Jidebambam:
For those who interviewed in Abuja, but picked visa in Lagos, what kind of notification did you recieve? The generic “passport number **** has been picked up” email or text?

NVM

For those who interviewed in Abuja, but picked visa in Lagos, what kind of notification did you recieve? The generic “passport number **** has been picked up” email or text?

Kingbeeeee101:
Good afternoon everyone . Pls I need help. My interview is on Tuesday... if anyone is available to assist me with a mock interview I’ll be very grateful. Pls and pls���

Sure

Hello,

Is anyone traveling to the US this month with Qatar Airways? Any issue with layover at Doha?

solihp:


Yes, his status would be on administrative processing first, it will change to issued soon.

Yes, it changed to issued the next and passport ready for pick up. Thank you

Hello House,

Does anyone have an idea of how long it takes to pick passport in Lagos if you interviewed in Abuja?

caneberry:
Visa Approved
Date: 29th of Dec
Location: Abuja

First, I want to thank the almighty God for his divine favor and for completing this year with testimony for me, I don’t believe in miracles but now I do. I started this journey since May 2019 when I wrote my GRE for Fall 2020.
I scheduled an appointment with Lagos, got April 16th, applied for expediate but was denied. I heard on Nairaland that Abuja had released dates. I quickly filled another DS-160, scheduled another appointment with Abuja and picked December 28th. I later found out that it was a public holiday, and I mailed the embassy to reschedule my appointment, but they replied that they will open for business on that day. A week to my interview, I got a mail that my appointment has been rescheduled, I logged in and saw 29th of Dec. I was glad because some had theirs moved to 5th of Jan.
I heard about the infamous Black Man and I really didn’t want to be biased about who will be interviewing me, so I tried not to think about it. The interview was slated for 09:00am and I got there by 08:12. I had to print another DS-160 confirmation page for 3k and 1k for my phone to be kept. As I was walking into the embassy, I spoke into my passport that I would not go home with it. I prayed for God to grant me favor and be ahead of me in every step (I am not a prayerful person, lemme nor lie but I had never been serious about anything in my life). While I was doing my biometrics, I noticed that only one window was interviewing applicants. When I went inside for my interview, behold it was the White Man.

Profile
University: Western Illinois University
Deficit: $21,770k
Housing: $2000k
Program: Master’s in applied Statistics and decision analytics
Undergraduate degree: Estate Management
GPA: 3.25/4.0
GRE: 301

VO: Can I have your passport and documents?
Me: I pass them to him

VO: Checks my passport, is this your first time traveling abroad?
Me: Yes sir, my first time

VO: Oh good, so why are you going to the US?
Me: I am going for my master’s in applied statistics and decision analytics, but it states statistics on my i-20. I reached out to the school and they said that is what is being recognized on the SEVIS system.

VO: Please adjust your face mask
Me: oh okay

VO: What is your undergraduate degree?
Me: Estate Management, but I took some statistics courses in my 200 to 500 level. My interest in statistics started when I used SPSS to analyze the findings of my final year project. After my NYSC, I took up a position at *** as a Customer Data Analyst where I was involved in analyzing customer satisfaction surveys to improve service delivery. Currently I am an Operations Data Analyst for *** and I am involved in analyzing sales data to derive insights and develop interactive dashboards to track sales performance using tools like Microsoft Excel, Power BI, SQL, and SPSS. Now, my bachelor’s degree does not cut it anymore and I need this degree to advance in my professional career as a data analyst.

VO: cuts in…that’s okay, so I see you have been given a bit of scholarship and you have some deficits. Who will be taking care of them?
Me: My Paternal Aunt, she has been the one sponsoring my undergraduate education ever since my dad died in 2009

VO: cuts in…and what does she do
Me: She is a practicing optometrist at *** in the UK

VO: How many kids does she have?
Me: She has 2 kids, Ada is 13, Olu is 9

VO: How many siblings do u have?
Me: 2 siblings. My brother is 23 and just got a job at ***, My Sister is 18 and she is in her second year.

VO: Smiling… So why don’t you go to the UK, since your aunt’s there, why US
Me: Smiling… US reputation was definitely a major factor…

VO: cuts in…. that’s nice. Typing…I will be returning your documents. (when he said this, I was so confused. In my mind, I was like please ask me more questions, ask what this degree will do for me, ask me what I intend to do after this program. I even wore my work ID card, I had my study leave approval letter). Then I heard dem golden words…Your visa has been approved on the system, to be honest I cannot remember the rest. I was just nodding my head like an agama. He hands me the white paper…you will receive a message when your passport is ready.
Me: I collect my documents and the white paper…Thank you, have a nice day

VO: and you too.
ME: I walked out of the room with utter disbelief. When I got outside, I checked the white paper to read it, I couldn’t see properly. I was even looking for my passport…did I forget it? Where is my i-20? I couldn’t believe it, Me…I got my Visa...Issalie…Just like that. The first person I called was my mother…She started crying.

Guys, all this happened in 3 minutes, E shock me. It was a miracle. What really helped me was past transcripts. The day before my interview, I studied all the past transcipts i had, I also checked on Nairaland. It was like I was reading for an exam; I was like an attorney who had a case and needed to study past legal decisions, those that watched the series SUITS can relate.

Please be prepared and confident. I was so prepared. I practiced with my mirror. I had answers on my fingertips and because of this, I was not nervous at all. In fact, while I was on the seated queue, I was still gisting and others were looking so serious. Also, try to gesticulate with your hands and make the interview flow like a conversation. The guy before me did this and was approved even when he said he didn’t know what his dad does for a living.

Lastly do your research, the person after me was denied, apparently, she used an agency for her application and didn’t fill her DS-160 herself. She was asked to list the schools she applied to, she did and the V.O asked for one of the school’s location and she didn’t know.

God that did mine, will do yours too. Happy New Year.

Congratulations! Did you pick your passport already?

[quote author=Altracey2 post=97539746]Visa approved

28th December 2020. Location:Lagos
I was scheduled for 11:am but I got to the embassy 7:19am and they didnt start giving number until around 11:30 (or so soon thereafter) my interview didnt last 5min (but now that I'm typing it, it seems it was forever)

I was interviewed by a black lady can't really remember the window maybe 15

VO: Good morning, (she was smiling)

Me: (with my 32 I smiled back(me when first sabi smile before) ) good morning , happy holiday (she replied as if she didnt expect the compliment: oh thank you)

VO: Where are you going to?

Me: I am going to East Tennessee for a graduate program in Criminal Justice and Criminology

VO: oh East Tennessee State University?

Me: yes please

VO: why this program

Me: as you would see from my profile, I have a bachlors degree in law, however this wont be enough for the kind of research based career I would like to pursue. I plan on returning to Nigeria to incorporate a private fraud investigation firm that will center on using big data to detect crime in corporate organisations and profer solutions in terms of prevention. (I said all these and more while she was just smiling and looking at me o)

VO:how many schools did you apply to

Me: 2

VO: name them

Me:American University and ETSU

VO: hmm why ETSU and not AU

ME: ETSU has a robust faculty member that are not just educators but also law enforcement agents. Being under their tutelage would me I would get a first hand experience on the working of Criminal Justice in America (cant remember the other things I said o but I sha know I kept on talking.at some point I noticed she looked confused I was like can you hear me? She was like you are talking so fast. I sha told her sorry o nor vex, she was like it's ok, continue) I suffery continue my answer; in addition to this, I got a scholarship from the gradudate school that made paying the deficit affordable for my uncle.

VO: oh you have a merit scholarship?

Me: yes

VO: where do you work?

Me: I work with bleep Bank at it Structured Assets and Remedial Division. Working in this bank also propelled me to want to undertake this degree.

VO: Who is sponsoring you(She was looking at my 120)

Me: my uncle (I mentioned his full name)

VO: What does he do

Me: he owns a car lot

Vo: car what?

ME:car lot

VO: car what?

ME: he sells cars and car spare parts here in Lagos and he also has a real estate coy( mentioned the name of the coy)

VO: oh great.

VO: (looking at her system) you have a brother in the US

Me: yes, my half brother, he is a LPR

VO: what does he do?

Me: I dont know o ( I actually gesticulated with my hand)

VO; which school did you attend for your undergraduate studies.

ME: I told her

VO: are you married

Me: no

VO: Kids

Me: not yet

VO: have you ever traveled

Me: no


She Typed for a short while and started reciting the good news. me just standing there with a big grin on my cheeks after hearing "I'd be issue your" the rest was bleeeeeeeeereeeee. I think I thanked her like a hundred times before leaving.

Tip: na God.
[/quote

Congratulations! Did you track your passport/visa yet? My friend interviewed today and while tracking, we found out his application is on administrative processing. His statement of account was not requested. Wondering if this is the same with recent approvals.

Debbss:
Hello guys, kindly DM if you would be resuming for Spring 2021 and you're yet to pay your SEVIS fee...... I'll transfer payment to your SEVIS account as my SEVIS fee would expire before I'm able to reapply for Visa against Fall semester.
Thank you!!!

Done

Hello House!

For someone going for a Master in Cinematography & Filmmaking, do you think wearing a creative outfit to the embassy matters? Or just business casual goes well?

Hello House,

I applied for expedited appointment late November but was denied. I was able to cancel and secure an appointment for December ending. Since I was thinking my appointment would be approved for early December, I got my statement of account ready from my sponsor with the dates from June to December 1. Can I still use this by December ending or I have to request another statement from him?

Hello house! Is there anyone who has traveled to Nigeria via Cotonou recently? I have someone coming from the US who wants to go through Cotonou. He intends to fly to Cotonou then get to Lagos by land because he is not travelling with his Nigerian passport. Anyone who did this recently or with similar experience?

The program is Master's in film production. I was thinking any reasonable VO should realize there has to be hands-on involved in a program like thsi. I'm just afraid I'll lose the $5000 per semester assistance if I defer.

ridlaw:
Differ your admission till your program is back in class !!! Don’t take classes online when you don’t have a visa. That’s enough reason to deny your application. The VO will think if you can take classes online then why do you need to get a visa.

Hi! I'm just curious. How did you get back from Cotonou to Lagos. A friend is hoping to travel to Nigeria via Cotonou but he is afraid the land borders are closed. Will he be able to get his two luggage across the border? Thank you

Larryhillz28:
If you don’t have a benin republic immigration issued resident permit please do no bother going there for interview.... I just came back to Lagos from Cotonou... me and one other Nigerian boy was not even interviewed because we didn’t have it...

If you see how empty the visa section was, I wept cos they had so much space that no body was applying except me and the two Nigerian boys...

But here in Nigeria no dates... it’s a pity...
I pleaded with the VO to ask the Nigerian embassy to give exceptions to those who have letter of presence but he said he couldn’t because they work independently.... he checked my documents and said I was very prepared and in fact I was... but the permit was the only document I lacked...

Well I came back peacefully to wait for a miracle meanwhile I’ll expand my business as I wait...

Hi everybody,
I recently joined this forum as advised by a friend. I am particularly interested in the USA visa thread. i recently secured an admission with the New York Film Academy with a $5000 assistance for 6 semesters. I am admitted for fall but I can only take classes online for this fall. I have a lot of questions as classes resume next week. Should I take fall classes online or defer till next year? What are the chances of securing a visa next semester if I take classes online for the fall semester. All input will be highly appreciated. Thank you all in advance!