Femmyfestus:

Please how many months intervals was between the interview dates. Cos choosing previously refused is not bring the same dates with regular visa

Choose regular

Daddydee56:

@walspring @abraham001
Please is going for a second Bsc a red flag?
I already have a Bsc but I'm going for another Bsc because of a new career path I'm just pursuing . And I need the degree in my workplace

Your profile matters in going for new Bsc. If you are still between 20-26 age bracket and you have valid reason then VO should reason with you but if late 20’s or early 30 and going for new Bsc, you need divine intervention

Daddydee56:



Congratulations.
Please I have not been seeing transcript for undergraduate students.
Does it mean its only postgraduate students we have on this platform?

We have a few number of undergraduates. My son’s F1 visa got approved last week. Nothing spectacular about the interview and I don’t think there is much to learn but all the same, I will share the transcript below.

My son is 17 year old going to study Biological Sciences at UMBC- Bachelor's degree.

I followed him in for the interview as he’s still a minor.

Cost of attendance: 45k
Merit scholarship: 12k

Interview at Abuja embassy last Thursday May 19
Duration: Around two minutes
Visa approved


VO: hello so I see u’re accompanied by ur mom
Son: hello ma, yes

VO: come forward for biometrics
Son: did as was instructed

VO: so I see u’re going to University of Maryland Baltimore county for your Bachelor’s in Biological sciences
Son: yes ma with second major in English language and Literature ( he loves writing Lol)

VO: nodded and smiled
I see you have travelled to the US multiple times
Son: yes all for family vacation

VO: so who is paying for your studies?
Son: my Dad

VO: what does he do?
Son: told him

VO: so what are your plans after graduation?
Son: I’m coming back to Nigeria to work in research institutes

VO: I will be approving your visa and all the remaining stuff
Both of us: smiling while saying thank you thank you

Received pick up mail on the 25

Thanks to everyone, UmmZayd, beejay for answering my questions and those that accepted me to the Abuja appointment date check on WhatsApp.

Good luck to others

Hello,

My visa got denied at the Lagos embassy and I am currently trying to reapply.

On the CGI Portal, it says "Your passport is still with the US Embassy/Consulate". This feels strange because I have my passport with me since I was denied. Has anyone whose visa was previously denied experienced this before?

Also, on the CGI Portal, I was thinking I would find "re-apply" since my visa was denied. Is my thought process correct?

I will appreciate your answers.

Thank you

Hello Everyone, this is my first post. I have gleaned from the posts and experience here, so I decided to highlight some points that helped me.

For those who intend to apply for EA ahead of the 60 days when the rule clearly states 60 days is rather risky. Why would you want to risk that "golden ticket" by flouting the rules?

With regards to appointment booking, when I searched for appointment dates last month (April 2022) after filling out my DS-160, the earliest was April 2023. Being uninformed as I was at the time, I kept checking back and moving it (even as little as 1 week), I didn't know there was a limit to rescheduling until I got a message that if I changed my date 1ce more I would have to pay a new fee. I wasn't sure what that meant, so I stayed put, by this time I had moved up to Nov 22, so even when I saw September dates, I didn't bother rescheduling as that was still not early enough for my August start date. I forgot to mention that I selected Lagos, as that's where I live. I was tempted by the many Abuja dates that were opening up, but thank God I chose not to budge as I had giving myself a window till end of June to activate any contingencies. Well miraculously Lagos dates opened up last week, and I got a date for last Tuesday and picked up my passport yesterday. I can only describe the experience as miraculous.
Summary: Check for appointments regularly (but within the 3 times a day limit), join groups that monitor for openings, I was prompted by someone who was in one of these groups when dates became available.

With regards to preparing for the interview, I read a number of transcripts here that helped, but the most helpful was from a post that recommended watching ArgoVisa videos on YouTube. They have a lot of good free material and also options for paid services. For people who have had a refusal or complex situations, if you can afford it, I would recommend you schedule an appointment with them.

I saw someone who asked if you can go to another country to apply, well that's also risky (as I also gleaned from ex-consular officers). That was one of my contingencies. There are challenges with that, it would be more difficult to establish home ties and also your passport might stand out from the passports they would be used to seeing, thus increasing the scrutiny on you. If eventually you are unable to get an earlier date through any other means, then that may be sufficient justification to apply as a third country national. I advise you do additional research to be prepared.

When asked questions like why this school, why the US, why this course etc, I learnt that it's an opportunity to tell your story. Be an active interviewee and not passive, i.e. anticipate what the VO would like to know with that question, and provide a FULL answer that helps them relate to you as a person and not just some random applicant, in other words succinct responses scaled down from what you wrote in your SOP. This is what i did during my interview.

Travel history I have realized is also important, not impossible to get your visa approved without it, but it definitely gives you a leg up. If you don't have any travel history, then you have to look for other areas to highlight and take away the focus from it. It's better explained why you haven't travelled rather than just responding no to the question if raised.

Something I previously didn't consider important was my appearance, so 2 days before my interview, I went to the barber's for a haircut and a shave. I also wore a clean shirt with trousers, (no need to be overdressed), focus should be on neat rather than flashy. I have almost 15 years of work experience so I attempted to look the part.

If you have a "thick" accent, it's important to practice speaking clearly, use simpler words to express yourself. The person ahead of me had a hard time being understood by the VO, which I suspect contributed to the undesired outcome.

Despite my preparation, I was bombarded with contrary thoughts (high stakes) and so I reminded myself that the previous week, I had an appointment for Nov 2022, and then less than a week later I was about to be interviewed, and God who did that for me was definitely letting me know everything else was covered.

Thanks to those who have been sharing helpful tips. Many apologies for the long post

Can someone please add me to the abuja interview whatsapp group: +2348109041334

Femmyfestus:

Please how many months intervals was between the interview dates. Cos choosing previously refused is not bring the same dates with regular visa

When were you refused?

shakidude:
My son is 17 year old going to study Biological Sciences at UMBC- Bachelor's degree.

I followed him in for the interview as he’s still a minor.

Cost of attendance: 45k
Merit scholarship: 12k

Interview at Abuja embassy last Thursday May 19
Duration: Around two minutes
Visa approved


VO: hello so I see u’re accompanied by ur mom
Son: hello ma, yes

VO: come forward for biometrics
Son: did as was instructed

VO: so I see u’re going to University of Maryland Baltimore county for your Bachelor’s in Biological sciences
Son: yes ma with second major in English language and Literature ( he loves writing Lol)

VO: nodded and smiled
I see you have travelled to the US multiple times
Son: yes all for family vacation

VO: so who is paying for your studies?
Son: my Dad

VO: what does he do?
Son: told him

VO: so what are your plans after graduation?
Son: I’m coming back to Nigeria to work in research institutes

VO: I will be approving your visa and all the remaining stuff
Both of us: smiling while saying thank you thank you

Received pick up mail on the 25

Thanks to everyone, UmmZayd, beejay for answering my questions and those that accepted me to the Abuja appointment date check on WhatsApp.

Good luck to others

I think his travel history played a huge part in this. The VO didn’t even stress with any complex questions

Hello,

Please i need your help with an issue.

I went for my interview last week and i was delayed.

My course is Curriculum and Instruction in BGSU and there was no funding. I was interviewed by the Korean VO in Abuja.

The challenge i have presently is i intend to go back but now I have a 25% scholarship from another school (University of Pittsburgh) and a different course (Social Work).

Now my question i hope it’s not a red flag to change course or I should just go back with the previous course and school with no funding?

Please help!

Below is my transcript.

May 17
Delayed
Bowling Green State University
Curriculum and Instruction
No funding


Me: Good morning

VO: Pass me your passport and I-20 ( He didn’t even answer my greeting )

Me: Here it is.

VO: Have you traveled before?

Me: No. I’ve not had any reason to.

VO: I see your husband is sponsoring this program.

Me: Yes. My husband is sponsoring me. He is the owner and proprietor of ***** school. He also owns bookshops in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja. I also have my personal savings in addition to my husband’s funds.

VO: (Typing and staring at his computer) So, what will this program do fo you?

Me: Nigeria has a good educational curriculum and getting a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction will enable me to incorporate the knowledge and experience into the school curriculum to give my students a more vibrant and robust learning experience.
Looks like i was boring him here. He just handed me the dreaded blue slip.

UmmZayd:


Using your dad is better if he can provide a statement that will covered your tuition if you're not funded or cover your deficit if you have any

AsiwajuAfo001:


What's the connection between Curriculum&Instruction and Social work. What questions where you asked and what were your response

Thank you for your reply. Here is my transcript.

May 17, Abuja
Delayed
Bowling Green State University
Curriculum and Instruction
No funding
Korean VO

Me: Good morning

VO: Pass me your passport and I-20 ( He didn’t even answer my greeting )

Me: Here it is.

VO: Have you traveled before?

Me: No. I’ve not had any reason to.

VO: I see your husband is sponsoring this program.

Me: Yes. My husband is sponsoring me. He is the owner and proprietor of ***** school. He also owns bookshops in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja. I also have my personal savings in addition to my husband’s funds.

VO: (Typing and staring at his computer) So, what will this program do fo you?

Me: Nigeria has a good educational curriculum and getting a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction will enable me to incorporate the knowledge and experience into the school curriculum to give my students a more vibrant and robust learning experience.
Looks like i was boring him here. He just handed me the dreaded blue slip.

nickishire:

Thank you for your reply. Here is my transcript.

May 17, Abuja
Delayed
Bowling Green State University
Curriculum and Instruction
No funding
Korean VO

Me: Good morning

VO: Pass me your passport and I-20 ( He didn’t even answer my greeting )

Me: Here it is.

VO: Have you traveled before?

Me: No. I’ve not had any reason to.

VO: I see your husband is sponsoring this program.

Me: Yes. My husband is sponsoring me. He is the owner and proprietor of ***** school. He also owns bookshops in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja. I also have my personal savings in addition to my husband’s funds.

VO: (Typing and staring at his computer) So, what will this program do fo you?

Me: Nigeria has a good educational curriculum and getting a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction will enable me to incorporate the knowledge and experience into the school curriculum to give my students a more vibrant and robust learning experience.
Looks like i was boring him here. He just handed me the dreaded blue slip.

Nigeria have a good educational curriculum and you still want to add more curriculum,hmmmm is really boring

Walspring:


Your profile matters in going for new Bsc. If you are still between 20-26 age bracket and you have valid reason then VO should reason with you but if late 20’s or early 30 and going for new Bsc, you need divine intervention

Thank you @Walspring.
The thing is my first degree was actually very woeful. It was a third class with a very low cgpa. So that's what I'm trying to capitalize on to justify my reason for a second Bsc. Besides I now work in a government organization,in the ict department in which I came in with my o'levels,but I need a degree now,a relevant one for a promotion. My first degree was in chemistry but now I'm going for computer information systems.
P.S: I'm 27 years. What do you think?

nickishire:
Hello,

Please i need your help with an issue.

I went for my interview last week and i was delayed.

My course is Curriculum and Instruction in BGSU and there was no funding. I was interviewed by the Korean VO in Abuja.

The challenge i have presently is i intend to go back but now I have a 25% scholarship from another school (University of Pittsburgh) and a different course (Social Work).

Now my question i hope it’s not a red flag to change course or I should just go back with the previous course and school with no funding?

Please help!

Below is my transcript.

May 17
Delayed
Bowling Green State University
Curriculum and Instruction
No funding


Me: Good morning

VO: Pass me your passport and I-20 ( He didn’t even answer my greeting )

Me: Here it is.

VO: Have you traveled before?

Me: No. I’ve not had any reason to.

VO: I see your husband is sponsoring this program.

Me: Yes. My husband is sponsoring me. He is the owner and proprietor of ***** school. He also owns bookshops in Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja. I also have my personal savings in addition to my husband’s funds.

VO: (Typing and staring at his computer) So, what will this program do fo you?

Me: Nigeria has a good educational curriculum and getting a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction will enable me to incorporate the knowledge and experience into the school curriculum to give my students a more vibrant and robust learning experience.
Looks like i was boring him here. He just handed me the dreaded blue slip.

There's nothing wrong in changing course but why the change? Although the funding might help but what will you say when asked why you changed course??

shakidude:
My son is 17 year old going to study Biological Sciences at UMBC- Bachelor's degree.

I followed him in for the interview as he’s still a minor.

Cost of attendance: 45k
Merit scholarship: 12k

Interview at Abuja embassy last Thursday May 19
Duration: Around two minutes
Visa approved


VO: hello so I see u’re accompanied by ur mom
Son: hello ma, yes

VO: come forward for biometrics
Son: did as was instructed

VO: so I see u’re going to University of Maryland Baltimore county for your Bachelor’s in Biological sciences
Son: yes ma with second major in English language and Literature ( he loves writing Lol)

VO: nodded and smiled
I see you have travelled to the US multiple times
Son: yes all for family vacation

VO: so who is paying for your studies?
Son: my Dad

VO: what does he do?
Son: told him

VO: so what are your plans after graduation?
Son: I’m coming back to Nigeria to work in research institutes

VO: I will be approving your visa and all the remaining stuff
Both of us: smiling while saying thank you thank you

Received pick up mail on the 25

Thanks to everyone, UmmZayd, beejay for answering my questions and those that accepted me to the Abuja appointment date check on WhatsApp.

Good luck to others

One of the greatest fear of the VO is home ties,he saw the mum accompanying him, that alone has shown the home ties that he is coming back, nothing more

shakidude:
My son is 17 year old going to study Biological Sciences at UMBC- Bachelor's degree.

I followed him in for the interview as he’s still a minor.

Cost of attendance: 45k
Merit scholarship: 12k

Interview at Abuja embassy last Thursday May 19
Duration: Around two minutes
Visa approved


VO: hello so I see u’re accompanied by ur mom
Son: hello ma, yes

VO: come forward for biometrics
Son: did as was instructed

VO: so I see u’re going to University of Maryland Baltimore county for your Bachelor’s in Biological sciences
Son: yes ma with second major in English language and Literature ( he loves writing Lol)

VO: nodded and smiled
I see you have travelled to the US multiple times
Son: yes all for family vacation

VO: so who is paying for your studies?
Son: my Dad

VO: what does he do?
Son: told him

VO: so what are your plans after graduation?
Son: I’m coming back to Nigeria to work in research institutes

VO: I will be approving your visa and all the remaining stuff
Both of us: smiling while saying thank you thank you

Received pick up mail on the 25

Thanks to everyone, UmmZayd, beejay for answering my questions and those that accepted me to the Abuja appointment date check on WhatsApp.

Good luck to others

wow congratulations to your son I tap into this testimony for my daughter's visa in Jesus name Amen and Amen

Please i need names of universities in the United States that offer Master degree program in communication without requesting for any English Proficiency test such as the Tofel, IELTS etc.

Schrodinger2:

When were you refused?

A day ago

I would apply for reinstatement..
It is within the range for that.
Check USCIS for the most up to date information on that.

Suavity:
Hello guys
Your urgent assistance/response will be highly appreciated.
Someone who got SEVIS record terminated within 15days and got another admission with another school who issued an I-20.
What advice is best for the student in need:
To travel and re-enter or;
To apply for reinstatement and what is much best.
Thanks you

Femmyfestus:

A day ago

You can not put in for regular application after your recent denial. It takes about 6months to do so.
Go with the other option.

Congratulations

shakidude:
My son is 17 year old going to study Biological Sciences at UMBC- Bachelor's degree.

I followed him in for the interview as he’s still a minor.

Cost of attendance: 45k
Merit scholarship: 12k

Interview at Abuja embassy last Thursday May 19
Duration: Around two minutes
Visa approved


VO: hello so I see u’re accompanied by ur mom
Son: hello ma, yes

VO: come forward for biometrics
Son: did as was instructed

VO: so I see u’re going to University of Maryland Baltimore county for your Bachelor’s in Biological sciences
Son: yes ma with second major in English language and Literature ( he loves writing Lol)

VO: nodded and smiled
I see you have travelled to the US multiple times
Son: yes all for family vacation

VO: so who is paying for your studies?
Son: my Dad

VO: what does he do?
Son: told him

VO: so what are your plans after graduation?
Son: I’m coming back to Nigeria to work in research institutes

VO: I will be approving your visa and all the remaining stuff
Both of us: smiling while saying thank you thank you

Received pick up mail on the 25

Thanks to everyone, UmmZayd, beejay for answering my questions and those that accepted me to the Abuja appointment date check on WhatsApp.

Good luck to others

Hi everyone please I need help for you guys �I apply for US student visa and I went for the visa this year January.the school that I apply for was Phoenix east aviation Florida,the officer who ask me some questions was a lady in Abuja.so she ask me all the questions which I have been studying I answer,them she ask me if I have travel before I said no and she said sorry will can not give you this visa.so what should I do guys?the school said I should go back and I have book another appointment day which is January.i need you guys help

Hello all,

Please, I am starting my immigration processing, i need recommendation on where to choose for my interview here in Nigeria, Abuja or Lagos?
Urgently needs an appointment date .

covcon:
Hello Everyone, this is my first post. I have gleaned from the posts and experience here, so I decided to highlight some points that helped me.

For those who intend to apply for EA ahead of the 60 days when the rule clearly states 60 days is rather risky. Why would you want to risk that "golden ticket" by flouting the rules?

With regards to appointment booking, when I searched for appointment dates last month (April 2022) after filling out my DS-160, the earliest was April 2023. Being uninformed as I was at the time, I kept checking back and moving it (even as little as 1 week), I didn't know there was a limit to rescheduling until I got a message that if I changed my date 1ce more I would have to pay a new fee. I wasn't sure what that meant, so I stayed put, by this time I had moved up to Nov 22, so even when I saw September dates, I didn't bother rescheduling as that was still not early enough for my August start date. I forgot to mention that I selected Lagos, as that's where I live. I was tempted by the many Abuja dates that were opening up, but thank God I chose not to budge as I had giving myself a window till end of June to activate any contingencies. Well miraculously Lagos dates opened up last week, and I got a date for last Tuesday and picked up my passport yesterday. I can only describe the experience as miraculous.
Summary: Check for appointments regularly (but within the 3 times a day limit), join groups that monitor for openings, I was prompted by someone who was in one of these groups when dates became available.

With regards to preparing for the interview, I read a number of transcripts here that helped, but the most helpful was from a post that recommended watching ArgoVisa videos on YouTube. They have a lot of good free material and also options for paid services. For people who have had a refusal or complex situations, if you can afford it, I would recommend you schedule an appointment with them.

I saw someone who asked if you can go to another country to apply, well that's also risky (as I also gleaned from ex-consular officers). That was one of my contingencies. There are challenges with that, it would be more difficult to establish home ties and also your passport might stand out from the passports they would be used to seeing, thus increasing the scrutiny on you. If eventually you are unable to get an earlier date through any other means, then that may be sufficient justification to apply as a third country national. I advise you do additional research to be prepared.

When asked questions like why this school, why the US, why this course etc, I learnt that it's an opportunity to tell your story. Be an active interviewee and not passive, i.e. anticipate what the VO would like to know with that question, and provide a FULL answer that helps them relate to you as a person and not just some random applicant, in other words succinct responses scaled down from what you wrote in your SOP. This is what i did during my interview.

Travel history I have realized is also important, not impossible to get your visa approved without it, but it definitely gives you a leg up. If you don't have any travel history, then you have to look for other areas to highlight and take away the focus from it. It's better explained why you haven't travelled rather than just responding no to the question if raised.

Something I previously didn't consider important was my appearance, so 2 days before my interview, I went to the barber's for a haircut and a shave. I also wore a clean shirt with trousers, (no need to be overdressed), focus should be on neat rather than flashy. I have almost 15 years of work experience so I attempted to look the part.

If you have a "thick" accent, it's important to practice speaking clearly, use simpler words to express yourself. The person ahead of me had a hard time being understood by the VO, which I suspect contributed to the undesired outcome.

Despite my preparation, I was bombarded with contrary thoughts (high stakes) and so I reminded myself that the previous week, I had an appointment for Nov 2022, and then less than a week later I was about to be interviewed, and God who did that for me was definitely letting me know everything else was covered.

Thanks to those who have been sharing helpful tips. Many apologies for the long post

Congratulations

There is date for 31st May, just a slot.

Please can someone add me to Abuja interview WhatsApp group 08134927841 thanks.

In my opinion you might get admitted to masters via pathway or get direct if you do very well in GRE and TOEFL and write a good SOP etc.
Who knows you might also be considered for funding.

Good luck do search every school in USA

Daddydee56:


Thank you @Walspring.
The thing is my first degree was actually very woeful. It was a third class with a very low cgpa. So that's what I'm trying to capitalize on to justify my reason for a second Bsc. Besides I now work in a government organization,in the ict department in which I came in with my o'levels,but I need a degree now,a relevant one for a promotion. My first degree was in chemistry but now I'm going for computer information systems.
P.S: I'm 27 years. What do you think?

Google is a very good tool for this.
Search state by state

Ujunwaada:
Please i need names of universities in the United States that offer Master degree program in communication without requesting for any English Proficiency test such as the Tofel, IELTS etc.

HELLO GUYS, PLEASE I NEED HELP WITH MY DS 160 FORM.

1. IT IS STATED IN MY I-20 THAT MY UNCLE WILL BE SPONSORING ME, BUT THE STATEMENT MY UNCLE GAVE ME IS FOR HIS COMPANY.
QUESTION: DO I FILL THE FORM WITH HIS DETAIL AS MY UNCLE THEN TAKE THE COMPANY STATEMENT FOR INTERVIEW OR SHOULD I GO AHEAD AND FILL IN HIS COMPANY DETAIL AS SPONSOR SINCE IT’s THE COMPANY NAME ON THE STATEMENT

2. I RECENTLY RESIGNED FROM THE SOFTWARE JOB IN NIGERIA, BUT I HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING PART TIME WITH A US BASED COMPANY FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS IN EDUCATION.

Question: IS IT WISE TO INCLUDE THE THE US COMPANY IN MY APPLICATION? Considering the home ties wahala and the fact that it has nothing to do with computer science (my Major).?

Or should I list the Nigeria based company as my current employer

3. I STARTED A MSC PROGRAM IN ONE OF NG SCHOOLS SINCE 2020, BUT IM UET TO FINISH IT CUS OF STRIKE.
NOTE: the program is also Msc computer science

Question: IS IT WISE TO DECLARE THIS IN MY DS 160?
Probably use it to backup my response to the why study abroad question?


Thank you for your time and I apologize for my many questions �

Hi,

I think you need to capitalize on your IT. Get a diploma in IT in Nigeria, try very much to ace it - I will advise you have a distinction.

Then apply for computer science Masters in the States. I have seen someone with your profile getting admitted and he's running his program currently. Be ready to put in the work and have an application that stands out.

All the very best!

Daddydee56:


Thank you @Walspring.
The thing is my first degree was actually very woeful. It was a third class with a very low CGPA. So that's what I'm trying to capitalize on to justify my reason for a second BSc. Besides I now work in a government organization, in the ICT department in which I came in with my O'levels, but I need a degree now ,a relevant one for a promotion. My first degree was in chemistry but now I'm going for computer information systems.
P.S: I'm 27 years. What do you think?

Hi,

Many schools exempt Nigeria. You may want to do a "likkle" research.

All the very best!

Ujunwaada:
Please i need names of universities in the United States that offer Master degree program in communication without requesting for any English Proficiency test such as the Tofel, IELTS etc.

Hi Michaelshow,

Location really does not matter!

Lagos entertain a lot more applicants than Abuja, hence the higher number of delays than Abuja. Lagos also gives out more visa than Abuja, so make of it what you may.

Having said that, you might want to consider your present location, mental frailness and stolid manner before you pick a location.

All the very Best!

Michaelshow:
Hello all,

Please, I am starting my immigration processing, i need recommendation on where to choose for my interview here in Nigeria, Abuja or Lagos?
Urgently needs an appointment date .