Hello VO,
It's great having an opportunity to relate with you guys directly.
I have a question. I understand visa renewal is by dropbox but I heard over the grapevine that spending over 3months in US, one will be invited for an interview.

Also, what time interval is appropriate for visa renewal after visa expiry/return from a trip to US?

Please shed more light on this.

Many thanks.

Hello VO,
Pls i will like to know the implication of 3 denials for USA visiting visa. I read it online that it gets more difficult to be granted a visa after several denials. It is 90 days since my last denial,the VO asked for a document which i couldn't provide. Thanks

danowena:
Please does the NIGERIA PASSPORT have a passport book number? If so, is this different from the passport number on the top right corner of the Nigerian international passport? I was filling the form D160 but got stuck at this point. A response would be highly appreciated.

Hello Danowena,

Listing the passport book number is not a requirement. The passport number will suffice.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

Toddyfun:
Hello, I had a NIV interview recently in Lagos with my family.after the consular officer asked us questions about the purpose of our visit,where we will be staying,our employment status etc. He asked if we've ever traveled out of Nigeria before, which we mentioned UAE and Kenya. He then Looked at the passports and said the Kenyan visa looked fake to him. I tried as much as possible to convince him that they were real.that they were issued at the point of entry at Kenyatta Airport ,Nairobi.he then typed and said he's sorry that the visa can't be issued at this time.
It is quite unfortunate that some people may have given reasons to mistrust us but it is EMBARRASSING and INSULTING to some of us who have integrity and who would not stoop so low as to present fake visas in order to get US visas.
Please I will like to know how I can get our records set straight because I don't know what he may have typed as being the reason for our denial.
Thank you

Hello Toddyfun,

We take fake visas and stamps very seriously. The best policy is always honesty with the visa officer.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

fatanu:
Dear Lagos NIV,
I have a serious concern, someone applied on behalf for a B1/B2 to New York but i was denied. The person assumed i am married and filled married for me. Now i want to apply to canada for student visa, i learnt US-Canada share information, i will however state that i was once denied US visa. I will like to state my real marital status as Single. I hope this is not a form of discrepancy. I am really worried for this error. Do they share info such as marital status of applicant.

thanks

Hello Fatanu,

It's always best to complete your application with 100% honesty. And to tell the officer the truth during the interview.

Best,

Abuja NIV Team

vickero:
Hello abujaNIV .Please I 'd like for you to shed some light on my particular case.

I was at the embassy in abuja with my wife and son.After the interview we were given the yellow form and said we have to go through administrative process:the VO went on to tell me they have not decided on issuing us visa's.They took all three passports tho.

The actual story was that we were issued B1B2 visa's back in 2010.We could not make the trip to the USA and the visa expired together with the passports.Fast forward to 2015,we tried get the visa's renewed last week and before we left d house my wife forgot the old expired passport and visa's at home.However,we got to the embassy and I quickly printed out copies of the Visa's from my email box: cos I have the visa pages in my email box.

When it was time for our interview.She looked at her computer and asked if we had been to the US before. We said no.But I went on to explain to her that we had been issued the Visa before and I passed the copies I printed out from my email to her.I explained we did not use it cos my mother got ill and I needed to be arrd to attend to her.I also told her I got very busy with work and my wife changed jobs and while still considering my Son because of his school,so the time was not there to make the trip.She then asked if we have travelled together as a family. I said yes,to SA but on old passport.In between all these she stepped out like twice and when she finally came back she asked what I do and I told her,what my wife does and she told her and where we are going this time. I told her. And she asked for what. I told her vacation.

She finally asked how far home was and I told her 30 to 40 mins,maybe she was asking so that we could go home and get the passports. She said we shld go and have a seat that another VO will come and interview us,that we will get this sorted out today.

The other VO came in like 5hrs later and asked my name ,I told him.He also asked if we have travelled out before,I said No.I went on again to explain in details why we did not make the first trip on the old visa.That my mom got sick ,bla bla and my work and wifes job.

Long Story short the Second VO gave me a yellow paper and told me that we will have to go through administrative process.I asked him what that meant and he said they have not decided if they are going to issue us visa's yet.He took my phone numbers,took our passports and asked me to check on tuesday the following week.

I am really troubled because I don't know what the issue is. what have we done wrong?Please AbujaNIV I would like u to shed some light on this situation.Thanks.

Hello Vickero,

As we have stated, we cannot discuss private cases in a public forum. We would suggest for you to return to the embassy on Tuesdays after 1:00 to discuss the case with an officer.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

thelfid:
Hello vo,
I was denied b1/b2 visa on August 2015, do I need to wait for 90 days? I ll love to travel Dec. 2015. Can I reapply before the 90days

Hello Thelfid,

You do not need to wait 90 days to reapply. However, if your situation has not changed, it may be best to wait and reapply in the future.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

Bhadmorse:
Good day v. O please what's the difference between single and multiple entry visa

Hello Bhadmorse,

Our website, travel.state.gov has a clear explanation of the difference. Please see below:

-A visa issued for a single entry (denoted on the visa under “Entries” with the number 1) is valid, or can be used from the date it is issued until the date it expires to travel to a U.S. port-of-entry one time.
-A visa issued for multiple entries (denoted under “entries” with a certain number (2, 3, etc.) or “M” for multiple/unlimited entries) is valid, or can be used from the date it is issued until the date it expires to travel to the U.S. port-of-entry as many times as your visa states, provided that:
Applying for a new visa is not necessary if your visa has not expired and you have not exceeded the number of entries permitted on your visa.
Multiple uses of a visa must be for the same purpose of travel allowable on the type of visa you have.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

Hello abujaniv and other leaders in the house
I'm a 400 level student of FUTA and my aunt in the US has ask me to help her accompany my grandmother to the US next year for her sons' wedding( one in may and the other in October), she will be sponsoring both of us to the wedding. Now I have been having issues bothering me that I'll need explanation or clarification on

1) should my grandmother and i apply as a family? ( she has an unused expired visa on her passport because the person that was suppose to accompany her n 2013 was denied visa and she is still eligible for the drop box)

2) cosidering the fact that I'm still a student, it is advisable while filling the D's 160 form, that I fill in 6 months for intended period of stay? Or I just go with 2 weeks for the first wedding and still forget about the one coming Iater in the year? As I won't want any problem , if approved, at the poe

3) how best can I convince the v.o that im just a guy accompanying mama to the us and plan coming back to resume 500 level and finish my b.tech and that I will be free for that period of time (even for the 6 months) ( as I will be on I.t)

4) should I allow grandma to renew her visa first before applying for my own( I have never been out of the country)

5) will I be needing police report and court clarification during the application processes?

6) and one more thing sir, will grandma be needing another ds 160 form?..because of the person travelling with her is different from when she was first issued visa)

Thanks and God bless

goinggreat:
Hi, NIV. I applied for a K1 non-immigrant visa.i am scheduled for an interview next week.in the process of filling the forms, i made 2 mistakes-1.one of my spouse' names is incorrect. 2.i answered NO, rather than Yes when asked if i had applied for a visa before. I tried today to see if i could edit the information ,but didn't know what to do. please can you advice as to what i can do to remedy this situation?thanks in advance.

Hello Goinggreat,

K1 fiance visas are actually immigrant visa questions, so I will direct you to the immigrant visa thread https://www.nairaland.com/2669622/u.s-immigration-questions-ask-u.s/2#39412242

In addition to asking us directly, you can always utilize our website travel.state.gov for general questions. Here is the link for the fiance visa section- http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/family/fiance-k-1.html

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

nefertitiram:
Hello VO,
It's great having an opportunity to relate with you guys directly.
I have a question. I understand visa renewal is by dropbox but I heard over the grapevine that spending over 3months in US, one will be invited for an interview.

Also, what time interval is appropriate for visa renewal after visa expiry/return from a trip to US?

Please shed more light on this.

Many thanks.

Hello Nefertitiram,

Please see below for the information about our drop box program. The window to reapply depends on the visa class. However, some applicants prefer to always have a valid visa, so many apply before the visa is even expired.

For a B1/B2 visa holder:

•The applicant is a Nigerian passport holder;
•The applicant principally resides in Nigeria;
•The applicant’s last visa interview resulted in an issuance;
•The applicant was issued a two-year B1/B2 United States visa;
•The visa expired no more than two years prior to reissuance;
•The applicant was at least 14 years old at the time of the last issuance or will be under the age of 14 at the time of reissuance; and
•The applicant has never been arrested nor had an encounter with law enforcement, customs, or immigration officials in the United States.

For an F visa holder:

•The applicant is a Nigerian passport holder;
•The applicant’s last visa interview resulted in issuance of an F visa;
•The visa expired no more than one year prior to reissuance;
•The applicant is attending the same school the original visa was issued for;
•The applicant’s endorsed I-20 is submitted with the application;
•A current transcript is included with the application;
•The applicant was at least 14 years old at the time of the last issuance or will be under the age of 14 at the time of reissuance; and
•The applicant has never been arrested nor had an encounter with law enforcement, customs, or immigration officials in the United States.


For an L visa holder:

•The applicant is a Nigerian passport holder;
•The applicant’s last visa interview resulted in issuance of an L visa;
•The visa expired no more than one year prior to reissuance;
•The same petition is provided that was used in the previous visa application;
•Receipts showing payment of all necessary fees are provided;
•The applicant was at least 14 years old at the time of the last issuance or will be under the age of 14 at the time of reissuance; and
•The applicant has never been arrested nor had an encounter with law enforcement, customs, or immigration officials in the United States.

For an H visa holder:

•The applicant is a Nigerian passport holder;
•The applicant’s last visa interview resulted in issuance of an H visa;
•The visa expired no more than one year prior to reissuance;
•The same petition is provided that was used in the previous visa application;
•Receipts showing payment of all necessary fees are provided;
•The applicant was at least 14 years old at the time of the last issuance or will be under the age of 14 at the time of reissuance; and
•The applicant has never been arrested nor had an encounter with law enforcement, customs, or immigration officials in the United States.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

clazikar:
Hello abujaniv and other leaders in the house
I'm a 400 level student of FUTA and my aunt in the US has ask me to help her accompany my grandmother to the US next year for her sons' wedding( one in may and the other in October), she will be sponsoring both of us to the wedding. Now I have been having issues bothering me that I'll need explanation or clarification on

1) should my grandmother and i apply as a family? ( she has an unused expired visa on her passport because the person that was suppose to accompany her n 2013 was denied visa and she is still eligible for the drop box)

2) cosidering the fact that I'm still a student, it is advisable while filling the D's 160 form, that I fill in 6 months for intended period of stay? Or I just go with 2 weeks for the first wedding and still forget about the one coming Iater in the year? As I won't want any problem , if approved, at the poe

3) how best can I convince the v.o that im just a guy accompanying mama to the us and plan coming back to resume 500 level and finish my b.tech and that I will be free for that period of time (even for the 6 months) ( as I will be on I.t)

4) should I allow grandma to renew her visa first before applying for my own( I have never been out of the country)

5) will I be needing police report and court clarification during the application processes?

6) and one more thing sir, will grandma be needing another ds 160 form?..because of the person travelling with her is different from when she was first issued visa)

Thanks and God bless

Hello clazikar,

1. Families are welcome to apply together.
2-4. As a reminder to all potential applicants, we cannot coach or advise individuals on their cases.
5. The only documents required for a tourist visa are your passport, confirmation page and a passport size photo.
6. Yes, she needs to ocmplete a new application.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

abujaniv:


Hello clazikar,

1. Families are welcome to apply together.
2-4. As a reminder to all potential applicants, we cannot coach or advise individuals on their cases.
5. The only documents required for a tourist visa are your passport, confirmation page and a passport size photo.
6. Yes, she needs to ocmplete a new application.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

good morning V.O, pls what is the best time to be at the embassy for someone that have interview by 9am? Thanks

Hello Abujaniv and the house, please i am processing an application for my family but can't add my wife details on the cgifederal.secure site for appointment booking. it kept on returning 'unable to add applicant because some or all information you entered belongs to another applicant'. i was able to add my son successfully, any idea what the cause of this error message is?

brightooooo:
good morning V.O, pls what is the best time to be at the embassy for someone that have interview by 9am? Thanks

Hello Brightooooo,

It is best to arrive at your interview 30 minutes before your interview. So in your case, 8:30. Keep in mind that traffic can be very busy depending on when you are traveling. Make sure to allow enough travel time to arrive at or before your interview time.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

Dear VO,

If an individual is issued a B1/B2 visa but never travelled with the visa due to tight business schedule. Does this person qualify for the dropbox program?

Thank you.

@abujaniv
Good morning. I went for a the NIV interview yesterday, the lady at window 9 asked me for my statement of account. Is that really necessary? I read it here and also watched the Google hangout statements of accounts are not required for tourist visas. Or have the rules changed? Thanks

Dear Abuja NIV Team ,
I am writing to get advice or perhaps a suggestion on my case ,In March 2014 I applied for a student visa in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after my bachelors degree graduation prior to my MBA programme, unfortunately i was denied on the terms thats states that i had no strong ties in Malaysia at that time due to the fact that i was done with my studies and I was advised to travel back to my home country which i have a strong ties in which was quite reasonable to me, I flew down to Abuja ,Nigeria on that note in April 2014 as i was being advised by the V.O,My parents advised me to attempt the interview in Abuja, Nigeria as its not as overpopulated as Lagos where my family and i reside through the help of a traveling agent introduced to them that was handling the process on my behalf as claim to be a travel agency that was going to handle the whole student visa process which i believe is a lucrative business in Nigeria now, We had no idea at that time as non of my family member has ever gone to the states before for any reason and i followed their advice put everything through the agency as the agent told us we don't have to pay the full payment services till i got my visa approved on that note a deposit of 100,000 naira was made payable to the agent ,so we felt it was legitimate not realising the hazard this would cause in the end, The documentation which was being dhl'd to me in Malaysia was the same document i brought back to Abuja, I had no idea the sponsor's statement of account wasn't existing as he had told me that they always provide sponsor's account statement for their client as long as we already made the deposit and agree to pay the balance once i get my visa, I went for my interview and all other document such as my credentials, 1-20, admission letter and the statement of account, I was interviewed normally but the V.O held onto the statement of account and i was given a white paper which stated administrative processing and i would be contacted , I got a response back in 2wks and i was told the statement didn't exist as it was dodgy, This really made me unhappy but i never gave up, I applied several times afterwards with no assistance of any agent or whatsoever afterwards but the denial kept going on serially,After all the agency trauma i realised i could do it all by myself, putting all my self acquired credentials over the years together both in my education and other aspect of life achievement, Just recently while doing some research on my denials serially was only when i got the whole reason why i have been denied on every other application i have done, I believe i made a mistake of paying the agent for my processing and thought i was going in the right direction not knowing i was being misled by the agent, I am writing this to THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY to please review and consider my case from another angle for future purpose, I understand i'm being punished for the mistake i have made, I have never had a criminal record for whatsoever but I wouldn't want this mistake that i have made by going through an agent to jeopardise my future. I really don't know what the outcome of this process might be, i just believe i'm doing the right thing and hoping for a reconsideration.
Thank you
I would appreciate a reply to my post

Hello VO,

I have two questions:
- Someone who has been issued a visa to the United States but did not travel at the specified date as a result of he lost his mother and the company has to reschedule his leave to USA. Will this affect him at the point of entry?

- My friend and his cousin (20years old) want to apply for Tourist/Vacation visa. What visa type is best to apply for, is it family or apply for tourist visa separately?

Waiting for your response!

toseen29:
Hello Abujaniv and the house, please i am processing an application for my family but can't add my wife details on the cgifederal.secure site for appointment booking. it kept on returning 'unable to add applicant because some or all information you entered belongs to another applicant'. i was able to add my son successfully, any idea what the cause of this error message is?

Hello Toseen29,

Technical questions are best answered by our call center. They can be reached at (09) 469-1748.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

FrontPageLawyer:
Dear VO,

If an individual is issued a B1/B2 visa but never travelled with the visa due to tight business schedule. Does this person qualify for the dropbox program?

Thank you.

Hello FrontPageLawyer,

As long as an applicant meets the requirements listed below, they can used the dropbox program.
•The applicant is a Nigerian passport holder;
•The applicant principally resides in Nigeria;
•The applicant’s last visa interview resulted in an issuance;
•The applicant was issued a two-year B1/B2 United States visa;
•The visa expired no more than two years prior to reissuance;
•The applicant was at least 14 years old at the time of the last issuance or will be under the age of 14 at the time of reissuance; and
•The applicant has never been arrested nor had an encounter with law enforcement, customs, or immigration officials in the United States.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

Gemini616:
@abujaniv
Good morning. I went for a the NIV interview yesterday, the lady at window 9 asked me for my statement of account. Is that really necessary? I read it here and also watched the Google hangout statements of accounts are not required for tourist visas. Or have the rules changed? Thanks

Hello Gemini616,

Statements of account are not required but sometimes they are requested.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

ONGblack:
Dear Abuja NIV Team ,
I am writing to get advice or perhaps a suggestion on my case ,In March 2014 I applied for a student visa in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after my bachelors degree graduation prior to my MBA programme, unfortunately i was denied on the terms thats states that i had no strong ties in Malaysia at that time due to the fact that i was done with my studies and I was advised to travel back to my home country which i have a strong ties in which was quite reasonable to me, I flew down to Abuja ,Nigeria on that note in April 2014 as i was being advised by the V.O,My parents advised me to attempt the interview in Abuja, Nigeria as its not as overpopulated as Lagos where my family and i reside through the help of a traveling agent introduced to them that was handling the process on my behalf as claim to be a travel agency that was going to handle the whole student visa process which i believe is a lucrative business in Nigeria now, We had no idea at that time as non of my family member has ever gone to the states before for any reason and i followed their advice put everything through the agency as the agent told us we don't have to pay the full payment services till i got my visa approved on that note a deposit of 100,000 naira was made payable to the agent ,so we felt it was legitimate not realising the hazard this would cause in the end, The documentation which was being dhl'd to me in Malaysia was the same document i brought back to Abuja, I had no idea the sponsor's statement of account wasn't existing as he had told me that they always provide sponsor's account statement for their client as long as we already made the deposit and agree to pay the balance once i get my visa, I went for my interview and all other document such as my credentials, 1-20, admission letter and the statement of account, I was interviewed normally but the V.O held onto the statement of account and i was given a white paper which stated administrative processing and i would be contacted , I got a response back in 2wks and i was told the statement didn't exist as it was dodgy, This really made me unhappy but i never gave up, I applied several times afterwards with no assistance of any agent or whatsoever afterwards but the denial kept going on serially,After all the agency trauma i realised i could do it all by myself, putting all my self acquired credentials over the years together both in my education and other aspect of life achievement, Just recently while doing some research on my denials serially was only when i got the whole reason why i have been denied on every other application i have done, I believe i made a mistake of paying the agent for my processing and thought i was going in the right direction not knowing i was being misled by the agent, I am writing this to THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY to please review and consider my case from another angle for future purpose, I understand i'm being punished for the mistake i have made, I have never had a criminal record for whatsoever but I wouldn't want this mistake that i have made by going through an agent to jeopardise my future. I really don't know what the outcome of this process might be, i just believe i'm doing the right thing and hoping for a reconsideration.
Thank you
I would appreciate a reply to my post

Hello ONGblack,

Thank you for your honesty in your post. We are glad that this issue is being raised, because we take it very seriously. Applicants who present false documents, fake visas/ stamps or incorrect information damage their credibility, get lifetime bans from traveling to the U.S. or sometimes, get arrested. We strongly condemn using any outside agent or purchasing documents. The best source of information comes from us directly, so please do not pay anyone for advice or documents. Encourage your family and friends to do the same.

The officers in Abuja and Lagos are active on this forum. We are listening and want to keep communication open. In addition to communicating here in Nairaland, we want to direct you to our Embassy website, which has a lot of information. http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

As a reminder to all visa applicants: we do not issue visas to individuals with fake stamps or foils in their passports. This is grounds enough to find you unqualified under section 214(b). As we mentioned earlier, this seriously damages your credibility with us in the future, and can even land you in jail.

Be honest and be forthcoming during your applications and interviews.

Why I do not intend to interrupt. This is what differentiates countries from great countries. Consulate staff taking the extra step to register in a site just to attend to inform clients. This is really admirable.

Thank you ABJ NIV team for taking the time to correspond back to my post, Currently am i facing a life ban in my situation as i m being told at every denial i can always apply again which is quite a tricky situation. Does a waiver helps in such situation? I was going to write the consular the same post i posted here but didn't know if that was right thats why i decided to post it for review.
thanks once again

abujaniv:


Hello Brightooooo,

It is best to arrive at your interview 30 minutes before your interview. So in your case, 8:30. Keep in mind that traffic can be very busy depending on when you are traveling. Make sure to allow enough travel time to arrive at or before your interview time.

Regards,

Abuja NIV Team

Thanks lot

I have two questions:
- Someone who has been issued a visa to the United States but did not travel at the specified date as a result of he lost his mother and the company has to reschedule his leave to USA. Will this affect him at the point of entry?

- My friend and his cousin (20years old) want to apply for Tourist/Vacation visa. What visa type is best to apply for, is it family or apply for tourist visa separately?

fideco:
Hello VO,

I have two questions:
- Someone who has been issued a visa to the United States but did not travel at the specified date as a result of he lost his mother and the company has to reschedule his leave to USA. Will this affect him at the point of entry?

- My friend and his cousin (20years old) want to apply for Tourist/Vacation visa. What visa type is best to apply for, is it family or apply for tourist visa separately?

Waiting for your response!

Hello i was denied a business visa today for no just reason. I want to apply again and schedule an expedited appointment. My previous appointment was also an expedited appointment.

Can i schedule an expedited appointment again?


Thanks

BR

hello VO,
i have done my traditional wedding according to my custom and tradition. what marital status do i fill on the DS 160?