate will do for us? If so, I will have my husband bring a certified copy of our marriage certificate to the consulate in Lagos.

I appreciate that you cannot speak to SSA policy, but SSA is telling me that you, at the consulate, have a policy that allows a foreign service officer there to authenticate my Nigerian marriage certificate.

Iflyjetstoo:


Okay...so my question is this. SSA told me that you folks, at the consulate, will authenticate our Nigerian marriage certificate. I cannot find out any information about this on your website. Is this something that your personnel at the consulate will do for us? If so, I will have my husband bring a certified copy of our marriage certificate to the consulate in Lagos.

I appreciate that you cannot speak to SSA policy, but SSA is telling me that you, at the consulate, have a policy that allows a foreign service officer there to authenticate my Nigerian marriage certificate.

We cannot "authenticate" a document, but a consular officer can review and notarize documents here. This is performed through the American Citizens Services section. We would require the original document to notarize a copy though.

Good evening consular official, Please I actually submitted my DV lottery application from the Netherlands and I would like to know in the event that I am selected for further processing will my case number start with EU or Af.my country of chargeabity is Ghana.Thanks very much for reading my post and looking forward to your reply.

TalliusCeciro:
Good evening consular official, Please I actually submitted my DV lottery application from the Netherlands and I would like to know in the event that I am selected for further processing will my case number start with EU or Af.my country of chargeabity is Ghana.Thanks very much for reading my post and looking forward to your reply.

If you are selected for the DV lottery, you will need to interview in the country where you submitted your application.

LagosNIV:


She will need to apply for returning resident status - it will be determined whether or not she is granted this status at the interview.

Thanks for your response. Please I have checked the immigrant visa section on your website but can't see where to apply for returning resident visa(SB1). I only saw K1 visa type.
Please where can I apply for this visa(schedule an appointment)?
Please direct me to the right place.
Thanks

Hello, thank you for your help. My I-129f petition for my fiancee recently got approved and has been sent to the NVC for processing. However, we are planning on having a introduction/ tradtional engagement ceremony according to Yoruba culture in a couple of months in Lagos. If she is approved for a K1-visa, we intend on having a court wedding as required within 90days upon her arrival, and a white wedding in the States within a year once she settles down.

1. Is it standard policy for the CO to consider all traditional yoruba ceremony a wedding even though we are just planning an engagement inline with Yoruba culture?

2. And if the answer to the above question is yes, will this affect her chances for a K1-visa if her interview is done before the ceremony? And what if the interview is held after the ceremony?

3. If she will be denied, what are our recourse at this point with an approved i-129f? Any advise.

4. Different question. I owe taxes on my tax returns and average about $35000 - 40000 a year with no significant savings plus student loans, will this affect my affidavit of support or do I need to get a cosponsor? If I can arrange for her preemployment, will that help, or not necessary since I am 125% above the poverty level?

5. Lastly, will I be able to attend the interview with her If I fly to Lagos?

Thanks a lot.

Good morning Consular officer,

A friend in his previous visa application had entered the wrong place of issue for his passport although he got his US visa. He is applying again using the same passport. I would like to know if he needs to enter the same information of the place of issue as the previous application or he can enter the correct information also would he have to notify the consulate about this.

Thank you.

flyhigh1881:


Thanks for your response. Please I have checked the immigrant visa section on your website but can't see where to apply for returning resident visa(SB1). I only saw K1 visa type.
Please where can I apply for this visa(schedule an appointment)?
Please direct me to the right place.
Thanks

You should contact the Consulate directly via email.

Yemo2020:
Hello, thank you for your help. My I-129f petition for my fiancee recently got approved and has been sent to the NVC for processing. However, we are planning on having a introduction/ tradtional engagement ceremony according to Yoruba culture in a couple of months in Lagos. If she is approved for a K1-visa, we intend on having a court wedding as required within 90days upon her arrival, and a white wedding in the States within a year once she settles down.

1. Is it standard policy for the CO to consider all traditional yoruba ceremony a wedding even though we are just planning an engagement inline with Yoruba culture?

2. And if the answer to the above question is yes, will this affect her chances for a K1-visa if her interview is done before the ceremony? And what if the interview is held after the ceremony?

3. If she will be denied, what are our recourse at this point with an approved i-129f? Any advise.

4. Different question. I owe taxes on my tax returns and average about $35000 - 40000 a year with no significant savings plus student loans, will this affect my affidavit of support or do I need to get a cosponsor? If I can arrange for her preemployment, will that help, or not necessary since I am 125% above the poverty level?

5. Lastly, will I be able to attend the interview with her If I fly to Lagos?

Thanks a lot.

The Yoruba introduction ceremony counts as marriage under Nigerian law, and therefore constitutes a marriage under US law, regardless of whether you call it "engagement" or something else. You cannot be someone's fiance if you are married to them. Also, if you get the K-1 visa and then do the Yoruba ceremony, you invalidate the visa.

As far as the affidavit of support is concerned, you need to meet the requirements stated and it needs to reflect on your previous tax documents. Having a new job does not assist in this matter.

And no, people who are not themselves are not allowed in to the interview.