₦airaland Forum

Wokeupandslayed:
sorry I’m reading your response to her. Would you advise me to go ahead with my bro Canadian account (he is on work visa ) or my a family friends account here in Nigeria (I would say my uncle on paper) or it really doesn’t matter. my bro is work visa as his wife is schooling in Canada.

I really don’t know what’s best because the responses I’m get is just very conflicting. One told me since he is not a relation I should stay clear. Another told me so far as my bros account is legit it doesn’t matter.

But how do I explain I have relatives abroad. Please can you help.

Hello.
I have zero information about your F1 application (PhD , MSc, Bsc ? Married or single ? Etc) so concluding accurately might be hard.

But generally, ask your uncle to send the money into your account (and state self-fund) and leave it all through inside your account until after your visa interview . Or ask your family friend to do the same.

US embassy also prefers and accept your sponsor (s) to remit the whole money into your account so that disappointment won't occur in the case the sponsor dies or hospitalize, etc or just naturally change his or her mind to not fund you again

Do not use your uncle if he is a dependent of his wife in Canada but you can use him if he is legally working and paying his tax. Erase the idea of your family friend .

Note: If you are however a PhD applicant then anyone can support/fund you (that is called investment) but with affidavit of support along the bank statement. At this point anyone you chose must reflect in your Form I-20. Ciao.

Highsaac:
Please help🚫🚫🚫
My source of funding are personal funds and family funds(I submitted my sister's account but family funds was written on my i20).
I want to change my sponsor to my uncle, can I go ahead and fill my Uncle as my sponsor in my DS160 and attend the interview with his account statement or do I need to inform the school?
Thanks

Hello Highsaak.

I have to park somewhere (my SUV) in order to quickly answer this because it's an interesting question which i don't want to skip.

When you digress out of the information in your Form I-20 you are automatically a liar and a dishonest F1 visa applicant.

The information in your Form I-20 must tally with your ds-160 information and both information must tally with your verbal communication with the visa officer on the day of your interview.

The only solution is to notify the school and have your uncle's financial statement forwarded to the school in order for you to receive an updated I - 20 which will state your uncle as the sponsor.

Note: If you cannot do the recommended then it is better you write family fund inside your ds-160 and attend your interview with your sister's financial statement. Ciao.

Billions123:
Please which of these 2 options is faster and better.

1. Pay visa fee in the bank.
2. Pay visa fee online with card (pay4me)

Hello Billions.
You cannot sue a computer into a court of law because your card issuing institution will lie unto a computer or network issues if your MRV payment have issues. I know more than 5 visa applicants who made triple online payment and debited without access to appointment calendar.

Avoid fast & fall and go and pay physically at the bank. You can sue a bank teller or have the bank official intervene if any issues arise. Physical bank deposit is my 1st choice.

Note: Online payment or Pay4Me are also good choice and it has work and still working fine for some people . I just highlighted the major disadvantages and my choice. Good LucK.

Godgivenchild:
....however, the phrase 'with honesty and improved circumstances' could send the wrong signal to the visa officer. Saying 'with honesty' might imply that you were not honest in your previous application, while 'improved circumstances' could suggest that your earlier profile was weak or insufficient.

The phrase with honesty and improved circumstances cannot send a wrong signal . If you don't understand let me explain it to you .

With honesty means everything i am stating here in my re-application is done in truth because that is what the consular want from all visa applicant.

With improved circumstances means : My profile and all my weakness or lapses before is now updated . I have been using this explanation for my friends and acquaintances and none has experience another visa denial.

214b denial means that you should re apply when your circumstances have changed , so my circumstances have changed and I am reapplying with truth (honesty).

Note: You don't need to correct me. You only need to write out your own denial- reason for the OP and he or she will pick the best answer .

punchyy:
Hello everyone, please how can I utilize the part of explaining why I was previously denied in the DS160 to my advantage.

Hello.
If you talk too much on that aspect you will rope yourself and the interviewing officer might use it to deny you again. Therefore, you cannot utilise it to your advantages. Do you want to say that the officer who denied you was foolish ? Or you were denied as a result of the biased officer ?

I will just say : I was denied under 214b which was best known to the officer. I respect his/her decision and I am re-applying again with honesty and improved circumstances. Ciao

Pavillon:
HI Guys,

I applied F2 visa for my wife, and she was refused a visa based on how long the marriage has been. We got married on the 28th of Aug, 2024, and she applied and had her interview yesterday. The VO told her that the marriage is still young and maybe could apply after 6 months. We plan to apply again in December, but we'll be going together this time because I plan to renew my visa.

Who has experience with the VO F2 visa application and can advise on what to do? Do you think it's right for us to go together this December for the interview? Will it affect my renewal process since I am still a student here in the US?

Anyone with similar experience should pls help out

Pavilion.
Your wife's F2 visa was not denied based on the fact that your marriage is still fresh (that's a fallacy). If she re-apply next year she is still going to be denied .

The most smooth F2 visa application based on my experiences is PhD (F2s) and faintly follows by MSc F2s. With that , the consular expects instant application with your spouse.

Nevertheless, if your funding is not full-funding with extra stipends to cover personal expenses (PhD or MSc F2s) then you have the onus to convince the consular beyond doubt on the upkeep of your dependent (worst-case scenario if you have kids) .

In General , F2 visa application is a complex game because the consular generally view your dependents (F2) as a distraction to you.

NOTE. Do not apply together, do your renewal alone and let her reapply for the F2 or change to B2. In all, you have many things to change in her re-application. Good LucK.

Wokeupandslayed:
Please is it advisable to submit my brother’s account for bank statement
He has 7k dollars in his account which is about 4k American dollars and my deficit is 2.7k American dollars. I was awarded full funding and stipend. Please can anyone advise/assist me. Thank you

Hello WakeUp.

If you are a PhD applicant you can use it without looking back . If you are an MSc or Bsc applicant you can use it with affidavit of support.

You will however have Two Brick walls to climb; ONE: You must use the same bank statement when attending your F1 visa interview because the school will state it inside your Form I 20. TWO : US embassy might place you on 221g (if they want to verify the foreign account) because it takes a while for them to verify account that is not local. NOTE: If your Canada contact does not have a good residency or work status it can affect your visa application.

You can use it if you don't have an alternative. Good LucK.

ChiomaCharity:
Good day everyone, please I’m trying to pay for visa fee, I generated the receipt to go pay in the bank, the day the receipt was generated it’s today and the day it’s supposed to expire is also showing today. Please is that how it works now.
Also I even came to the bank with the same receipts to make payment and I am told it has expired, something I generated today. Can someone help explain.

Chioma.
This cannot be so. You have had self -made issues with ds 160 application as a newbie therefore this is likely going to be your mistake .

Any new generated MRV payment advise (teller) last for 3-days for you to make the payment in which if you did not pay within the 3-days you will have to go back and generate another one.

You most likely have generated and downloaded the teller (on your phone or computer ) 3-days ago and just have it printed out today.

Go and print another teller today and proceed to the bank but if the error you stated repeats itself you can screenshot it here for us to view. In that case you may need to send a profile-issue email to the embassy. Good LucK.

toluolorun:
Good morning. Please i need help. I missed an appointment last year and started a new application to be able to help me reschedule. During the proccess when i got to enter MRV receipt, it told me my number was invalid, but somehow, my application from last year came up on my page and i was asked to reschedule. I picked a date and i have rescheduled. Now i want to reschedule my daughters appointment because we applied together. I contacted Customer Service and they told me to use the create new button, but what im seeing is pending application request and cancel application. I am weary about clicking cancel application because i dont want my now scheduled appointment to be canceled. Please what do i do? has anyone experienced this. Please see screenshot attached

Toriolorun.
It seems you paid your MRV together, therefore as your date is activated so as others activated (pending appointment).

Click on pending appointment and continue with the booking for the next person. After finishing with the person you will see another pending appointment for the next person till you finish up for everyone (that is if my calculation is right).

NOTE. If it happens that the pending appointment is as a result of your toying with avits and you discover your information (after clicking pending appointment) instead of the information of your daughter's then you have to click cancel appointment before you will be able to view CREATE NEW (as attached). Good LucK.

[quote author=ChiomaCharity post=134990023][/quote]Yes . Start another one afresh (and note down your security/retrieval questions).

Lol 😊 no wonder ! Whenever you want to exit ds-160 page you have to save (look downward to see save) it before you exit the page. Then whenever you return you will use your retrieval information (first 5 letters of surname , year of birth and any other personal question chosen) to access where you stopped .

ChiomaCharity:
Good morning everyone please I need help with this, I generated my DS-160 code so I can use it to apply for visa and book an appointment, now I went back to the DS-160 after inputting my DS code and security question, it keeps saying I should enter another two security questions I wasn’t even asked. Any help on how to go about it.

Morning Chioma.
You have forgotten (or someone started it on your behalf) those other two security questions because the computer cannot lie except if there is a system glitch. Restart your computer and input the retrieval info again but if the issue persist you have to start another ds-160 entirely. NOTE. The US embassy recommends that you complete your ds-160 entirely and do the final submission before you go back to AVITS for appointment booking. Not following this rule may cause appointment delay.

AVITS: For your error on AVITS , chose a post means you should pick Lagos or Abuja and you have to pick one before you will be able to continue. If the chose a post is not bringing any option then you have to restart your computer or change browser and re-login again. After login click on pending appointment and it will take you back to chose a post . If the chose a post is still showing blank then you have to cancel your present appointment and start a new one afresh. Good LucK.

Godfreyalfred44:
I plan to apply for the lecturing role upon my return. My NGO doesn't have a higher position for someone with a PhD.

Okay this is my input :

You plan to appy for lecturing position in your area of study ( expound it a bit) in my Alma mater or any federal or state University in Nigeria.

NOTE: Broaden your job search to the consular. If you mention only your undergraduate University the consular might ask you what if your application for employment is not granted ? Or the consular might ask you : Do you have any evidence of your employment certainty from your Alma mater.

NOTE: PhD visa applicants should also elaborate on the love for education, teaching & research. Coming back to take job is actually not necessary .

Godfreyalfred44:
Hello everyone, I just got admitted for fully funded PhD in social work. My interview is next month. I currently work with an NGO, but my plan is to return back and take up a lecturing position at my undergraduate university. Is this okay? Some people are advising me to lie. That I want to take up unrealist higher role at my place of work.

Hello Godfrey.
You work with an NGO is your natural profile so you do not have to lie. The only thing that will amaze the consular a bit is that you will return back to your Alma mater to take a lecturing job. If this your plan is genuine the consular might want to see the employment bond between you and your Alma mater.

Coming back to take work position is the most common reasons graduate applicants tell the consular but the genuine ones among them will be verified.
Ciao.

Prestige65:
Hi guys, Please I need help urgently. My mom will be traveling for her visa interview tomorrow , I’ll like to confirm something. Her DS-160 was completed in March 2024. The confirmation code on her DS-160 matches what is on her visa appointment. Does she need to fill a new DS-160 since it is over 6 months old? And will that give her a new Confirmation code? Does she need to take the two DS-160? Thank you for your help

Hello.
She should go with what she has . It's okay. However she must take another recent passport photograph (2 copies) when going for her visa interview. Good LucK

welf99:
This is not correct.

Hallo welf99.

You may be right with your suggestion but I have not seen anyone around me attended F1 visa with previously issued I 20. That apart let's look at the question together :


Now i got an email from the school about a change in living expenses calculation, meaning that i need to have a new i-20 issued (after i prove that i can cover the new cost of living), but i have already booked an appointment using the old i-20 which i got in august 2024.

NOTE : He cannot get a new I 20 without proving that he would be able to cover the new cost of living .


So i am wondering if i can attend my interview first using the old i-20, and then get an updated one after the interview

NOTE : He asked if he can attend the interview first with the old I -20 (by outsmarting the school) because he doesn't have the new I-20 yet.

So can he go ahead and attend the interview with only the old form I 20 ? He doesn't have any new one yet . Thank you for your input.

EchegAshley1:
Hello everyone, my visa interview is on may 2nd, is it alright that I’m unemployed, do you think it will affect my visa interview, I graduated from university last year November, and I applied for a masters and got admission, can I go ahead with the interview or is there anything I can do to boost my chances of a visa approval

Hello Ashley1..
If you just graduated from the University last year you are still a fresh graduate. Some of your mates might still be attending classes to sort out carry- overs. In this respect, you have positioned yourself in what the US Embassy prefers (non-stop scholars) most serious international student to do ( meaning you do not have any gap year).

However , as sweet as your position is , you will still need the following for your F1 visa plans to materialize.
1. Outstanding or average CGPA , 2. Genuine and verified sponsor , 3. Your intention for going abroad to study, 4. Your after graduation plans, 5. Relevance of your course of study to your goals.

Let's assume that you are dependent on your parents as a fresh University graduate then your ties to Nigeria are : 1. Your parents and siblings (I assume you to be single or engaged ). 2. Genuine academic interest (starting from your cgpa). 3. Post Graduation plans . 4. Your activities in Nigeria ...church / mosque, Volunteering, New projects etc. Good LucK.

dade6270:
I deferred my admission from 2024 due to Visa denial, and was issued another i-20 in August 2024 for 2025 fall session (It states on it that i deferred from 2024 fall session). Now i got an email from the school about a change in living expenses calculation, meaning that i need to have a new i-20 issued (after i prove that i can cover the new cost of living), but i have already booked an appointment using the old i-20 which i got in august 2024.

So i am wondering if can attend my interview first using the old i-20, and then get an updated one after the interview, because my interview date is quite close (Less than a month) and i do not want any administrative delays to hurt my chances. Is this something i can do, or i need to update the i-20 before attending the interview, i.e, is there any risk if i go with the old i-20, and is there any way for the VO to confirm if living expenses have been updated by the school

Hello Dade.

Can you go to an hypermarket and purchase groceries with old currency note ? No ! Your old Form- I 20 has been deactivated from the school. It's now an ordinary piece of paper .

Reschedule your appointment and ask your school to align your resumption date towards the new date or have them write an official email (print it to the embassy) allowing you to resume slightly late after resumption. Or defer your admission entirely.

Consular will void your appointment with Old Form -I 20. Ciao.

Dixoxoxo:
Hi, has anyone renewed visa through interview waiver recently in Nigeria: Lagos or Abuja this year. If so, please can you share your timeline from submitting your passport to getting it back. I scheduled premium pick up with OIS, does anyone know how many days it takes for the embassy to send to OIS?

I recently submitted my passport through interview waiver and I am on OPT so I have a limited time for this process. I am so nervous about this process so any insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Hallo Dixo.

You should not have departed the US (except if what you came for is extremely of utmost importance).
You do not need anyone to tell you anything because visa (IW inclusive ) cases is different.

The only relevant information to you right now is that IW official duration of process is 8 - weeks and you cannot retrieve your passport until final judgement.

Note: I just quoted the official timeline. It might be nearer or further. Good LucK.

veektor01:
Hello all.
A very informative thread I must confess.

This is my question though -
Does the school run any sort of investigative check on bank statements sent to them?

I humbly await answers please.

Hello.
US Universities and Colleges does not run a background checks on your bank statement. Despite the fact that they (schools) have agreement with the US immigration to ascertain foreign student's financial capabilities , they only abide with that agreement by having you to sign the financial verification form .

Like every other American (government) organizations, the schools only verify the authenticity of the bank statement by comparison (with others from Nigeria , Ghana, Uganda, etc ) and psychologically by having their experts to check the money lodgements in comparison to others from the same country.

In this respect, it can be a relief for some expert forgers to want to send in a counterfeit financial statement to US schools but the disadvantage and repercussion of that stunt is that the school must interpret all of your admission application information into your Form- I 20 for the American embassy to study & verify .

To summarise, US institutions does not do background checks on financial statement from countries outside of America (US/Canada/Mexico) but US embassy does. Ciao.

whummy4:
No, i am not on visit visa in the UK, on PSW visa,please explain the ‘note’ part more

Hallo.
I will still group you as a temporary resident in the UK (as a student on PSW) therefore , you must still demonstrate genuine intention of visit and very possible a better travel history.

Your only tie to the UK is your education which you have already finished (only graduate student can be on PSW after graduation in the UK) therefore your tie to the UK is now zero.

Re: Note. Book an hotel in the US and have your school attest to the authenticity of your travel . If you can align your travel to educational purpose it can be better . Visiting US for pleasure while on PSW in the UK will be seen as a trick to migrate to America by the consular. Ciao.

whummy4:
Please does anyone have information about applying for US visit visa from the UK, is it better to mention you are staying with someone or you will be staying in a hotel. Any advise or suggestions with overall application will be appreciated

Whummy4.
If you are on a visit visa in the UK your US visa won't be approved except if you have a superb profile plus verified outstanding travel histories.
Many visa applicants who have been denied US visas from their countries are using this kind of idea thinking they can enter the US from another better country .

Note: Staying in an hotel as an international visitor makes you a moving traveler. Ciao.

missidy:
Please what's wrong with choosing free delivery? I chose free delivery.

Hallo Missidy.
Nothing wrong in choosing free delivery. Free delivery is default (natural) so you will have your passport waiting for you at your choosing location. But waiting issue or confusion of delivery may occur as described below ;

@zinachidi,
If Abuja is your interview post you cannot chose free delivery to Lagos. Your free delivery can only be to Abuja DHL or OIS and same rule applies to Lagos. You may however changed from Free delivery (to Abuja or Lagos) to premium (paid) delivery to anywhere.

NOTE. Waiting or delay or communication issues arises when you suddenly (after visa issuance) changed from free delivery to premium delivery because systems have to be updated for your passport to be able to change route and if the system update is slow, US embassy will send your passport to your default (your first preference) location and that is when the issue of misplaced passport arise.

You can do your document delivery/visa pick up by registering with the authorized company here :

https://www.oisservices.com/services

Good LucK.

abioyebabatunde:
Yes they are all student visa i know but in getting appointment done, they can't be added as group under me. Is that not what the rules is saying here. I attempted doing this afternoon but their status showing f1 instead of f2 which is actually f2 on DS-160 form. Can you look at what these info.
Please indicate the number of applicants based on their age that will apply together for a visa in this request:

- Applicants must apply for the same visa class selected in the previous step. You may only add applicants to your group if you are family members applying for the same visa class.

- If you are not applying for the same visa class, you should only add one applicant in the group and schedule the appointment. You must create a new application for any other family members applying for another visa class.

- If you add applicants who are applying for different visa classes your visa application request will be rejected.

Only family members can apply together as part of a group. General group requests are not allowed.

HELLO.
It seems you are right . Applicants must apply for the same visa class selected in the previous category means they must be applying for F1 since that is what you started with.
Okay apply for the F2s separately. Ciao.

abioyebabatunde:
Thank you CIAO, based on what you said, i find these infos on the avits page while i started afresh

Please indicate the number of applicants based on their age that will apply together for a visa in this request:

- Applicants must apply for the same visa class selected in the previous step. You may only add applicants to your group if you are family members applying for the same visa class.

- If you are not applying for the same visa class, you should only add one applicant in the group and schedule the appointment. You must create a new application for any other family members applying for another visa class.

- If you add applicants who are applying for different visa classes your visa application request will be rejected.

Only family members can apply together as part of a group. General group requests are not allowed.

From these infos it means i will have to apply for them differenly but under my Avits account just like you said, however i think i can do for my wife and daughter together since both of them are same f2 class. What do you think and thanks CIAO for your thorough contribution.

Mr Babatunde.
You are all applying for the same visa class . Your visa class is F1 & F2 (students). If there is anyone applying for B1/B2 visitor then that is a different category.
In your case , regardless of F1 or F2 it's still same student visa. Good LucK.

kenkool:
Hello all, please I scheduled appointment for my mom for April 17 (Lagos), I used an email I don't access frequently, unknowingly the rescheduled it for April 9th in Abuja and I only got to know on the 10th, basically missed the appointment. Any idea how to fix this? I created a support ticket but not sure if I will get a response soon, please any idea what to do?

Hello.
US embassy rarely sort this kind of negligence (not meant for insult) issues and they don't usually draw their staffs backward duty calendars.
If you do not see reschedule option in your mom's avits profile that means she is paying another visa fee.
If there is reschedule option quickly click on it perhaps by luck they will grant mummy one more chance . Good LucK.

NOTE! US embassy cannot auto-reschedule a visa applicant from Lagos to Abuja except purely on a system glitch or if Lagos embassy will be closing for a while. If you have the evidence of the abnormal auto - reschedule then you should be able to win another appointment for your mom.

abioyebabatunde:
Good evening house and how re we doing today?
Pls i need the house to explain the flow process of adding the f2 dependent to f1 on the new Avits website. I tried doing that today by adding my two dependents immediately i finished up mine but i noticed they were coming out as f1 instead of f2, so it is a bit confusing, i had to cancel that appointment thank God i have not trigger payment. Pls can someone help out on how to go about it. Attached is the screenshots of the appointment i did before i cancelled it when i saw that my dependents carried f1 status instead of f1 status. They both carried f2 on their DS-160 confirmation page. I just need how i can add them under my f1 on the new Avits website and probably if the process has changed

Evening Babatunde.
The most delicate part of the family application (F2s) is that there is an option for you to add the accompanying family information along the line as you are applying for your own appointment where you will input their information ie passport nos and ds-160 nos.

Another delicate part is that the computer (your avits profile ) will calculate your MRVs together and you must pay all of your visa fees together at the bank or pay via card. Do not pay the visa fees separately otherwise you will experience insufficient payment. If all your visa fees is 25k for 5 people you must pay the 25k together, not 5k for each (do not allow the bank to do separate payments ).

So if you did not follow this instruction initially go and cancel your pending appointment and start again.

NOTE: If you did not see where to add your travel companion while you are applying for your own appointment that means that you will all apply separately (starting from the principal applicant first) but inside one AVITS (principal applicant 's ) profile. I am certain there is option to add your accompanying family though. Ciao.

Tashi95:
Okay! Thank you so much! So it is not advisable to present my account and his? mine has my deficit and his own has the rest. I want to present personal and family funds.

Hello.

When you are dealing with schools the admissions office may tolerate the bureaucracy of multiple documents.

But with US embassy , some consular officers are impatient, inexperienced or eager to meet up with targeted duty, therefore when they are faced with complicated issues (ie multiple bank statements , etc) they will deny your visa outrightly , if you are lucky some will place you under 221g (to verify your various accounts).

Why not present only family funds as a married applicant? But that does not mean that you should recind your decision if it's already a fait accompli (irreversible). Ciao.

Tashi95:
Hello everyone, quick question.

I got admission to study for my phd. It is funded tuition and part of cost of living is covered. I still have a deficit for my cost of living and other fees (10k). I also want to apply for the visa with my husband (F2). I have to add 8k cost of living for my husband. That brings the total deficit to 18k. I have some personal funds and he has some but the money is not in our accounts. It will be sent in. My question is does it make sense for the money to enter my account and his own in huge chunks. For me 13 million. and for him 17million. Also, how long does the money need to stay in my account before I request for my i20. This is the statement I want to show my school.

Hello.
US institutions believes in outright calculation of your financial statement once they are able to verify your academic credentials (they trust you). But if you arrive the school and unable to prove what you put in your admission application you might be expelled.

Likewise, US embassy believes in outright confirmation of your claimed money , they don't care if the money was deposited yesterday or few hours ago. All they do is to verify the authenticity of the owner and the funds. They will however get you if the claimed money is a staged-play.

In your state (situation), you are the principal applicant so have the whole money deposited into your account . Academically, he is your dependent as an F2 (despite being the head of the family) so use one account statement (yours). You can write the school or tell the consular verbally that you combined your resources. Ciao.

Shattuck:
is it advisable to apply for a community college or a university for a certificate program rather than a master's program reason being a certificate program aligns more with the technical aspects of my current occupation,will it reduce the chance of getting a visa approval.

Hello Shattuck.
In America (USA in specific) you can get education or career knowledge in many forms and that idea was the founding logic of the American Congress in order to give all citizens (esp the poor ) Equal opportunity.

Therefore, you can apply to college , university, institute etc as an international student provided that such knowledge provider is SEVP accredited (authorised to issue Form- I 20).
Nevertheless, in US educational mentality, College is good for adult applicant or younger applicant who needs preliminary knowledge prior to University enrolment.

Any choice you make will not reduce your chances for visa. Lack of funds, inability to prove ties, lack of genuine intentions and lack of future goals as well as inability to convince the consular officer verbally are some of the enemies of F1 visa. Good LucK.

Lausuccess:
Good morning everyone. I cancelled my application and started afresh again and when I checked under my applicants, my name was appearing multiple times with different applicant IDs. Please has anybody experienced such and how was it resolved? Because I want to pay my visa fee and don't want any issues because of it. Thanks a lot.

Hello.
You are experiencing duplicate user / double profile . The solution is to cancel all pending appointments visible in your profile and start afresh. OR abandon your present profile and open another one . Ciao.

tednfs:
Hello All,

I’ve been checking everyday for the last two months to get an appointment for my mother b1/b2 visa at the Abuja embassy. I am not able to see any dates, and I can only view the current month ( eg in March I could only see March but nothing ever is available) but also see that neither Lagos nor Abuja has any available dates. Yet, I am seeing people booking dates in October. Is this happening to others? When I asked the help desk about this , their response was pretty unhelpful as usual.

Thanks

Hello.
Little negligence like not finishing ds-160 submition (some will just generate code and proceed to appointment booking) can cause this kind of delay because the US embassy usually release date for you or considers you based on the tentative travel date in your visa application.
But i don't think the above is the issue with your mom's inability to book an appointment. Normally any visa applicant going for B2 pleasure ( wedding , naming ceremony, graduation, honeymoon, holiday etc) is not counted as a compulsory traveller by the embassy , hence granting you desire date might be difficult except by pure chance or luck.

You can raise ticket or send mail to the help desk at least for her to pick a date and later she might gamble emergency appointment (which i don't think she qualified for ) . Ciao.

Best256:
Should I choose free delivery or premium delivery under document delivery category?

Hello.
Chose premium delivery from the beginning if you can afford it (though you can change delivery options B4 your interview).
If you chose free delivery now and later chose premium delivery after the issuance of your visa it can take 2 weeks to get the delivery of your passport except it you paid for express delivery.
Although the stated issues does not happen all the time but most time OIS, DHL and the US embassy misunderstand delivery messages amongst themselves especially changing from free to premium. Ciao.