₦airaland Forum

@Seyewest. Thanks a lot.

My POE some weeks back.

Flew Turkish to JFK.


CBP: (I can't remember how he framed his question, but basically he asked what i came for.)
Me: Vacation.
CBP: Where will you be staying.
Me: Mentioned the name of the hotel.
CBP: How long will you be staying.
Me: x days.
CBP: Welcome. (Stamped & returned my passport and the slip from the kiosk).
CBP: As you go out hand over the slip to them over there (gestured to the final check before exit).
(He then asked about the dairy products i ticked in my arrival card, and asked me about it and i told him of the sweets I had bought in the duty free, and he said no problem with that.)


I had a nice but short stay. Don't really like the cold.
The two star hotel ended up being very central in New York, very good location. But the room space was like living in a cupboard. Anyway, I didn't go to NY to stay indoors.


A question for the gurus:
If I go to the US to do window shopping + actually buying goods that I find are bargain prices/sales, is my visit "business" as per CBP.
I do intend to hunt for bargains during my next visit, but the shopping for resale is not going to fund my trip, yet.

KaptainAfrika:
Anyone notice that the VO's have been silent of recent?

See page 337 (March 02).

def111:
please how do you get a domestic flight ticket, do you book it from here or when you get to JFK ?. person need to get full knowledge of this. thanks

You can do either. If you buy it from here (likely the cheaper option), give yourself a lot of time between when you arrive and when your connecting flight will leave (in case of any delays).

About buying it on arrival, I don't know about US airports (yet), but in many countries, you can find airlines desk/office within the airport. I guess you will want to buy it before reaching the CBP.

olantua:
Hello house.....visa was approved on Thursday, transcript uploaded. Please can anyone help with the description to the gss document collection center in VI? I'm not a lagosian. Please help before I loss for road tomorrow

The DHL office is on Muri Okunola Street. If getting to VI by public transport, you can get a Keke from many parts of VI to take you there. If driving from the mainland or from Ajah, head towards Mobil House on Ozumba Mbadiwe: Muri Okunola is two streets away behind Mobil House and you can stop at the Mobil Filling station beside Mobil House to ask for directions.

lonzo:
now to my transcript


my people go and get your visa and flex jare. lonzo signing out

texas, new york here I come.

Congrats!

getostar:
Ok. Great.
I'm guessing it can be a one-way ticket.
Tnx, now I can have more money to shop with
*winks*

Sometimes, a return ticket will be cheaper than two one way tickets. Check well, especially if you already know the date you will connect back to New York.

Safe travels.

Emirates is offering $1100 approx to NY today (Global sales- till 18th Jan. for travel between 16 Jan to 15 June). Typically their online Naira prices should reflect. Check their conditions sha: the funny people may limit baggage allowance.

bravedude:
Good evening house,am filling my b1/b2 visa application and want to know if it's necessary to upload passport photograph while filling or rather should i take one along when going for my appointment?

Taking one along to your interview is essential. Uploading while filling the form is also good; to me, it presents nicely.

olalekanba:
does that mean my wife is the physical applicant?

Hi,
I suppose your wife and children are applying. Yes, they have to apply in person. You have to fill the DS160 forms (I suppose they are going for a visit/non-immigrant visa), and they have to attend the interview, unless you are doing a dropbox renewal for them (if they meet the requirements for dropbox).

By the time you fill the DS160 forms, and pay their visa fees (yes, each normal physical person needs to pay the visa fees), I am sure any other doubts you may have will become clearer.

And NO. You may not attend the visa interview with them. Hence, it is important your wife takes your passport (with your USA visa in it) along to their interview, as the VO may ask to see it, especially when your wife says that they are travelling with you.

Cheers and all the best.

TemmyDavies:
I know nothing good comes easy, and i'm not desperate to visit US, i study in Poland, so i have taken my time to read,If i saw anything related I would not ask,I have been reading and searching, this is my first time outside Europe destination, and so far most stories I read has been for TOURISM, CONFERENCE,VACATION.. I am not a lazy reader,,just one question i need clarification on, and that is if [b]bank statement [/b]would be required,I still have bout €2K,dont know if that would be enough


So you could help if you have an answer, thanks in anticipation

Sir, If you have read the thread diligently, you would have seen that bank statements are not required.

Back to your original post. I suggest you try to fill the DS-160 form: there you will see that "visit a friend" is not an option for the purpose of the trip. You will need to choose the most appropriate option that matches the purpose of your trip.


On another note. Are you applying from Nigeria or from Poland? If I were you, and I am a full time student in Poland, I will apply in Poland. No point travelling to Nigeria to apply for a US visa, and especially as you may not be able to demonstrate good ties to Nigeria.

It's a good idea you go through the threads again. All the best.

Anthocracy:
Hi house, my interview is next week. Please I want us to criticize this my proposed transcript:
VO: your passport
Me: passed to him/her
VO: which state are you going?
Me: NY

Thanks

@Anthocracy. Reading real transcripts is more beneficial than dreaming up hypothetical ones. That said, I can't recall reading any transcript that goes the way you have outlined. (e.g. Likely you/the VO with start with greetings.) I suggest you read back calmly. DIY pays.

#TheTruthShallSetYouFree

Daxruss:
Please house i need a quick response on this. Please how soon can i have an interview, get my visa, arrive in US before 10th of December. I'm attending a conference slated for 12-15th of December. Please house i need your advice on this one and kindly let me know if there is any little adjustment i can do to the dates... Thanks in advance!

Hi Daxruss,
Ref "get my visa". My suggestion is that you read back this thread.

People have related various experiences about interview dates. e.g. keep checking the appointment scheduling website in the hope of an earlier interview slot. (not guaranteed).
It takes at least three business days from your interview date to get a visa, if it is approved at the interview. The trip from Nigeria to the USA will take at least one day too, so you probably need an interview date on or before 6th of December.
Cheers

Anthocracy:
Please I want to know if the following documents are mandatory to present during an interview:
1. Marriage certificate
2. Employment certificate
3. Statement of account
4. Grant of annual leave letter
Thanks

None of the above is mandatory, if you are applying for a non-immigrant visa. However, if it will make you feel better at the interview, feel free to take any or all along: the person interviewing you will most likely not ask for any other documents than your international passport.
That said, if you are going for a training or conference, it is good you take along some evidence that you are expected at the conference.

I encourage you to take more time to go through the thread, as there are many different situations narrated that may be more helpful than the few words above.

leopower:
Gud morning great men and women of dis noble house, I stayed up dis late to make sure I av consume and understand most part of dis tread , read page to page.
D experts in dis room ar really doing a great deal of job by taking time to answer all questions to d best of their knowledge and making things look easy for otondo like me.
I want to try d US visit application with my family (wife & 3 kids). Am a civil servant and wife a trader. Pls house what is my best chance and important documents i need to keep in place. Thks in anticipation

Sir,
My suggestion is that you take a little more time to digest the thread. It's not practical to apply based on chance. By reading the transcripts, you have good information on what to expect, and thus you can prepare adequately according to your situation.

You would also have seen that there is no "list of important documents". For the interview, you need your passports, your confirmation of appointment (you get this after you schedule an appointment), the confirmation pages of your DS-160 forms, the receipts of your visa application fees payment and a passport photograph (each). It is not necessary you take any other documents as they will most likely not be checked, but you can take whatever other documents you want.

Cheers

Haven successfully made my first NL post, here comes the TS ----->

(not verbatim: e.g. I can't remember whether the VO said US, America or the States).

VO: Good morning.
Me: Good morning. (passed my current passport to the VO and I brought out my previous passports from my envelope.)
VO: What takes you to the US.
Me: I would like to go for my Vacation.
VO: And what would you be doing? (or something to that effect).
Me: I will go to New York and plan to see Empire State Building, Wall Street, (and I mentioned four/five other places. I have planned it o. My hotel self is booked right in the middle, to make sure I can access the places easily, and I do intend to see them all.) and also to see a friend and the Museum of Fine Art. (My friend is my DS-160 contact.)
VO: What do you do?
Me: I work as a ..... consultant,
VO: What is that?
Me: I look for clients for my business, meet their needs (I explained my work process for start to finish. Mind you, I own my small firm which operates with a business name, not LTD or PLC. Whatever you do, if it is an honest job and you do it well, you should be able to explain it well).
VO: Have you been to other countries before?
Me: Yes, UK, bleep, Singapore, Philippines, Seychelles. and Europe. (I forgot to mention the Schengen countries in my sentence, so I quickly added "and Europe".
(I pass my 3 past passports to the VO, -yes, I travel a lot for work, so the pages get exhausted before expiry- and VO flips through, withnparticular attention to a few pages.)
(The VO asked me something about one of the countries and I answered correctly. This VO don visit that country before. Then the VO returned my old passports and types for a moment.)

VO: Do you have family here?
Me: Yes, my parents. (I wanted to stop, but quickly realized that I should expantiate.) I am single, but my parents and sisters are here in Nigeria.
(A little more typing, but I saw VO already keeping my passport on the pile of approved ones.)

VO: Your visa has been approved (and hands me the white paper).
Me: (Takes the paper). Is this all? (maybe my sleepy eyes were deceiving me, but I thought I had seen some people receive two white papers).
VO: Yes, that is all: your visa will be ready in 3 working days and that white paper explains how you will go about collecting it.
Me: Thank you.
VO: Thank you.

---end of TS---

And my little opinion/comment ---->

I guess everyone that has read a bit of this thread will know that my travel history made things easier. But, I should say thanks be to God, plus we should not take anything for granted. I prepared o. I know VOs don't normally ask for letters, bank statements, etc, but I took plenty documents along: ready to defend my DS160 with solid documentation.
They were not used/checked, but having them made it easier for me to be confident.(eg. I own a consulting firm, so naturally, I took the original CAC Certificate and related documents along. I booked hotel, so I took my hotel booking confirmation printout.)

The VO took time with the person in front of me. The man was going for a training, he had to repeat his explaination of what he does, what the training is about, and why he is the one going for it. He was asked the same things three times, each time, his answer was lengthier and more detailed. In the end, the VO asked him for document, so he brought out one about the training and he explained that the training is already paid for. The VO took time typing/consulting, even politely told the man to hold on, as time was passing. (I guess checking the authenticity of the training), and in the end, approved the visa (gave him a white paper and retained his passport).

Early morning is good o. I can imagine that later in the day, patience may be a little wanting.
From my view point in the queue, I think all the VOs are nice and sharp: I saw whites, I saw blues. (Blues seems to come if questions are asked and answers were neither forthcoming or were not corresponding.)


Thank you all, help me thank God.

(For my POE experience, will do when I have the vacation next February.

Hi all,
LadyG, Justwise, Worry359, Seyewest, FrontPageLawyer, Burger01, Fyorgyn, et al. I greet thee all.
I have followed the Nairaland visa threads for up to a year (silently and unregistered), and read most of US Visit visa part 1, plus all of part 2. And now, it is time to give back.
My NIV application went well, thanks to the responses of the "ogas" and the questions (good, bad and ugly). I learnt a lot. Thank you all.

I would like to mention one thing that I can't recall coming across on the thread.

Apart from the usual, "no weapons", not metal, no food, no water, no phones, no earpiece, no flash drives, no cameras etc are permitted in the Consulate, people should know that smart watches (e.g. FitBit) are not allowed. In short, any device that can be construed as smart, should be left at home or in the car.

After passing all the external screening, as you enter the building, the airport level kind of scanning is in force to ensure that "you don't mistakenly take in any of the forbidden items". You can be sent back at that point, to go and keep your smart gadget, which means that you have to join the queue all over again.


Having said that, I chose the 7a.m. interview time, got to the Lagos Consulate at 6:15, and finished all the processes and interview and was out by 7:45a.m.: a full working day still ahead. That is sweet and it goes to prove (to me at least) that the USA visa is easy and applicant friendly: either you are qualified and prepared, or one of the two is (or both are) lacking. (God helps those who help themselves, and do the right things.)

---> TS will follow shortly.