₦airaland Forum

Hi bioemmy,

First of all, congratulation for your F1 visa success.

Though, I have not traveled to the US before and I hope to travel to the US for the Fall 2024 intake if I am granted a student visa, from my dad experience, I asked him if you need a transit visa, he said since you have a US visa (student or visitor) and passing through the UK, you don't need any transit visa if:

a) You are not checking out of the airport (Heathrow), you don't have any problem. He said you should ensure you have your next connecting flight from Heathrow airport to your US destination city if you are been asked by the UK immigration at the airport, tell them you are not embarking or checking out of the airport and that you are heading to the boarding gate to wait for boarding to your US destination city. He said you don't have any problems or issues even though your waiting time before boarding to the US inside the UK Heathrow airport is 6 hours. He said the UK authority respects US visa. He said don't ever attempt to try to check out of the airport.

As a matter of fact, he said if you land at the airport, after disembarking from the aircraft and at the check point, tell the UK immigration officers that you need direction to the boarding gate for so and so airport (the one you already have in your flight schedules and they will tell you the boarding gate to proceed to). He said you should ensure that the travel agent that is booking your flight should have your luggage picked up at your US final city destination and not from the UK airport to check in again your luggage.

He said you will need UK transit visa if you are going out of the UK airport and entry inside the UK even though for 5 minutes and coming back to the airport to onboard your next flight to the US, you will need UK transit visa. But he said in your case, you don't need UK transit visa since you are heading to US and with a valid US visa.

Also, he advised that your travel agent should ensure that your ticket is booked together all the way from Nigeria to the city/state in the US where your school is located. If your final destination or last stop city/state in the US is different from the city/state where your school is located, you may have issues with the US Custom and Boarder patrol officers that may subject you to intense questioning and scrutinizing. If you have two tickets, one is from Nigeria to UK and to say to New York where you will have US immigration clearance, but your school is in Chicago (Illinois), just ensure that your travel agent booked a local flight from New York to Chicago and you should have this second ticket handy to show the US Custom and Boarder Officer at the Airport, because they may ask you your final destination, which is Chicago and you have the ticket as well that says the aircraft will be leaving in 5 hours time and you will start boarding in 4 hours time. You are good to go.

We have a family friend to my Dad who traveled with his wife and daughter this December to the US and he and his wife and small daughter were granted student visas (F1 and two F2s) for he is a PhD student. He traveled from Abuja to Frankfurt (Germany) (without going out of the airport) with no German or Schengen transit visa) and then from Frankfurt to Houston (Texas) and from Houston to Gulfport, Mississippi, all journey was smooth and no issue.

He said you don't have any issue, you are good to go and he said if your travel agent is knowledgeable, your travel agent will know this that as long as you are not going out of the UK airport to fling around before coming back to board your next flight to the US, you don't need a UK transit visa. UK respect US Visa, whether student or visitor/business visa. But they don't respect other African countries visa to transit to other countries via the UK without a UK visa or transit visa.

Good luck for your trip.
Thank you all.

Sophie004:

Dear Sophia,
Yes, the person that you replied you is correct. Don't fall to some persons who came to this platform just to rip people off their money in the promise of getting them appointment date.
I fell victor to one guy who first claimed he is a student was refused, but he got a date so easily thereafter and then, when I inquired deeply he directed me to another person to contact, which later become the same person seems correct.

I was refused visa on July 31, 2023 Lagos Consulate and deferred to Spring 2024, and looking for date and fell victim to this guy. My dad has this guy name, account number he sent to us and account name and if my dad wants to setup and arrest him, it is very easy, but my dad told me and my friend, that we should forget about that guy because he did not put gun to threaten us to pay me neither did he force us to send him the money, only he capitalized on my impatience to rip small money out of my dad.

I said we should bring N250,000 and i told my dad my dad sent him N75,000 first to get a date. First he claimed he is a student and was denied as well but got new appointment with ease within one month of his denial. So, we though he could be waking up every hour night and day to be checking date. We fell victim. He even told my Dad that he is working with the US Embassy in Nigeria, which my dad rebuked him as my dad told us (me and my friend).

Anyway, to cut the story short, I gave him my password to my booking portal after my dad sent him the 1st N75,000. But what me and my friend discovered, that he switched to the US Embassy Abuja in my booking portal and then selected ''visa not refused within the past 12 months'' instead of visa refused within the past six months''. and then he switched back to the US Consulate Lagos portal. If you are refused visa within six months and you purchased another visa fee and try to get a date you will keep seeing '' no available appointments now'' until after six months, then the dates will show, but if you select the option of ''visa not refused in the past 12 months, you will see dates showing up.

My friend was surprised why did this guy change to ''visa not refused in the past 12 months''. we told my dad and my dad called him and he denied that he is not the one that did that. He is the next person that has the password. So, we changed it and left it again, and he told my dad that he will still get us a date within 5 business days, then 3 business days passed and yet not date and he is just checking to see if December 28, 2023 will come up for me (with the status as ''visa not refused in the past 12 months'') so he can book and get us the date within late December 2023 and then demand for the balance from my Dad. But you know the consequence and penalty for false selection of an option and even though he has booked the date, it may be possible that appointment may be cancelled and then I get a new fee and who knows whether they may even ban me for the next two years with my passport and records not to book visa appointment again. My fiend advised that we change my password and then ask my dad to call him and tell him to forget in order not to put me into trouble and that N75,000 my dad sent to him is a waste.

We do not blame him, but myself because of impatience. So, I decided to put this information so that other people in this panel will learn. I am sure after January 31, 2024, my portal will be opened for dates for me to book for Fall 2024 intake. I am already deferring my admission to the FAll 2024.

I think others in this platform should learn not to fall into the hands of dupes because of impatience.

Thank you all.

Hi House,
If someone has been refused an f1 visa for the 1s time, the waiting period is 6 months, assuming someone was refused a visa on July 31, 2023, when would the portal be opened for the person to book visa again, would it be from January 31, 2024, then my portal will be opened for me to see available dates?

Thanks,
But selecting that option, don't you think it will be a problem as it says selecting that option if you have been denied a visa within the 6 months time, that the appointment will be canceled?
Just want to be sure not getting into trouble with this US people.

Thanks and further suggestions if someone has done that got a date without appointment cancellation and got visa?

Okay will do.
Thanks

Hi SammyT95,
The link is not highlighted.
Could you please resend the link in an highlighted format so I could click as well?

Thanks.

Hi Oluwadamilola97

Good evening, I am an intending F1 student and was denied visa on July 30, 2023 and since then trying to get a new date after paying a new visa fee, yet my portal keeps saying ''no available dates now''

Wanted to know how you got your date as I can see you recently posted to inform that you got a date. Are you a first timer or what kind of suggestion would have post for us 2nd attempt to get a date in December 2023.

Thanks.

Dear Forum,
If anyone looking for student visa interview dates see that they the US Consulate in Lagos and US Embassy in Abuja have opened dates in December 2023 for the Spring 2024 intake, please kindly inform the forum.

I am looking for dates for my F1 student interview to book for the Spring 2024 intake, and the system keeps saying ''no available dates now'' both in Lagos and Abuja. I was refused a student visa F1 in July 2023 and have to get another Form I-20 with another course and lower tuition and higher scholarship amount.

Thanks
Bethy

Good afternoon Forum members,

Please, if you see dates for December 2023 open for Student interview slots in US Consulate Lagos and US Embassy Abuja, please we will appreciate you let members here know so we can book.

My checking for dates still saying ''no appointments available'' at US Consulate Lagos and US Embassy Abuja.

I was refused student visa in July 31, 2023 and have got an updated I-20 from another school for the Spring January 2024 intake and have paid my new visa fee trying to get an appointment.

Thanks, and will appreciate your reply.
Bethy

Thanks,
But I don't know why others are seeing dates, why I am seeing ''no appointments available now'' both in Lagos and Abuja. I just checked after receiving your update. Even if I can see any of those dates, I know there will be hope of getting a date, but I am not seeing any of such, even after just reading your email, I logged and still ''no appointments available now''

See the screenshot attached here.
May be, any further help will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Good afternoon Forum,

If the US Consulate in Lagos or US Embassy in Abuja opens the portal for student visa appointments for late November 2023 and December 2023, please, spread the news and inform members of this forum as we will be grateful to book.

I don't know why I keep on checking with a new visa fee paid after my first refusal on July 31, 2023 and I got a new Form I-20 with a much bigger scholarship and with my personal funding, seems sufficient for my next interview.

But the problem now is that anything I check now, it keeps saying ''no appointments available now''
I heard that the US Consulate in Lagos usually open up dates for Students and so if any of member of this house see dates, open, letting other members looking for dates to book and letting others like me know will be great.

Thank you all
Bethy

BETHANY2024:
Good evening Forum,

Is there any body could help to tell when would US consulate in Lagos or US Embassy in Abuja open interview dates for the January 2024 intake.
I kept checking my profile booked for Lagos, and it continuing saying - no appointments available at this time.

Any info will belp.

Thanks.
Bethy

Thank you Eni977,

It is saying ''no appointments available''.

I even email the logistics company - ustraveldocs via my portal and they replied saying visa appointment slots is at the discretion of the US Embassy, and they we should be checking the portal for dates. We just hope the Embassy will open it soon say one week so December 2023 dates will show up.

Thanks, and any reply for us to inform the house once the dates are open will be fine.

Bethy

BETHANY2024:
Good evening Forum,

Is there any body could help to tell when would US consulate in Lagos or US Embassy in Abuja open interview dates for the January 2024 intake.
I kept checking my profile booked for Lagos, and it continuing saying - no appointments available at this time.

Any info will belp.

Thanks.
Bethy

Good evening Forum,

Is there any body could help to tell when would US consulate in Lagos or US Embassy in Abuja open interview dates for the January 2024 intake.
I kept checking my profile booked for Lagos, and it continuing saying - no appointments available at this time.

Any info will belp.

Thanks.
Bethy