Hello Tymyke. After the fact e-mails about changing intent are not valid. What matters is what the applicant says at the visa interview and at the port of entry. You are not likely to get a response to such an e-mail, and if you do, it will be informational in nature, conferring no permission on the purpose of travel. You will have the opportunity to declare your intention and preparations at the port of entry. Customs and Border Patrol will make the final determination as to whether you are allowed into the US.

Tmyke:
Hello Abujaiv,

My wife sent an email to consularabuja@state.gov its been over two days and we havent got a response. Email was to notify the embassy on our change of intent as she now intends to give birth in the states. Visa was issued in Jan 2016 but we haven't been able to travel due minor health challenges and busy schedule. How do we go about getting a response from the embassy.

Regards,

Hello vickyA. If at any time a student falls out of status with the school (be it through bad grades, unpaid fees, etc.), then the visa is no longer valid and he/she must leave the US. Ignorance of the law is not a defense. It begs the question how your sister could afford to live in the US when she could not pay the tuition and she was not authorized for work. She should return as soon as possible, as the longer she stays, the more illegal presence she accrues, leading to higher penalties.

vickyA:
Hello VO. My sister is currently in the US on a valid student visa but has found herself in a mix and doesn't know what to do. She has been in school for a over a year but due to the foreign exchange challenges, limits set by Nigerian banks etc, she could not complete her fees and had to defer a semester.
Now, my sister has got the money and wants to register for the next semester, however the school informed her that she ought to have left the US for the period she was not in school. She needs to prove that she left the country and came back before she is allowed to re-enrol. This information came as a shock to her as she neverintended to stay in the US illegally.
My question is, did she violate the terms of her student visa and if yes, are there any exceptions ? Thank you in anticipation of your favourable response

Hello Glurssymum. The only required documents are the I-20s. It is possible the visa officer may want to see evidence of financial means to support the tuition and living expenses of both adults.

Glurssymum:
Dear Abujaniv,

Thanks for the good work u are doing here.
Please I and my spouse will be going to the embassy next month for student visa interview. I will be going for F1 while he goes for F2. What documents is my spouse required to present? Thank you as I expect it response.

Hello Marychibuzo. As long as the visas are valid or have expired in less than 12 months, you are likely eligible for the interview waiver program. If the purpose of your travel is childbirth, it may be a good idea to elect to come in for an interview to explain your preparations and finances. This may help for a smoother entry at the border.

Marychibuzo:
Hello VO,
Please i and my 2 kids have a B1/B2 that will expire in November, but we intend traveling end of November, are we eligible for the Interview waiver program since the visa is not yet expired?. I intend using the visa for vacation and child birth. I will like to send in the application in August..

Thank you for your response.

Hello kennyfem. The lack of punctuation makes your post difficult to understand. The bottom line is that the visa expiration date is the last day that she can enter the US. She can apply for renewal at any time.

kennyfem:
Dear VO,

My friends mother visited her daughter in US after 6month she came back to nigeria but the 2years visa is about to expire now must she visit US twice before she can renew her visa or if her visa expire now can she renew it because she wants to visit her daughter soon.

Hope to hearing from you.

Thanks.

Hello khar. With renewals, applicants are occasionally called in to talk about their past or future travel. Others are randomly chosen for an interview.

khar:
Hello there.

I tried renewing my B1/B2 visa the same month it was due to expire,using the drop box process. At the point of collection(return),I was told to reschedule a follow-up appointment.

Please has this happened to anyone here before? I'll appreciate if anyone can give an insight into what might be the problem. I have never overstayed in the US.

Thanks

Hello topoexavier. It is not impossible to obtain a nonimmigrant visa (B1/B2, F1, etc.) while also pursuing an immigrant visa. That said, it may be a high hurdle to do so. In applying for the nonimmigrant visa, you are demonstrating and swearing that you do not have an immigrant intent, when clearly you do in this case. Your ties to your home country will be weighed against your external ties.

topexavier:
Dear VO,
I was refused B1/B2 visa last year based on section 214 .....
I got married to the mother of my kids, who is a US legal permanent resident alongside my kids shortly after. She promptly filed form I-130 for me.
Between the time of my last application for NIV and now, I became self employed and own a very profitable pharmaceutical business, though I was also a top staff of the company I last worked with and had a very good salary.
Despite the ongoing process of filing, can I proceed to apply for a B1/B2 visa? Please note, I do not intend to spoil my chances of obtaining F2A visa by not obeying the rules of B1/B2 visa or becoming an illegal immigrant through it. Thanks in anticipation of your response.

Hello folmus. We typically recommend people to apply from the country where they principally reside. We do not typically look a documents.

folmus:
Hello VO,

I need to renew my B1/B2 visa but am presently outside of Nigeria where I work and where am a resident. I am not qualified to apply for a dropbox here since the visa wasn't issued here. In my enquiry with the US embassy here, I was told to go to my country to apply since I am not a citizen here. In my earlier enquiry, you said I better go for another interview in Nigeria. I will like to know whether I can bring my bank statement from here since this is where I work and I plan to apply for the renewal during my leave.


Thank you.

Good morning Wasquad. Comprehensive information is found on our USTravelDocs website. The husband in this scenario must appear for an interview for the first visa. The wife may be eligible for interview waiver.

Wasquad:
Hello, Please my sister has B1/B2 visa but expired March and she wanted to renew but wanted to include her husband in the documentation. The husband has a fresh passport no history. How will they go through it all. Please I need a comprehensive guide on how to go about this. Thank you.

Hello niyisfan. You needn't travel on a visa to be eligible for renewal under the interview waiver program (dropbox).

niyisfan:
Hello, have been to the US twice with my previous US visas, however with my current 2 year visa, have not been able to travel with it and it will expire by November 2017. Can I reapply for a renewal after the expiration in my married name and with my hubby? Also, will my not being able to travel be a problem for me renewing or must I make use of the current visa before reapplying?

Thank you

Hello opomulero. We can't go into specifics for any case. The critical thing is that you are open and honest in your applications, and your home ties will develop naturally over time.

opomulero:



B4 this quoted write up ive been to dubai alone and after marriage 2013, been to ghana with wife.
After denial of us visa feb 2016, we jetted out to turkey in april 2016, we went to us consulate again in dec 2016 and we were denied again.

....I have good paying job,
....I think i have good travel history to my own best of knowledge.

Now i wanted to try the third time and im afraid.

House please where do you think i am getting it wrong?

Kindly advise me.

Hello 2Favoured. Read a few pages of this thread. You will learn all you need to know about documents.

2Favoured:
Good day officer,
I am applying for my Aunt (our late mum's younger sister)who has been invited by twin sister to come over and help her take care of her baby. The challenge is that my Aunt does not have the necessary documents like bank statement to support her application as she's a petty trader who doesn't own an account. My sister is a US citizen and she is ready to provide her all the necessary documents she needs as she will be sponsoring the trip. My question is" is there any other thing my Aunt needs to support her application?. She's a mother of 5 children and she doesn't intend to stay longer than 6 months but submitting her application is a bit of a challenge because of her lack of bank statement.

Hello DonManuel01. The SEVIS matter is an issue managed between the Department of Homeland Security and the individual schools authorized to issue I-20 forms. For more authoritative information on that, I would have to direct you to:
https://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901/faq

DonManuel01:
@abujaniv

Hello! Thanks for always being there to attend to our questions and concerns.
I paid my sevis fee somewhere around June last year, and appeared for interview. But I was denied on 214b grounds.
Now, I am prepared again to appear and have scheduled my interview for 1st week of July.
I hope my sevis fee is still valid? Does sevis fee ever expire?
The school said I am fine though, and can go ahead, but I just want to verify this info with the VOs here.

Thank you!

Hello demiiiiiiiiiiiiii. Step-by-step instructions are at www.ustraveldocs.com/ng/index.html
Otherwise, contact customer service at: support-nigeria@ustraveldocs.com

demiiii:
HELLO, PLEASE I NEED YOUR URGENT ASSISTANT. I AM RENEWING MY B1/B2 VISA AND I HAVE PAID THE FEE AT GTB, I HAVE ALSO COMPLETED MY DS-160 FORM.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO ACCESS THE SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT SESSION.

PLEASE HELP ME URGENTLY. THANK YOU NAIRALANDERS.

Hello aragonbaba. I removed your previous post because it is a very bad idea to post personally identifiable information in a public space such as this. This is an issue you will have to solve through customer service, or you will need to pay the fee again. Thousands of applicants do this successfully every day. So can you.

aragonbaba:
I dont understand this message. I paid in Gtbank and I got a reference number. I tried to schedule an interview but they said my receipt number is not in the database. Now this is the reply I got after I laid a complaint. This is serious

Hello Hebunn. Yes, if it is a degree program and the school requires it.

Hebunn:
Hello VO, good Morning... I'm planning to attend a filmmaking workshop/trainning in New York and the program will last for 8weeks. I read on their website I'll have to apply for an "F" visa, in order to attend the training... I want to ask if you grant "F" visas for 8 weeks short-term workshop/training. The workshop is for Sept., 2017. Thanks.

Hello man105. There is no work requirement.

man105:
good day ,I have a question, when one just concluded NYSC and happens to go for f1 interview in space of a month after NYSC,does it require that the student must be working already ? is it compulsory?
is a month gap too much? I will be expecting a reply thank you for your time.

Hello Ddarkguy. Thank you for your feedback. This is not the appropriate venue for interview transcripts.

Ddarkguy:
I really want to appreciate everyone who has posted on this forum most especially, the VO! Your posts, experiences and selflessness are so helpful and quite appreciated.
I got my Visa this morning to the glory of God

Hello HEADYWORLD. He can go ahead with the interview, but the visa cannot be issued without the SEVIS fee. Considering the $200 SEVIS fee is the smallest portion of the full cost of higher education in the US, the inability to pay it is a sign of concern for the seriousness and financial flexibility of the student.

HEADYWORLD:
Good evening VO, my brother was given scholarship to study in Texas and his embassy interview is scheduled 26 of this month, but the major constraint now is that we are yet to pay for his sevis fee, can he go ahead with the embassy interview without sevis fee? Or what effect does the late payment of the sevis have on his interview. Thanks on your swift response .

Hello laonidolla. No.

laonidolla:
hello VO, pls is it compulsory to travel during the first 6month's of first issue of visa? caused there is a change of plan. thank

Hello Gaggi. It's your choice if you want to renew visa the interview waiver program (IWP, dropbox) or to come in for an interview. The new child must appear for an interview for his/her first visa and will necessarily need to be accompanied by an adult, preferably a parent.

Gaggi:
Hi,
My wife and kid got a US visa which will expire at the end of the year. We have a new kid now and I want to know how my family can reapply while my new kid applies from scratch considering that my wife and son would probably be entitled to drop box and the new kid isn't. Is there an option of ignoring the drop box so they all can go to the interview together?

Hello pyx. She may go to the interview by herself.

pyx:
Hello VO, I want to know if my wife could attend Visa interview while am away in the united states, she applied for international passport here in Nigeria for about four month but not ready till date and I have already scheduled my travel to be in July.. Do I need to be in Nigeria for her to attend the nterview or it is not necessary.
We planned the vacation together, can she join me or she has to wait till I return before the interview?

Hello Chibaby98. You may proceed to the interview with your old I-20 and can then tell the visa officer about the scholarship. The officer may be able to confirm the scholarship award via the electronic form of the I-20.

Chibaby98:
Good day VO,

Please I'd appreciate it if you could weigh in on this:

I received an initial I-20 from my school in April. However, I was notified that I've been awarded a scholarship last week. Now, my interview is scheduled for this Thursday, and my school notified me that my updated I-20 and the scholarship letter might not arrive in time for my interview.

Can I appear for my interview with the initial I-20 and a printed copy of the scholarship letter which was emailed to me as evidence that I've actually been awarded the scholarship?

Kind Regards
Chibaby98

Hello. We don’t normally post in this thread, but it seemed worthwhile to drop in and correct some misconceptions. We say this a lot, but it bears repeating: Birth tourism is legal in the US provided the applicant is open about their intention and pays the medical expenses in full. This means that the applicant should declare any such intention they have at the Embassy/Consulate and again at the port of entry.

If it happens that the applicant gets pregnant well after the initial visa interview, they will have the opportunity to make their intention, medical preparations and financial resources known at the POE. However, it will remain up to Customs and Border Patrol whether to allow that applicant into the country. Some are not, and they are put on the next flight home. This must be extremely uncomfortable for a heavily pregnant person, to spend 15-20 hours on a flight to America, several more hours being questioned, then another 15-20 hours on a plane home. This is what we want to avoid.

Onto some other misconceptions:
The concept of the “change of intent” letter is not valid. These e-mails are not read nor correlated with the applicant’s file. Some people who send such letters may get a form letter in response, but it is informational in nature and in no way confers permission to amend the declared purpose of travel. What matters is what you declare at the Embassy/Consulate and at the POE. After the fact e-mails do not carry any weight.

Some applicants say, “I applied for only the B2 visa to declare my medical intent.” The B1/B2 visa categories are conjoined, so applying for only one does not make any difference. Other applicants say, “I appeared at the window with a big belly,” as if this alone is enough to declare their medical intent. Again, the responsibility is on the applicant to be honest about what they plan to do in the US.

Other considerations:
Medical care is expensive in the US, and costs can escalate dramatically if there are complications.
Credibility is paramount in the US visa process. If visa officers detect any deception or obfuscation, no amount of excuses, documents or receipts will make up for the loss of credibility.

Hello DonManuel01. You can continue to the interview with the scanned copy, but the visa officer is sure to ask why you don't have the original. Be prepared to explain. You would have to check with Customs and Border Patrol to see if they would accept only a scanned copy. I suspect they would not.

DonManuel01:
@abujaniv

Thank you for your wonderful work on this thread. Your insights are valuable and well-appreciated.
Please I want to know if the US embassy will honor a scanned copy of my i20. The school has sent it twice now, but I don't understand what is going on with UPS. Don't know how long again it will take for it to arrive, and time is going.
So I suggested that the school send me a scanned copy of the I-20 so I can use it in the interim for my interview.
Is this acceptable?
Thanks for your anticipated response.

If there's any question about the family relationship, you may be asked to provide more evidence to back it up. The US takes biographical details and identity very seriously, especially in regards to minor children.

Dipo2020:


Thanks Abujaniv for you response. I have not applied for US visa before. I'm not abandoning any name rather I only want my son to bear my first name (OLADIPUPO) as his own surname while I still maintain my father's name.
I just want to know if it will not affect my application because it means me and my son will have different surname.
Thank you

Hello Newbie12. We really don't like this term "virgin" to describe passports. It seems to imply that people without travel history don't get visas, or that they should be compelled to fill their passport with fake endorsements or meaningless travel. Both are very false. The questions are about the applicant and his/her travel intentions, so as long as he/she is truthful, there's no need to prepare. Honest answers flow naturally.

Newbie12:
Good evening, help please. My sis intends to join her husband in the States and her interview is very soon, they ve got all the necessary documents, ds 160,passport, F1, F2, evidence of scholarship,marriage certificate, etc, please what kind of questions should she prepare for.. Her passport is Virgin. Thanks

Hello Dipo2020. So you're changing your last name, and then giving your child the name you abandoned? That's your business. Whatever the name is, the name in the visa must match the name in the passport.

Dipo2020:
Hello VO
I intend to apply for US visa before the end of this year but i need to clear the below worries.

I abbreviated my name as "OLADIPO" instead of "OLADIPUPO".And am planning to do correction of name before applying for my International passport. Could this have any consequence on my visa application because my other documents carries OLADIPO.

I just delivered a baby boy and i want my son to use my own personal name (OLADIPUPO) as his surname. Could this also have any immense effect on my application?

Thank you

Read some pages from this thread. I am confident you will get your answer, as regards documents.

Believe13:
Many thanks.

One last question. What documents do I take with me sir?

Hello Believe13. If you are not able to correct it, just explain the issue at the interview.

Believe13:
Thanks a lot VO,

However, my husband told me yesterday that he made error in his parents date of birth and also error in the date of resumption from one of his previous work .

I actually advised that he filled another form which he did, Have even sent a mail to lagosniv@State.gov of the New confirmation number.

My question now, is it possible to update it on my profile? cos that's what we are using. Or what is your advise . our interview is this week.

Thank you.

Hello Neot77. Perhaps try back later. We've not gotten reports from others having difficulty with scheduling appointments. Again, this is in the purview of customer service.

Neot77:
Gd morning Vo, I'm trying to book for interview appointment but the page is not showing. what can I do pls?

Hello smartkid. No, you must be applying for a visa in the same class.

smartkid:
Hello abujaniv,

If F visa expired less than one year ago, can dropbox be used for B1/B2 application? Thanks