I took my mother to the embassy last week, and just that brief visit revealed a whole lot to me. I just gathered some few information for you, just in case you are going for a US visa soon, in Abuja.
During the application process, I chose Abuja as the interview venue because of the tales I heard about the rowdiness of Lagos centre. The choice was worth it.

Things to note

1. Ensure you enter correct information. Carefully go through your details before submission. But even if you made a mistake and would want to modify any detail later, ensure it is at least two working days before the interview date (a 48hr policy sustains this).

2. Ensure you arrive the interview venue earlier. The embassy staff keep to time, so, if your interview is by 10am, please leave wherever you are by 7 or 8am, so you get there on time. We hired a taxi, whose driver claimed to know the embassy. But unfortunately, he didn’t. after some merry-go-round, we found ourselves at the wrong gate, just few minutes before our interview time. I was visibly upset, which was not good. Every other hour, the security men go to the main gate and shout the interviewees’ time, and those announced file in. By 8am they come and shout “eight o’clock.” By 9am they come and shout “nine o’clock” etc.

3. Ensure you have all your required documents with you. This is necessary because any omission, the team at the entrance, who are Nigerians and whose job it is to vet your documents, would turn you back to go regularise it. And trust me; those ones attend to you when it is your interview time already, which means you have little or no time left at that time.

4. If you have issues with number 3 above, you are already tensed and a potential mugu to whoever/wherever you are directed to. My case was my Mother’s passport, they claimed it was not bright enough. When I asked they directed us to the main gate where some photographers, who have been indirectly employed by the embassy. Those guys there must all have houses in Abuja, and other cities in Nigeria, and of course, their hometowns. That is, if business flows. Those guys take N1,500 to print four copies of passport photograph. Before you think the passport may be ‘too special’, I paid N500 for the same passport at Port Harcourt International airport. That tells you it would be cheaper outside. I almost cried. They even had the guts to tell me 8 copies was N3,000, but they may take N2,500 from me. I knew they won’t even enter any bargain to print only one copy hence my reluctance to tow that line, we just needed a copy after all. I held myself from landing the guy a slap, they were many and I may not be able to pull that off. A friend told me, later, that some group at the UK embassy took N3,000 to print a page of document for them when they found themselves in such situation. Blood money is not only when you severe one’s head.

5. Be confident during the interview and do not sound desperate. America is not heaven. I see some guys who, when asked by that young girl there, who was asking her questions on loudspeaker and rejecting people’s request for visa on loudspeaker, if they have ever travelled outside the country before, nod on the affirmative and start mentioning Kenya, Ghana, bla bla bla. The next thing you would hear from her is “I am sorry you are not qualified for a US visa at this time, details ….” Phew! ogba!

6. Be ready to tip the security guards if you wish or just move on, that is when you are successful. They know how to spot successful people, from your demeanour after the interview of course. They would encourage the crest-fallen ones and try to corner the successful ones. Immediately we came out of the interview room, the uniformed lady cornered me. I signalled my mum to tip her if she wished. My mum dipped her hand into that fabric bag she ties around her waist, where she puts her money and nokia phones-one with two sims while the other without sim and serves as spare for her, and brought out N200. While she was doing that, the lady cornered her to a place the camera would not catch them, claiming they were blocking the way. I spotted the camera and coded what she was doing because there was no oncoming pedestrian in sight.

7. When we got to the last security door, where we dropped our items during security checks, they asked how the interview went and when they too noticed it was successful wanted to get their own share. But I told them “some other time.” They let go without any further persuasion. Their tactic was so subtle you would know they had been sternly warned against extortion. The guys at the desk , who turned us back to go get passport photo, did not try anything. When we got to the gate, the mopol men wanted to start, and I simply told them “we dey come back again come try.” They changed language and their taxing mode changed to encouragement mode.

8. If you are successful, you’ll likely be asked to come back some few days later to pick up your visa. If you stay outside Abuja, then that would eat deeper into your pockets. It may mean some four days later, after they have notified you through email. When filling the form, there is an option of having your visa delivered to the DHL office nearest to you, choose that. You would be asked to pay some money during pick up, about 4k or so. That option is just so convenient.

9. If you are successful, the embassy withholds your International passport for further processing. So, if you don’t have any other means of ID other than your passport, then for sure you will have to stay without ID till you get your visa.

But I would suggest the embassy makes the interview more private that it is. Asking someone some personal questions such as how much they earn seems to me to be non-public.

I hope you picked at least one thing from the whole rubbish I wrote.

Babaneh:
may be when i decide to start travelling out i will come back and read this....

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