₦airaland Forum

Like others have said, there is not a whole lot that your school can do and even if you had been issued your I-20, your visa will be denied except you meet one of the exemptions outlined.

You can wait till June to see if the ban is lifted or you can request to defer your admission to Spring or Fall 2027 and find out whether TA, tuition waiver, and scholarship will still apply if you do so.

Iseghohi:
Good morning everyone.
I need urgent attention on this matter: I was recently offered a master's admission in the US, along with a teaching assistantship, tuition fee waiver, and scholarship. However, the SEVIS and immigration adviser stated that due to visa restrictions on Nigeria, the I-20 form can't be issued to me and recommended that I contact my department for further suggestions. I'm unsure how to approach this and the likelihood of receiving a positive response from my department. I don't want to lose this offer.

Don't hold your breath bro. He will be back soon, under another username, and pretend he is not Efe but it will be obvious that it is him. He has had multiple usernames here over the past couple of years.

AdisaMighty:
Efe has gone silent 😂

Thanks for coming back and sharing. Your firsthand experience has cleared up all the nonsense some folks were spewing on the previous thread.

I hope the ban is lifted very soon and wish you all the best if and when you reapply .

Lekan2348:
Major update:

Did my interview today and I just wasted my time going

Nobody is being issued visas. At all. They will interview you normally, ask you all the questions they want to ask as if everything is fine then at the end they will tell you that they cannot issue you visa because of the ban, give you a white slip and then tell you to re apply after the ban is lifted.

Wasted my time. Naturally I would’ve postponed my interview but I already used up all the 5 date changes so my sacrifice is for everyone’s benefit here.

Postpone your interviews till later, indefinitely. Nobody is issuing visas to Nigerians. As far as b1/b2, f1 are concerned

Don’t confuse people. You are referring to the bond amount for B1/B2 visas that was issued about a week ago.

The original poster is talking about the announcement from today which affects immigrant visas only from citizens of 75 countries, according to the memo.

Efetobore1980:
The above is a fake news, pls disregard it. The poster quoted Fox news but Fox news website is not a U.S embassy website.

I have attached the original news directly from the U.S embassy - Nigeria website . The bond payment is just a measure to curb overstay, and once the consular officer ask you to go and pay the bond, then that means your B1/B2 visa is 100% guaranteed.

The above is an indication to support my claim that the U.S embassy in Abuja and Lagos are still open to genuine applicants.

Meanwhile, the poster is supposed to post this on the B1/B2 visa thread, He is constantly posting negative news on the F1 visa forum in order to lure people to other countries.

Bsc, Msc, Phd ... The U.S embassy posts are still open for visa interviews. As it stands, Genuine Phd F1 visa applicants will have the edge.

I suggest you take a step back and focus on the things that you can control. Stressing out about things that you can't control will not move the needle even one bit. No university is going to stop reviewing applications for students from certain countries because that country is on a "banned" or "restricted" list. Their international office can share the information from the WH with students from these countries so that they are aware but they won't stop reviewing any application because of it. It might even be illegal to do so because they are not supposed to take any action (adverse or favorable) based solely on race, gender, "national origin", religion, etc.

It is even possible/likely that these restrictions may be eased in a few months. The U.S. embassy and consulate in Nigeria generates a lot of money for the US government, especially with B1/B2, F1, and J visas. In the meantime, you can look at universities in other countries like it seems you are doing. Good luck!

yusman14:
All my applications are currently under review before the restriction. I read that it means they won't even bother to go through Nigerians admission documents, it's automatic rejection because of the VISA issue.

The people of like minds that I can talk to are currently processing admission too and we are all worried.

My environment? Those people aren't even approachable, their mentality is somehow. Just an environment full of yahoo boys and runs girls.

Thanks so much sir. I have started 5 Erasmus Mundus Scholarship application already.

But US is my best choice and first option.

The U.S. embassy will soon post guidance on how these restrictions will impact new visa applicants, just like they have done in the past. You just have to be patient.

IvoryT:
Good evening, everyone. Could someone kindly explain what the new U.S. restrictions actually mean? Does it imply that visas will no longer be issued for the affected categories? Also, if someone already has a scheduled appointment for a visitor visa, how would these restrictions impact that? Please help clarify what the restriction truly entails. Thank you

Sadly this is true. B1/B2 and J too.

AyobamiIsaac12:
I heard there is now a travel ban on f visa

The short answer is yes -- people who go for a second masters degree get approved, but consider a few things.

You have an MPH(or MSPH) in biostats and want to do a second MPH (in which field?), probably in epidemiology, health policy/administration, health behavior/global health, or environmental science. Epi and biostats have quite a bit of overlap so much so that the department is called dept of Epi and Biostats (no separate departments) in many schools of public health. If your second MPH is in epi, be prepared to explain cogently why you want to do a second masters in a similar field. How will this new MPH enhance your MPH in biostats and career prospects? Compared to MPH in health policy/administration, health behavior/global health, or environmental science, a degree in biostats or epi will earn you more money and more career opportunities in the long run which again will cause you explain why the need for a second MPH.

It is more common for people to change from a masters in one these to do a PhD in another. Whatever you decide to do, be sure you can convincingly explain to the consular officer why you want to do a second MPH after completing one in biostats. Good luck!

Deeedeee:
Good evening everyone.
Pls I have a question and I would love a good response.

Pls I have a masters degree in Biostatistics but I applied to do another masters in public health.
I got a partial scholarship which is renewable as long as I maintain a 3.0gp

Now, my question is, do we have people who go for another masters degree and they got approved?

Pls kindly respond 🙏🙏

Sometimes it is not you, it is the consular officer. You can provide the right answers and still be denied. Sadly, this is the reality today, especially with the current hardline immigration stance. Frankly, based on what you have written, I do not see any fatal flaws in any of your responses that would have resulted in a straightforward denial. Telling the VO that you are coming back to work in Nigeria or that you had not finalized accommodation is not a killer. I said the same thing during my interview. F1 is a NIV so the expectation is that you will come back. Telling her that you applied to two schools and naming the schools or that you had a 4.81 out of 5 is not why you were denied. Those are facts and you provided them when asked. Interviews are conversations. Providing one-word answers or sounding as mechanical or robotic is never a good sign and can be a turn off.

Looking ahead, one key thing is to think about how to answer the question – “what has changed since your last interview”. You may consider playing up your current internship in ML and how that relates to your proposed graduate degree or, as Taal suggested, adding that the University will cover your accommodation and they have committed to finalizing it when you arrive. It may not carry weight, especially if you are not asked about it, but if you can get a letter from your PI/advisor at MSUST that describes their assessment of your previous degree and experience dovetails into your proposed work with them may be helpful in convincing the VO about your program’s interest and desire in having you.

Getting a fully funded program today as a foreign student with all the research and grant cuts going on today is a really big deal. You had something to offer, that is why your professor offered you a fully funded GA. I suggest that you try again before your Jan start date or defer till next Fall if your professor and school allows it.

I hope you can come back here soon and share the good news that you were approved.

Good luck and all the best!

YussufLaaro:
Hello Everyone, pls I really need your input as much as possible.

I got a fully funded master programme in Civil Engineering with the specialization in Water Resources Engineering. I went for my first attempt on 10th of November and below is my transcript;
Embassy: Lagos
Date: 10th November
Window 3 (young white lady)
1st attempt
MSc in Civil Engineering
Fully funded
Status: Denied

VO: Where are you going to?

Me: I'm going to Missouri University of Science and Technology for my master degree in civil engineering with specialization in Water Resources Engineering.

VO: How many Universities did you apply to?

Me: I applied to 2 universities - Purdue and Missouri University

VO: Why Missouri University?

Me: Because Missouri University will provide the opportunity to access advanced research facilities and also, I will get to work under my advisor who is experienced in Flood research and Precipitation Estimation using Radar and Satellite data. Having access to these resources will equip me with the technical skill, training, and research experience needed to contribute to mitigating flood risk challenges in Nigeria.

She off the mic and talk to a man (white also, I think the bald man). Talked for a while then she ON it again

VO: You are going for Civil Engineering, what did you study in undergraduate? Why the change in discipline?

Me: I'm not changing my field as I will specialized in Water Resources Engineering as a division in Civil Engineering. I studied Water Resources and Environmental Engineering and graduated top of my class with a CGPA of 4.81 out of 5.0.


VO: What programming skills do you know?

Me: I am proficient with Python and Java programming, and I'm good with building a Machine Learning model also. These skills are prerequisite in my research and in fact, during my interview with my advisor, he asked if I am good with Java as it is going to be used in the research.

She commended me of how prepared I was and then off the mic again and continues talking to the man. Then ON it again

VO: Are you married?

Me: No, I am not married.

VO: So, what's your plan after the degree?

Me: I will be returning back to my country to join the Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency as a researcher to contribute to solving the flood risk challenge in Nigeria.

VO: Where will you be staying when you arrive in the US?

Me: The university provided housing options and I will be finalising that on arrival.

She off the mic again, and talks to the man further, and finally, she ON it again

VO: Sorry, you do not qualify this time ....


For more context about me and what I think went wrong;
I studied Water Resources Engineering and I'm going for a master degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in Water Resources Engineering with full funding. I graduated last year, 2024 and I am currently interning at a tech company as a Machine Learning Engineer. I intended to tailor the current role as a way to improve my programming and machine learning skill which are required for my research area.

So, when I was going for the first attempt, I shared my DS-160 with a friend who has passed through the process and he said, it isn't an issue if I include what I currently do. During the interview, I was asked of what programming language do I know. I believed the question was raised due to the role.

I've scheduled my next interview (17th of December) and I'm really worried and felt like my profile is bleeped up. As part of my effort, I've been able to get a job offer from an consulting firm but I don't know how to go about this over again.

What can I do? pls help me out guys.

I applied after my PhD, while I was doing a clinical specialty fellowship. I had 27 publications -- about half were first-author. I also had about 45 conference presentations (mixture of presenting author and co-author presentations). I know someone who had 7 publications and was still approved but their papers were in very high-impact factor journals. Conference presentations don't count a lot regardless of the number.

irumole1975:
Thanks for the response John. At the time you petition the EB2, what was ur profile like? How many publication did u have? Conferences? Were you doing ur PhD that time?

I got my GC through EB2-NIW. I could have gone with either EB2-NIW or EB-1A but I figured that I stood a better chance with EB2-NIW because of the reach and impact of the research that I was doing at the time.

irumole1975:
I’m sorry if this sounds like a personal question; but did you apply for ur green card that time through any of the employment based GC: EB-1A or EB2-NIW?

Thanks for clearing this up. Good luck with your trip and studies.

Timshin:
Yea. 3months. Your validity starts the moment your visa is issued.

Congrats on your F1 visa. Were you given a 3 month visa as the consulate previously stated? And was the date of issue the same as the start date of the visa validity? There has been some discrepancy and discussion about this, even on this thread, so any info will be appreciated.

Timshin:
Which consulate is this exactly. Because I had my own interview at the Lagos embassy yesterday morning, August 20th, and my visa was issued this morning August 21st, on my caec portal. Exactly 24hrs after my interview. Infact I was called to come and collect my passport today.

Quick question — when your visa was stamped as canceled, did it say “canceled with prejudice’ or ‘canceled without prejudice’. This distinction has serious implications.

The narrative of two refusals after an approved visa in the same class/category doesn’t look good. Looks like there might be some adverse information against you/your family that you may not be aware of.

To answer your questions:

1. I know of people who have gotten F1 after a previous F1 denial but not multiple (>1) denials. And even then it wasn’t like a yours — an approved F1, denied F1, and approved F1.
2. Reapplying depends on you ie when you are ready and think you have the best chance. Getting a third denial in the same category in the space of 18 months or less will look bad even in the eyes of a sympathetic VO.
3. Dates randomly pop up so you can get a date.

You can try again as you seem to have things in order now but you might have a lot to overcome. I Suggest that you read through other people’s interview experience in here. Be prepared for the interview and I wish you good luck.

Naijadentist2bx:
Hii , I need some advice on my F1 visa renewal situation.

I started my undergrad in the U.S. in 2024, majoring in Health Sciences (Nursing concentration with a Dental minor). I’ve completed 3 semesters with a 3.69 GPA and earned both President’s List and Dean’s List honors.

I first got my visa from another ECOWAS country since my dad was a diplomat there. But this year, I applied for the first time in Nigeria and was denied. I later tried in another West African country where slots were available but was refused again.

Looking back, I take responsibility because I didn’t present my case well. At the first renewal interview, the questions felt more like a first-time applicant interview rather than one for a continuing student, and they seemed very focused on my uncle in the U.S. and I now realize I could have answered them much better. At the time, my dad had passed and my mum had just become my main sponsor, so my financial presentation looked disorganized.

Now things are clearer:
• I have my mum’s full financial documents and tuition receipts.
• My I-94 travel history shows I always returned to Nigeria whenever school wasn’t in session (I even had 4 months left on my visa when it was canceled).
• My school is allowing me to take classes online this semester and will be issuing me a new I-20 with remarks they believe will support me for my next interview.

Questions:
1. Has anyone here been approved after multiple refusals?
2. Should I reapply soon with these stronger documents or wait longer?
3. Do you think I’ll have any luck getting an appointment in Abuja for Spring 2026 or Fall 2026?
4. Any advice on structuring DS-160 and interview answers so I come across more clearly?

Thanks, any guidance would really help 🙏

The section on visa validity on the consulate website says 90 days.

Anyway, it’s not a big deal and no need derailing the thread because of this. Folks can take what they want from this - 90 days or 5 years. There are more important things to discuss here.

studyless123:
It's good to separate to issues. First, US citizens are not eligible for Visa on Arrival. The visa on arrival policy is different.
Second - As at last week, someone got a 5 - year Nigerian visa. Nigeria offers multiple entry visa for US citizens. I don't have any information that this has been stopped. There's nothing in the website that shows that Nigeria issues only a 90-day visa.

I’m not sure where you got this info from but it is not consistent with what is on the NG consulate Atlanta website. I also know a US citizen who was told this week at the consulate in Atlanta that he will get a 90-day visa. They said that they stopped issuing 5-year visas.

The 90-day visa validity information is also on their website

https://www.nigeriaconsulateatlanta.org/tourist-visas/

studyless123:
If you don't get then you ask? The new e-visa policy was a replacement for visa on arrival (VoA). US citizens were not eligible for visa on arrival. You will have to go to the Nigeria embassy to get a physical visa on your passport. Just last week a US citizen got a Nigerian 5 year visa on her passport. You guys should read and learn.

Foolish decisions everyday. Meanwhile hardworking Nigerians will pay $185 for a single entry 90-day visa.

Debbieeeeeee:
This government na dem dey use their hand drag trouble for us and we are the ones who suffer the consequences of their foolish decisions.

Exactly!!

AdisaMighty:
That was in the era of sticker visa. The Nigerian visa is now Evisa, 3 months single entry for everyone, irrespective of country. Started May 1, 2025

This will likely be reversed. Sadly, this happens every couple of years. Nigerian embassy/consulate changes visa validity to 3 months for US citizens and the US retaliates and they back down. NG just wants to make money off of visa fees like the foreign embassies make from Nigerian citizens with this three month validity period.

Lekan2348:
I’m sure that this 3 months visa will be reversed soon when Nigeria’s immigration comes back to their senses.it is just America retaliating to the fact that Nigeria issues 3 months visa to their citizens

Your wife (the petitioner) can file for a green card for you (the beneficiary). You can handle the process yourself as it is pretty straightforward. You can also use a lawyer if there are issues in your background e.g. prior overstay or other immigration-related issues etc.

The process can take a while so be prepared. A colleague has been on this for 2 years (will be 2 years in Sept) and his wife just received her embassy interview letter. In their case though, the petitioner had to resubmit his tax documents so it may have been shorter if the resubmission was not required.

You can get more info from USCIS here: https://www.uscis.gov/i-130

There is also a NL where you can ask questions about this although they are further along in the process (NVC stage): https://www.nairaland.com/3979737/nvc-processing-stage-u-family/200

Good luck!

Christaks:
Hello Guys,

so, i recently concluded my Civil wedding to my wife who is a citizen of the United state.

what is the best and fastest way to secure a visa or a green card.
my initial application for the Visa i applied for last year was to go visit her and also get acquainted with the environment, but now that we are legally married, how can i go about it, i and my wife seems to be clueless in this aspect.

do we need a lawyer or someone over there to process the application or what website.

i just need proper guidance.

In addition to what others have said, O-1 visa is another option depending on your skills and education. This type of visa requires a job offer.

EB-2 NIW is another route that leads to permanent residency and does not require a job offer. EB1-A also. It factors in your skills, achievements, and education.

Of course, the Trump card remains an option if you have $5 mill to spare.

OLU808MONEY:
What path did you guys take to relocate to the USA? (Aside from student visa/marriage). I’m nigerian with a UK citizenship looking to relocate to the U.S, but genuinely don’t know where to start

Piggybacking on what @cashmadam and others have said. You should have included a letter from her Nigerian ophthalmologist and another from an American ophthalmologist describing her condition his planned clinical management, admission length, and correspondence between the Nigerian and American surgeons etc. Another letter from the hospital with a cost estimate as well and Obviously proof that you can afford the care. Ophthalmic surgeries are very expensive even with insurance. VO was probably worried about these issues especially after three prior surgeries.

Might be best to abandon the medical care route and focus on tourism as a reason. However the current denial can even complicate this.

Latty88:
Good evening house!

I applied for B1/B2 non- immigrant visa in March 2025( she tried dropbox for renewal but was not successful) for my mom to visit my sister in the US who gave birth last year December for Omugwo and was scheduled for an interview in October 2025.

While waiting for her appointment date she underwent another surgery on her eyes ( this will be the 4th time). All surgeries done in Nigeria. We decided she seek another opinion leading us to apply for expedited (emergency) using medical reasons to get a closer date.

Uploaded necessary documents and a closer date was scheduled for today 3/6/2025 which was unfortunately denied.

She has been to the US twice

The visa officer only asked her if she was in the US last year and a year before and the duration for her stay which was 2months and 5months respectively.

We want to reapply again
1) How do we show/prove strong ties back home
2) We are asked to not to repeat what we filled in the original ds-160 form when filling a new one. What do we fill now?
3) Can we still go through the medical route(b2) because she still needs medical attention and a closer date


Thanks in anticipation 🙏

I pray that you find favor!!

Adejuwon26:
Thank you. Tomorrow, I will share the goodnews 🙏

Original documents will be returned to you. Copies or documents addressed to the embassy like letters of recommendation may be withheld and may not be returned to you.

The information on your I797 is generated based on the information that was provided by the petitioner i.e. the hiring company to USCIS so it is surprising that the details on your I797 is different from what the VO is seeing. Reach out to HR or immigration services rep at the company (petition) and find out why there is a discrepancy. One reason, although unlikely, is if the petitioner is a subcontractor for a larger company (like fortune 500 companies of government agencies) and the larger company is what is showing up to the VO.

There is not a lot that you can do since you have already been interviewed and submitted your docs. Just wait and hopefully, everything works out.

kennisman:
Pls I need some advise , recently I was given a 221(g) form for my H1b interview. The consular discovered that the petitioner on her system is different from what is in i797b approval. Then she noted some documents I need to come with on my 221g form to summit at the OIS service centre where my original transcript is part of the documents. Though I HV all these documents she asked me to bring. My questions now are:
(1) Will these documents be returned BK to me most especially my original transcript?
(2) Why was it that the petitioner's name appearing on the cansular system or at the embassy is different from what I HV in i797b approval notice? All the correspondences I HV been receiving from USCIS bring out my correct petitioner's name.

This email is primarily for American citizens (not relatives of American citizens) who require in-country support services eg lost passport, arrest and detentions, emergency evacuation etc.

Teju2014:
i can't remember but i just googled...LagosACS@state.gov. You can try this

On balance, having some form of school-sponsored funding or external scholarship is better than no funding. However, as you alluded to, some people here with full or almost full funding have been denied and others with little or no funding have been given visas. If you want to, you can apply to schools where you stand a chance of receiving some funding. On the other hand, since you can genuinely afford the tuition, you can also take a chance. You only need to obtain favor from one person.

Also times are changing with respect to student visas now and not necessarily in a good way. Things may be challenging now but it doesn’t mean they can’t be worse. Apparently, they plan on pausing student visa interviews for a while.

Good luck with whatever choice you decide to take.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-27/us-orders-pause-in-student-visa-interviews-ahead-of-new-vetting

ugorjimicheal:
Good guys, i have a question.

My profile is as follows:

I'm a software engineer with 3+ years of experience
COA is $30k (no funding) - (I tried securing funding, but I didn't get it)
I can sponsor myself, but I would also like to add my mum as a sponsor. So we will be joint sponsors.

What has the experience of people with my kind of profile been?

I've seen fully funded guys denied, but I've not seen much of those that even went without funding. I can actually afford the education because I will only be paying tuition and fees. Accommodation is sort of covered. But again, even with being genuine what do you think I should do ?

My two cents about your interview.

First, you showed up at the interview alone instead of with your wife and kids as indicated on your form. As some have said, your wife and kids could have been used as your home ties but your decision to go with them may have removed them as home ties.
Secondly, your career trajectory must be related to your graduate program – directly or at least tangentially. You are a family medicine (FM) physician in Nigeria. This means that you are a consultant who has passed Part 1 and Part 2 residency exams in Nigeria. A resident or a medical officer in FM who has not done residency is not a family physician. Your proposed graduate degree is in child/adolescent developmental trauma. Rarely do FM physicians see pediatric patients. A physician who is interested in child/adolescent trauma is likely a pediatrician or a pediatric/adolescent psychiatrist.

Many Nigerian physicians who come here pursue graduate degrees in public health, epidemiology, health behavior, health policy, clinical research etc which are obviously related to their MBBS degrees.

You must think about how you can connect the developmental trauma grad program to your MBBS and FM training to the VO. Also talk about how this graduate training will complement your previous clinical training and practice. Be concise, direct, and offer a well thought-out answer when explaining this. Spend more time on these talking points rather than telling the VO that “TCU is one of the highly recognized universities in the US that make impact across the world through the trust based interventional relations”.

I looked up the program and most people doing this program have a background or interest in child psychology, social work, or therapy. Just saying you have a passion for child and adolescent care does not suffice and is not convincing. It must be related to your FM training.

These are some things that the VO could have picked up on and led him to reject your application.

Good luck with your next interview.

Oriimo:
Hello all,
Pls i need urgent help
I just got denied f1 US visa despite having full
Scholarship to TCU University
I have a family of four and filled that I will be traveling with my family on Ds160. But I showed up alone because we were not able to secure the same date.

My Transcript:
VO- How many schools did you apply to
Me- 1

VO- Why TCU
Me- Because it’s one of the few universities that offers developmental trauma
AM a family physician who has passion for child and adolescent care.
More so it’s one of the highly recognized universities in the US that make impact across the world through the trust based interventional relations

He typed for a while
Then
VO- Then how do you intend to cover for the 8000 deficit
Me- Through my personal fund which have being saving over the years

Typed
Then
VO- Have you travelled out of the country
Me- Yes Ghana and Saudi Arabia

VO- What’s your highest degree
Started saying something about do you have Phd

Me- No am a medical doctor

Then typed for a while
And said am sorry you are not eligible for this now


Kindly help to know what I did wrong and how I can rectify it because have scheduled another interview in a week time.
I don’t want to commit the same mistake

If you can't get an updated statement, there is nothing you can do at this point other than going with what you have for your interview next week.

The V.O may not ask for a bank statement but it is better to have it with you and not need it than for the V.O to ask about your bank statement and for you to say that you do not have it.

Highsaac:
My deficit is about 16k, my uncle is my sponsor. My interview is next week and I have his statement of dollar account with 57k+. It's a 6month statement that stopped at Feb 19(I used it to obtain my I-20... My uncle is currently out of the country... Is the account recent enough as I plan to hold it while going for my interview
Thanks

In general, an invite from a direct/nuclear family relative is better. It is a stretch for your mum to request for a visa based on the invite of her 60-70-year-old sister when she has a son and daughter-in-law in the States.

Your husband is better-positioned to invite his mum. This is a more credible approach for his mum than her daughter-in-law or sister inviting her. However, this is based on the assumption that your husband is the main applicant for the AOS, has a valid visa like H1-B, L, O, or F visa, and that the AOS is not based on asylum, TPS, or U-visa etc. If you are the main applicant and your husband is the dependent, then you can both invite her.

Obviously, the invite is just one part. She has to also demonstrate home ties, to include finances etc.

follygold:
Thanks for the response.
My spouse is currently waiting on an adjustment of status approval. He's got ead. Can he invite his mum? I am currently waiting on adjustment of status too while on f1. I also have Ead, can I invite his mum? His mum has an aunt that is a usa citizen but she will be retiting next year, can she invite my spouses mum? Which of us stand best to invite her in for visiting? His mum is a trader in nigeria? How do we handle financial statement for her?
His mum is in her 70s.

All things being equal, it stands to reason that folks with funding have a better chance but it is not absolute. Folks without funding get approved as well. This thread is full of posts from people who had partial funding and were still denied.

kamsy101:
Nobody is saying anything regarding this…?

could it be no hope for applicants without funding??

The appropriate category is B1/B2.

Jane8999:
Please help me
I am going to visit my girlfriend in USA
And I choose b1/b2 visa
Is it supposed to be b1/b2 or just b2 visa