AsiwajuAfo001:
Sponsor can be anyone who is financially capable to finance your academics

covcon:
Hello Everyone, this is my first post. I have gleaned from the posts and experience here, so I decided to highlight some points that helped me.

For those who intend to apply for EA ahead of the 60 days when the rule clearly states 60 days is rather risky. Why would you want to risk that "golden ticket" by flouting the rules?

With regards to appointment booking, when I searched for appointment dates last month (April 2022) after filling out my DS-160, the earliest was April 2023. Being uninformed as I was at the time, I kept checking back and moving it (even as little as 1 week), I didn't know there was a limit to rescheduling until I got a message that if I changed my date 1ce more I would have to pay a new fee. I wasn't sure what that meant, so I stayed put, by this time I had moved up to Nov 22, so even when I saw September dates, I didn't bother rescheduling as that was still not early enough for my August start date. I forgot to mention that I selected Lagos, as that's where I live. I was tempted by the many Abuja dates that were opening up, but thank God I chose not to budge as I had giving myself a window till end of June to activate any contingencies. Well miraculously Lagos dates opened up last week, and I got a date for last Tuesday and picked up my passport yesterday. I can only describe the experience as miraculous.
Summary: Check for appointments regularly (but within the 3 times a day limit), join groups that monitor for openings, I was prompted by someone who was in one of these groups when dates became available.

With regards to preparing for the interview, I read a number of transcripts here that helped, but the most helpful was from a post that recommended watching ArgoVisa videos on YouTube. They have a lot of good free material and also options for paid services. For people who have had a refusal or complex situations, if you can afford it, I would recommend you schedule an appointment with them.

I saw someone who asked if you can go to another country to apply, well that's also risky (as I also gleaned from ex-consular officers). That was one of my contingencies. There are challenges with that, it would be more difficult to establish home ties and also your passport might stand out from the passports they would be used to seeing, thus increasing the scrutiny on you. If eventually you are unable to get an earlier date through any other means, then that may be sufficient justification to apply as a third country national. I advise you do additional research to be prepared.

When asked questions like why this school, why the US, why this course etc, I learnt that it's an opportunity to tell your story. Be an active interviewee and not passive, i.e. anticipate what the VO would like to know with that question, and provide a FULL answer that helps them relate to you as a person and not just some random applicant, in other words succinct responses scaled down from what you wrote in your SOP. This is what i did during my interview.

Travel history I have realized is also important, not impossible to get your visa approved without it, but it definitely gives you a leg up. If you don't have any travel history, then you have to look for other areas to highlight and take away the focus from it. It's better explained why you haven't travelled rather than just responding no to the question if raised.

Something I previously didn't consider important was my appearance, so 2 days before my interview, I went to the barber's for a haircut and a shave. I also wore a clean shirt with trousers, (no need to be overdressed), focus should be on neat rather than flashy. I have almost 15 years of work experience so I attempted to look the part.

If you have a "thick" accent, it's important to practice speaking clearly, use simpler words to express yourself. The person ahead of me had a hard time being understood by the VO, which I suspect contributed to the undesired outcome.

Despite my preparation, I was bombarded with contrary thoughts (high stakes) and so I reminded myself that the previous week, I had an appointment for Nov 2022, and then less than a week later I was about to be interviewed, and God who did that for me was definitely letting me know everything else was covered.

Thanks to those who have been sharing helpful tips. Many apologies for the long post

Balina:


Please bosses I need an answer to this,

@Jeffren224
@OmotoyosiTee

PLEASE your responses are needed. Thanks

Jeffren224:


In your previous application when you indicated that you have a relative in the US, what did you choose as your relative in the US status, and also how did you get a name to fill as your relative in the US, if sincerely you don'thave any relative in the US?

Jeffren224:

Teensmentor:
Go to the interview with a copy of your most recent passport. I filled the form with a passport from 4 years ago but snapped a new one few days to my interview which I took along with me.

BunmiBie:
Profile
Congratulations


16 May, 2022
First attempt
F1& F2(wife and son)
Undergraduate: mechanical engineering
Work experience: 7 years as automobile engineer
Going for: masters in engineering
Funding-8500 (out of state Tuition waiver)
Deficit:44, 000k
Sponsor: Self
School: Texas tech university
Interview location: Abuja
Window 8

God used my baby for me as the guard gave nursing mothers chance to be interviewed first when he saw my wife breastfeeding him. So we were among the first set called in. I was the first to be interviewed by the white lady.
Please, go early and try to be interviewed first if possible. Our slot is 8:00am

After all the biometrics

VO: How old is your baby
Me: 14 months
VO: where do you work
Me: xyz auto garage ltd
VO: your company is at university of Ibadan? (she must have seen that on my ds160) I noticed she was checking my ds160 and I was actually very detailed when filling it. Please, fill your ds 160 form properly.

Me: Yes, in university of Ibadan
VO: nods head
VO: what are your job duties
Me: I am in charge of servicing of motor vehicle engines, ordering of vehicle parts from manufacturers and.... She cuts in

VO: what will this masters degree do for you
Me: (this was where I knew I goofed at first as everything I rehearsed flew away maybe because I was nervous). I will come back to Nigeria to establish my engineering consulting firm and take a better role at my place of work.
VO: Is it a thesis course
Me: No, it's a professional course for practicing engineers
VO: who will fund this deficit
Me: me, I already have savings that covers the two years from my real estate business. (she was still looking at my ds160 I guess. Because I added the real estate business under my job duties on the form). She cuts in but I can't remember what she said here.

She nodded and typed for long and like a magic... She kept our passports and gave us the almighty white paper. No document was checked even though I went with everything including my property documents.
F2 was not asked a single question after all the preparations.lol

Hint.. Avoid the Korean man at all cost. We were on the look out for him and
I prayed and I knew grace spoke for us.
Please if you believe in God fast and pray too, it worth it. Prepare like your life depends on it.
We took a step of faith by purchasing our travel bags before the interview day. I thank God for everything and everyone he used for us on this journey.

Thanks to
Moshkom, I was surprised to see him at our hotel to prep us. God bless you.
Thanks to Mahmoud, praise, Emillion..our mock sessions were great.
Thanks Mr Samuel, Mrs Deborah and every other persons that helped us
The appreciation is not complete without saying a big thank you to Nairaland USA student thread, we read chapter 15 & 16.
It was naija to Yankee thread that spurred this dream. Thanks to mackynaija