omg_star: My concern is about the non-immigrant student visa. I was recently denied for "not being able to demonstrate strong home ties"! I was very bummed because I hate such rejection when I know am totally honest. Am being sponsored by my Uncle's Company which I've really worked with and intend to return back to work with (its a great company with better prospects for me here in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world!). I stated this out clearly in my application and at my interview but I was still denied. I was honest and "confident" at my interview but was still denied. How else can I "demonstrate strong home ties"?

Sorry to hear this. So many factors can play into the decision that I'm hesitant to give advice. Can you show that you've traveled elsewhere...? Again, this is such an individual thing, it's hard for me to tell you anything concrete.

emmpire: Dear VisaOfficer. Thanks for the great work you are doing here on this forum. I am a DV 2014 winner. I have an O' Level, OND (Ordinary National Diploma) and HND (Higher National Diploma). but my worry here is that the HND which I got thru a study center has not being issued yet cos the name of the school has been changed and the process of issuing statement of result is still ongoing. Meaning, I may not be able to present that HND statement of result should it not be readily available during the time of interview. But should it be, I would submit it but with a different school name from the one I was given during admission. As of now, I have already submitted my forms to KCC with the information. What should I do now?

PS. Should I also mail KCC informing them of this development, and should the result comes out before interview, should I also notify KCC with the new development of a different school name? Do u think I shold not worry myself as I am already qualified educationally (O'Level and OND) and job-wise? I will be most grateful if all the questions are touched. Thanks

KCC may or may not understand what all of that means -- they process applications from all over the world and can't know the details of every country. If I were you, I'd come to the interview with all the paperwork you have and be prepared to explain what's going on. If your story makes sense (which it does as written above) and if you're qualified educationally and job-wise, you should be fine. Good luck!

Malcolm28: Dear CO, I'd like to first of all appreciate the great work you are doing here. I have read all the posts and the very insightful replies you have given here. I am a DV2014 Selectee. I have already sent the filled out forms for myself, wife and 2 kids to KCC since May. My questions are as follows: 1. I live in Abuja with my family, can we have our medicals in Abuja before coming for the visa interview in Lagos or must the medicals be done at designated hospitals in lagos? 2. I haven't received a notification of receipt of my documents at KCC even though I have assurances that the documents have been delivered because I tracked the package sent through FedEx, do I assume everything is ok? 3. My case number is in the 76**range, when am I likely to have my interview. Looking forward to your responses. Thank you.

Congratulations!

1. The medical reports have to be processed by a panel physician who works with the Embassy or Consulate. There should be a list on the website, or you can e-mail the Embassy or Consulate and ask for the list.
2. I think you can aassume everything's okay. I imagine KCC is a little like my own office, and I know that when we're shortstaffed it can take me a little longer to open my mail, sort through it, make sure everything gets put in the right files, review the files to see what else needs to be done, and contact the applicants. So just because something arrived on August 2, it may not be processed on August 3. (We know this is stressful for people and we do try to hurry.)
3. Annoyingly, I have no idea how that part of the process works. My guess is six months? But that's just a guess. From my point of view, cases come to me and I interview people; I'm not sure how the cases are put into the queue.

Best of luck!

Sorry to hear this. It is easier for an older, more established person to demonstrate strong ties than for a young person, which can be hard for young people who really do intend to return to their home countries. So many factors can play into the decision that I'm hesitant to give advice. Can you show that you've traveled elsewhere...? Again, this is such an individual thing, it's hard for me to tell you anything concrete.[/quote]

YES. I actually had my undergraduate studies outside Nigeria, though within West Africa and I was always coming back home during my long vacations from school and worked with the company during these periods. Anyway, I've never been outside West Africa.

omg_star:

Sorry to hear this. It is easier for an older, more established person to demonstrate strong ties than for a young person, which can be hard for young people who really do intend to return to their home countries. So many factors can play into the decision that I'm hesitant to give advice. Can you show that you've traveled elsewhere...? Again, this is such an individual thing, it's hard for me to tell you anything concrete.

YES. I actually had my undergraduate studies outside Nigeria, though within West Africa and I was always coming back home during my long vacations from school and worked with the company during these periods. Anyway, I've never been outside West Africa.

I wish I had more insight for you on this one. As I said, there are just so many factors involved, and every case is different. It's really hard to say.

VisaOfficer:

The moderators here thought I was a scammer, too. They take good care of you guys! I sent one my real name, phone number, and e-mail address, and I guess he checked me out.

If you haven't spent more than 12 months in the UK, you won't need a police certificate. You're good to go.

Yup, i did, though you took it well, those details received, not in a hurry to check it though.

VisaOfficer:

Hi and thank you for the compliment! Much appreciated.

Have you seen https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ ? You should be able to access your information there. Let us know if it doesn't work for you. And best of luck with your application!

The link only takes one to the Entrant Status Check portal, which i can only check if i was selected or not. I need to view my original application. Do you think this is possible?

VisaOfficer:

My non-immigrant visa colleague replies: "Thank you for your inquiry. Every applicant must provide documentary evidence that sufficient funds are, or will be, available to defray all expenses during the entire period of anticipated stay. You must also demonstrate to the interviewing officer that you have enough readily available funds to meet all expenses for the first year of study. Your brother’s payslips and bank statements, as well as your uncle’s financial documents, are all credible documents. The interviewing officer must be convinced that you possess adequate funds for your entire course of study and living expenses."

Hope this helps!

thank you, and many thanks to your non-immigrant visa colleague.
I know that they are credible documents, and based on the answer, I have understood that the money in the account has to be sufficient, but what I actually wanted to know was if being co sponsored by my uncle who is a US citizen could mean to the visa officer that he might sponsor me to remain in the US thereby making me ineligible under section 214b.

Dear Visa officer,
i need your professional guidance,i got a student visa for 2 years in 2011 unfortunately i lost my sponsor after few weeks of my arrival, we were doing orientation then,so i had to defer my admission and return back home ,knowing fully well that i can't pay by myself and i have a fairly good job at home.
Now i want to reapply for study( masters) in a different school because my deferment has expired.my question is do i reapply for a new student visa or apply for re-newal.
thank you for taking your time to respond.

Vikktorr:

The link only takes one to the Entrant Status Check portal, which i can only check if i was selected or not. I need to view my original application. Do you think this is possible?

I don't think so. I think once it's submitted it's no longer available to be viewed. I hope the other readers will correct me if I'm wrong?

herawesomeness:

thank you, and many thanks to your non-immigrant visa colleague.
I know that they are credible documents, and based on the answer, I have understood that the money in the account has to be sufficient, but what I actually wanted to know was if being co sponsored by my uncle who is a US citizen could mean to the visa officer that he might sponsor me to remain in the US thereby making me ineligible under section 214b.

That shouldn't be a problem. For a student visa, we're much more interested in knowing that your story about where and what you want to study makes sense, and that you can afford it. Having a U.S. citizen uncle shouldn't be a strike against you.

savemysoul: Dear Visa officer,
i need your professional guidance,i got a student visa for 2 years in 2011 unfortunately i lost my sponsor after few weeks of my arrival, we were doing orientation then,so i had to defer my admission and return back home ,knowing fully well that i can't pay by myself and i have a fairly good job at home.
Now i want to reapply for study( masters) in a different school because my deferment has expired.my question is do i reapply for a new student visa or apply for re-newal.
thank you for taking your time to respond.

This is another question I'll need to ask a colleague about. I hope to have an answer for you Monday!

VisaOfficer:

Congratulations!

1. The medical reports have to be processed by a panel physician who works with the Embassy or Consulate. There should be a list on the website, or you can e-mail the Embassy or Consulate and ask for the list.
2. I think you can aassume everything's okay. I imagine KCC is a little like my own office, and I know that when we're shortstaffed it can take me a little longer to open my mail, sort through it, make sure everything gets put in the right files, review the files to see what else needs to be done, and contact the applicants. So just because something arrived on August 2, it may not be processed on August 3. (We know this is stressful for people and we do try to hurry.)
3. Annoyingly, I have no idea how that part of the process works. My guess is six months? But that's just a guess. From my point of view, cases come to me and I interview people; I'm not sure how the cases are put into the queue.

Best of luck!

Thanks for the answers. I'm sure i will get the specifics as the days go by. Much appreciated. Looking forward to be interviewed by YOU

VisaOfficer:

That shouldn't be a problem. For a student visa, we're much more interested in knowing that your story about where and what you want to study makes sense, and that you can afford it. Having a U.S. citizen uncle shouldn't be a strike against you.

Great! Thank you so much for your help.

[/quote]

savemysoul: Dear Visa officer,
i need your professional guidance,i got a student visa for 2 years in 2011 unfortunately i lost my sponsor after few weeks of my arrival, we were doing orientation then,so i had to defer my admission and return back home ,knowing fully well that i can't pay by myself and i have a fairly good job at home.
Now i want to reapply for study( masters) in a different school because my deferment has expired.my question is do i reapply for a new student visa or apply for re-newal.
thank you for taking your time to respond.

Thank you sir, i will wait until monday.

Consular Officer,What are the possible questions on conference visa interview in us embassy

[quote author=VisaOfficer]
dear sir, as at december 2011 i have been notified that i have been given approval for an immigrant visa under the family based visa grant. my wac numbers since show that, i have a 'post decision activity' since then i've not had any info. I fear i may loose the visa offer. is there anything my agent or I, needs to do at this time...

.

Hello Mr Consular Officer,thanks so much for your insightful analysis,explanations and suggestions.they are all very helpful.May God keep keeping you up.My twin sister won the DV 2013/2014 program as a single candidate but later got married this year March 2013,when filling out the forms,she included her spouse name on the ground that she cant leave her husband behind that their marriage is still young.My question now is that,what danger does this potray for her and is there any technical or otherwise grounds she could be disqualified and what are the chalenges she might likely face before,during and after interview?,considering the fact only recently your consulate uncovered a marriage fraud and am sure this might have a dire effect on the young couples who are genuinely married.Please advice accordingly.thank you.

Well, I am a U S citizen but really congratulating u in giving this information to people. This will help so many people from falling into the hands of fraudsters. You are doing a God's job. Once again, mucho gracias.

martinodonjay: Consular Officer,What are the possible questions on conference visa interview in us embassy

That depends on the officer, the conference, and your own background. There's no hard-and-fast rule that applies to every interview. Good luck!

Hi VisaOfficer,

Really great job with your responses and patient attention to every question. I'm a student applying for an F1 student visa. Got into a good school in Florida and school begins on the 12th of August. I had my visa interview scheduled for the 5th of August, and I have all required documents prepared. Boy, am I nervous because it seems like it all depends on this one visa interview on Monday. It was scheduled so close to my school resumption date and I'm really not exploring rejection as an option seeing as I don't want to miss any part of school or go through the whole process again. I'm afraid turning up late might have implications on my overall performance/welfare at the school. I've even had to book my flight for this Saturday the 10th. Hoping not to make this post too long, but here's me in a nutshell:
I'm 20 years old, already started undergraduate school at a university here in Nigeria and currently should be in my 3rd year if I didn't choose to discontinue based on the fact that I was offered a course of study contrary to what I applied for at the start. Some years back, I got admitted into the school and was placed in a department I knew next-to-nothing about and had zero passion towards, as a result of an error on their part. Don't want to go into too much detail but I took this major basically because my parents convinced me to give it a try and also because I intended to transfer to my preferred course in the 2nd year (later found out I couldn't). I eventually realized things weren't getting any better - from the educational system here (teachers are currently on strike) to my non-existent love for/passion towards this major, so I spoke to my parents, took my SATs which I fortunately scored high in, applied and got in to my prospective school.
I didn't look at 'transfer' as an option and applied undergraduate because I plan to start this intended major afresh. Now I'm mainly just concerned about starting as soon as possible while I'm young.

I've also unfortunately not been outside Nigeria besides a family trip to neighboring Benin Republic (not sure if that counts), but I come from a huge family that is well-traveled and mainly based in Lagos. I have parents and siblings which have studied abroad and are back working in Nigeria, who also travel abroad and back frequently.

Now what I'm worried about is the part where I have to demonstrate I have strong ties to my home country, as I see it's an area where a lot of people get rejected based on. I don't actually own real estate property, or have a wife and children/a thriving business I'm leaving back home, seeing as I'm still young and studying. My parents' house is in Lagos, and my sponsor (one of my siblings') house in another state. Apart from the fact that I have a large, thankfully-thriving family I'd be leaving behind in Nigeria (is that significant enough?), most of what I really have are personal concessions/intentions which require me to return home as soon as possible (oh the ticket I also booked was a return ticket with a return scheduled for spring next year).
For example, I'm majoring in a field that is evidently growing in demand in Nigeria and lacking in supply. It's alright in the US but much more of a growing hotcake in Nigeria. I basically plan to build my expertise in the US and then return to Nigeria to meet an increased demand, and also plan to influence the field in Nigeria in a way which should hopefully help develop it to greater standards.
With a team of friends, I also informally started up what I could call a "modern company" here in Nigeria. With our 'unofficial' skills we managed to pull of a bunch of good stuff, attend key events, meet some good people and get quite a bit of exposure. It mostly was a thing on the side, and never became a formal job, which is why I couldn't put it in my DS-160 online application as an actual job, but it's something I still plan to work on on-the-side while in school and definitely return to the country for, as it's something I'm really passionate about.

So, are these two personal things things I should state to the interviewer? Can they be taken into account? Is stating them significant enough? And is the fact that I also have a large family mainly based in Nigeria also significant enough proof of ties to my home country?
I'd also appreciate if you could offer me overall guidance based on my general situation, which I think might be peculiar. I know you specialize in immigrant visas but I thought my concerns were general concerns. Thanks again, and sorry about the lengthy post.

beccaventures: Hello Mr Consular Officer,thanks so much for your insightful analysis,explanations and suggestions.they are all very helpful.May God keep keeping you up.My twin sister won the DV 2013/2014 program as a single candidate but later got married this year March 2013,when filling out the forms,she included her spouse name on the ground that she cant leave her husband behind that their marriage is still young.My question now is that,what danger does this potray for her and is there any technical or otherwise grounds she could be disqualified and what are the chalenges she might likely face before,during and after interview?,considering the fact only recently your consulate uncovered a marriage fraud and am sure this might have a dire effect on the young couples who are genuinely married.Please advice accordingly.thank you.

I wouldn't worry too much. We know that people's lives continue and change even after they apply for a visa, so it's not a disqualification if someone gets married and/or has a baby AFTER they've already submitted their Diversity Visa entry. They can add new spouses and children later. It's only a disqualification if they forgot to list a spouse or children that they already had at the time of entry.

It is true that in many fraudulent cases, people pretend to be married... but if a couple is genuinely married, they will be able to answer simple questions about their home and each other, and they won't have a problem. Also, we don't expect them to be able to answer every single question we ask. We know that in real relationships, husbands and wives forget some things and fail to notice others. My mother painted our kitchen yellow once and my father didn't notice for months.

LukeLook: dear sir, as at december 2011 i have been notified that i have been given approval for an immigrant visa under the family based visa grant. my wac numbers since show that, i have a 'post decision activity' since then i've not had any info. I fear i may loose the visa offer. is there anything my agent or I, needs to do at this time...

It sounds like your case is being processed in the U.S. but hasn't been sent to the overseas post yet. If you're in Nigeria, you can send an e-mail with your name and case number to the IV Unit and ask what the status of your case is. The contact information is listed at http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas.html . Good luck!

GreenSage:
Hi VisaOfficer,

Really great job with your responses and patient attention to every question. I'm a student applying for an F1 student visa. Got into a good school in Florida and school begins on the 12th of August. I had my visa interview scheduled for the 5th of August, and I have all required documents prepared. Boy, am I nervous because it seems like it all depends on this one visa interview on Monday. It was scheduled so close to my school resumption date and I'm really not exploring rejection as an option seeing as I don't want to miss any part of school or go through the whole process again. I'm afraid turning up late might have implications on my overall performance/welfare at the school. I've even had to book my flight for this Saturday the 10th. Hoping not to make this post too long, but here's me in a nutshell:
I'm 20 years old, already started undergraduate school at a university here in Nigeria and currently should be in my 3rd year if I didn't choose to discontinue based on the fact that I was offered a course of study contrary to what I applied for at the start. Some years back, I got admitted into the school and was placed in a department I knew next-to-nothing about and had zero passion towards, as a result of an error on their part. Don't want to go into too much detail but I took this major basically because my parents convinced me to give it a try and also because I intended to transfer to my preferred course in the 2nd year (later found out I couldn't). I eventually realized things weren't getting any better - from the educational system here (teachers are currently on strike) to my non-existent love for/passion towards this major, so I spoke to my parents, took my SATs which I fortunately scored high in, applied and got in to my prospective school.
I didn't look at 'transfer' as an option and applied undergraduate because I plan to start this intended major afresh. Now I'm mainly just concerned about starting as soon as possible while I'm young.

I've also unfortunately not been outside Nigeria besides a family trip to neighboring Benin Republic (not sure if that counts), but I come from a huge family that is well-traveled and mainly based in Lagos. I have parents and siblings which have studied abroad and are back working in Nigeria, who also travel abroad and back frequently.

Now what I'm worried about is the part where I have to demonstrate I have strong ties to my home country, as I see it's an area where a lot of people get rejected based on. I don't actually own real estate property, or have a wife and children/a thriving business I'm leaving back home, seeing as I'm still young and studying. My parents' house is in Lagos, and my sponsor (one of my siblings') house in another state. Apart from the fact that I have a large, thankfully-thriving family I'd be leaving behind in Nigeria (is that significant enough?), most of what I really have are personal concessions/intentions which require me to return home as soon as possible (oh the ticket I also booked was a return ticket with a return scheduled for spring next year).
For example, I'm majoring in a field that is evidently growing in demand in Nigeria and lacking in supply. It's alright in the US but much more of a growing hotcake in Nigeria. I basically plan to build my expertise in the US and then return to Nigeria to meet an increased demand, and also plan to influence the field in Nigeria in a way which should hopefully help develop it to greater standards.
With a team of friends, I also informally started up what I could call a "modern company" here in Nigeria. With our 'unofficial' skills we managed to pull of a bunch of good stuff, attend key events, meet some good people and get quite a bit of exposure. It mostly was a thing on the side, and never became a formal job, which is why I couldn't put it in my DS-160 online application as an actual job, but it's something I still plan to work on on-the-side while in school and definitely return to the country for, as it's something I'm really passionate about.

So, are these two personal things things I should state to the interviewer? Can they be taken into account? Is stating them significant enough? And is the fact that I also have a large family mainly based in Nigeria also significant enough proof of ties to my home country?
I'd also appreciate if you could offer me overall guidance based on my general situation, which I think might be peculiar. I know you specialize in immigrant visas but I thought my concerns were general concerns. Thanks again, and sorry about the lengthy post.

Greetings!

First: You already booked a flight for August 10?!? Judging just from what you've written, you sound like a good candidate, but I don't know if it's possible to print a visa that fast!

For student visas, my sense is that we're interested in whether what you want to study makes sense or not. When someone shows up who has never passed a math or science course in high school and she tells us that she wants to go to medical school, that's when we're like, "This is an intending immigrant." Or: people who tell us they want to go to Indiana University because they want to live near the ocean (there's no ocean in Indiana). But when people tell us things that make sense, and can explain how they'll pay for school, well, we like it when people choose to study in the United States.

And now I am nervous on your behalf! I know Monday will be a big day for you! Good luck, and please come back and let us know how it went.

VisaOfficer:

Greetings!

First: You already booked a flight for August 10?!? Judging just from what you've written, you sound like a good candidate, but I don't know if it's possible to print a visa that fast!

For student visas, my sense is that we're interested in whether what you want to study makes sense or not. When someone shows up who has never passed a math or science course in high school and she tells us that she wants to go to medical school, that's when we're like, "This is an intending immigrant." Or: people who tell us they want to go to Indiana University because they want to live near the ocean (there's no ocean in Indiana). But when people tell us things that make sense, and can explain how they'll pay for school, well, we like it when people choose to study in the United States.

And now I am nervous on your behalf! I know Monday will be a big day for you! Good luck, and please come back and let us know how it went.

Thanks for the helpful response. As for my flight being booked for Saturday, I was made to understand it took only 2 or 3 days to get a visa processed after acceptance. I was also told I could get expedited processing if I informed the consulate I'm leaving really soon. Is this true?

GreenSage:

Thanks for the helpful response. As for my flight being booked for Saturday, I was made to understand it took only 2 or 3 days to get a visa processed after acceptance. I was also told I could get expedited processing if I informed the consulate I'm leaving really soon. Is this true?

Barring technical difficulties, it should be possible. It's just that sometimes the computers get recalcitrant, and we hate to have people miss flights just because their visas are a few days late. You have enough to worry about without worrying about this... go worry about something else for the rest of the weekend. (I'd tell you not to worry at all but it's not like you can just stop, right?)

VisaOfficer:

Barring technical difficulties, it should be possible. It's just that sometimes the computers get recalcitrant, and we hate to have people miss flights just because their visas are a few days late. You have enough to worry about without worrying about this... go worry about something else for the rest of the weekend. (I'd tell you not to worry at all but it's not like you can just stop, right?)

Haha. Well, I've actually decided to not worry at all and just make sure I'm prepared. Hoping for the best, but not exactly prepared for the worst. Let's hope it all goes well. Thanks.