Further note for those who have began their program online this fall. When you get to the interview session, not much is asked once you have started your program. I had my VISA interview last week. Once the VO asks' what school do you intend to go? You begin by telling the VO that you are a masters/doctorate student of x and y at the university of x and y. That you intend to return in-person this coming spring. You will need to show the VO a colored print out of a proof of your course enrolment, tution and fees payment and school's unofficial transcript. This was what I did. My interview was not up to a minute. Reasons why I found it difficult to forward my transcript here. It was so brief and fast. I was extremely surprised. I was not asked any question like the others... questions like why the school, financial justification etc. All these was not required from me. As they have always stated on this platform, be confident enough that you are a scholar and you know your worth. Bodily countenance really matters. I ended up speaking when I was not asked any further question by the VO, more like a conversation with him. I was confused as he kept on typing and remained silent as if he already had all the information needed. Apart from what school I was going to attend, he asked about my marital status and that was all. It was that simple but it may vary for others though. Just make sure you have every of your original documents to proof all that you stated on your DS-160. They did not need all that from me sha. But thank God I was able to present my school's tuition and fees payment receipt, unofficial/non-graded transcript and my course enrolment print out. Immediately, I showed him this. That was what made it for me. This should help those awaiting interview that have already started their program virtually this fall and returning in-person for spring 2021. My regards to every one in the house. You guys are really doing a great job here and that is what motivated me to drop this here. Gracias

This solely depends on the remarks on your I-20. As far as it is stated on your I-20 under the English Proficiency Remark, that you have satisfied your English proficiency requirement and that student is proficient. You should not have any problem with that. I doubt if the VO needs any further proof after that. Regards

tosomaju:
Hello guys. My school waved GRE and IELTS. Will that be a problem at the embassy as I don't have either?

For expedited appointments, please how many days does it take for a F1 VISA to be available for pick up after payment of the reciprocity fee?

PriboD:
For expedited appointments, please how many days does it take for a F1 VISA to be available for pick up after payment of the reciprocity fee?

For expedited appointments, please how many days does it take for a F1 VISA to be available for pick up after payment of the reciprocity fee?

adelawry:


Use this

https://ceac.state.gov/CEACStatTracker/Status.aspx?App=NIV

adelawry:


It’s usually on the I-20. But if you haven’t gotten one. Mail the graduate school. In some schools, you have access to view your account upon admission, sometimes it’s stated on your offer. You can mail your school, they’ll give you a breakdown before I-20 is sent.

Thank you brother for this.

Miraculum:
Congratulations on this!!!!!!

Congrats once again brother!!! The question I have is how does one calculate deficits for a scholarship and TA already guaranteed?

Wow!!! Congrats.... Please was the deficits mentioned on the I-20. With the scholarship and Assistantship you have gotten, why that huge sum deficits? I am a bit confused, I just need to be guided. Congrats once again.

Evans211:
Visa Approved!!

Profile-
Program: MA Political Science
GPA- 3.28/4
Deficits- $6,677
GRE- 318
School- Texas Tech University (Spring)



I had a very concise interview. Before I proceed into proper details, permit to use this medium to thank Samuel (Sammy like I fondly call), Fortune, Fairheart, Mathew, Francis, Acers family, and a host of others I am yet to mention; these amazing lads gave me the mock interview and confidence (some deadly guts) to face my fears.

Sunday (4th Oct, 2020) is just like every other day where I casually mailed Lagos consulate with a view of booking an expedited appointment with no much expectations. I barely recall sending a mail that Sunday! On Monday morning, I got a mail from lagos consulate slating an appointment by Friday! FRIDAY? that must be a huge joke! How could I possibly pay sevis fee, fill my DS-160 form, get an updated I-20 to spring, going through the hassles of documents printing in just 4 days?! Hell no... I'm skipping this appointment. I was so damn sure about this on Monday but by Tuesday morning, I reflect on my thoughts and realized how golden this opportunity is. I presented my case before these great guys, Samuel and fortune who offered to help with documents printing errands and transcript drafting respectively, while I take care of other tasks.

Wasn't really thinking of the mock interview preparations until Thursday afternoon after arriving at my lodge close to the Lagos consulate at VI. It was a tedious experience filled with funny memories.

Thanks to the virtual mock interview organized by Mathew, Sam, Francis et al where I was given a friendly but yet, rigorous drilling, critiquing my transcripts which helped in boosting my confidence. Studied through the night with an open but yet prayerful mind...


By morning, I headed straight to the consulate; tho a walkable distance but I booked a cab. Upon my arrival, I focused my gaze on the scanty applicants (about 35 in total) contrary to the usual expectations. I shaped my mind and blended with the cue while I await my faith. Waited for about half an hour before the rain started (that's a story for another day). The CGFI official instructed us on the document arrangements while we align on a single line heading straight to the interview unit..............

The VO is in window 9, probably in his mid 30s. A very wonderful and yet witty conversationalist. He denied about 4 applicants ahead of me and issued 3 approvals. I won’t lie, my morale was dampened but I kept a straight face. A lady just ahead of me was literally begging the VO to reconsider his denial and almost not leaving the spot! (In my head I was like, hey pretty! Leave that spot before you annoy the VO.. don’t implicate me pls........)

Here goes my interview with the VO ���


VO: Good morning, pass me your passport and I-20.

Me: I obliged.

VO: What are you going to do in the US ?

me: I am going for a Master’s degree in Political science with Concentration in International Relations and Public Policy, in Texas Tech University, Lubbock.

VO: not a single word from him as he kept typing......(I wasn’t sure if he heard me but I kept my cool).. So who is sponsoring your studies?

Me- Well, I was offered a Graduate teaching assistantships with full tuition waiver and some monthly stipends to help offset my living expenses and my uncle will help with the deficits.

VO: ...keeps typing for a couple of seconds, this time around a bit longer than usual. So what does your uncle do?

Me- He works as a Real estate Developer and owns a wholesale supermarket.

VO: where does he work at?

Me: Lagos

VO: okay. ...keeps typing.... So where did you graduate from ?

Me- The University of Ibadan in May, 2018

VO: Have you ever travelled out of the country ?

Me- No sir, I had no reason to.

VO- Are you married ?

Me- No sir.

VO: What is your program start date?

Me: 04 January, 2021

VO: Oh! You said you graduated from University of Ilorin?

Me: No sir, I graduated from the University of Ibadan.

VO: I see... Okay. I will be approving your Visa. have your reciprocity fee paid at window 23 and make sure you make travel plans not more than 30 days before your program start date.. you will need your I-20 at the POE ...........blah blah blah... I smiled as he utter the golden words!!!

From what I observed, the interview lasted less than 2 minutes! No other documents requested. Financial statement was handy but he never asked.

Thank you for the reply. So it is still preferable I get the physical copy to avoid any hassles, right?

LagosismyHome:


Depending on how he scans it... some scan can be like actual copy and u print it out in coloured

Good day house, I have a sponsor in the USA. I was requesting that he mails the bank statement to me by courier but he just informed me now that he will scan it to me. That the embassy will accept scanned copy. Please anyone with such experience, kindly share? Because from what I hear about the US consulate in Lagos, they prefer physical hardcopies of document than a photoscanned document. Do they also accept a colour scanned document? Please, what can I do in this situation?

Hi Muneer, I also got admission to UTD too. Can we chat.

Muneer5:
Hello, please help.

I got into UTDallas for a PhD (full funding with TA) without taking GRE/TOEFL. And I was only able to apply to ONE school during the pandemic.

How am I supposed to prepare for the visa interview?

I'm really scared �
Thanks.

Ashirioluwa:


You can’t get it while you are in Nigeria because you need to show your US I-94 or arrival stamp on your passport.

I pulled the information below from SSA website:

What original documents do I need?

Immigration status

To prove your U.S. immigration status, you must show us your current U.S. immigration document, such as:

Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card, Machine Readable Immigrant Visa) with your unexpired foreign passport;
I-766 (Employment Authorization Document, EAD, work permit); or
I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) or admission stamp in the unexpired foreign passport.
If you are an F-1 or M-1 student, you also must show us your I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status).

If you are a J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor, you must show us your DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status).

Thanks a lot for this. I appreciate

saintexcel:
Bro. Am in d same shoes as you. I have a teaching assistantship to begin August 11. I really don't know what to do. I scared to defer my admission as I might lost my assistantship. Am really confused right now.

Thesame thing I was told by a mentor in the states. He told me to go virtual for fall since my school had the option available. That deferring might cost me a lot of uncertain changes especially to my scholarship. I feel the best thing is to try out their virtual instruction and perhaps, if they are any challenges. One can always notify them ahead of time. I hear that their lecturers are that accessible only if you open up to them.

Taal17:


VOs are not here anymore, they used to be but no longer responding to messages on NL
you cant get your SSN when you're not in the country. You DONT have a student visa neither have your entered into the US.
Wait for spring semester as they have advised - hopefully before then you can get your student visa and travel
In the meantime go ahead and book US visa appointment, I believe abuja dates are open from November pending when visa services open fully.

Thank you for the update. Please can you help with how I can book a VISA appointment because on their website after I filled the form and submitted. A prompt came up that " There are no appointment dates available". Although I chose the Lagos consulate in my DS-160 form. I called their Customer care line and the man that answered me said "for student visas, I should get the email from their site and send them a request to book an appointment for and expedient VISA." I checked the website he asked me to visit but I did not see any email address on their page. What should I do now?

Dear VO,

I recently got an admission to a school in the USA. I have been in Nigeria due to the Covid-19 situation. My school is to resume this fall which I have already selected the virtual class option. I was awarded a Teaching Assistantship (TA) role and was assigned a Supervising Professor (SP) with a monthly stipend starting from August. I got in contact with the Associate Dean concerning my work by August virtually which was okay by my SP as he was also planning to have his classes virtually this fall and we will be assisting him remotely too. My Dean got in contact with the Director of the International Student office and they got to me by email stating that I cannot resume work since I am not in the USA. They also stated that since I do not have my SSN yet, there is no way I can be on-boarded as a TA since I am a new student. That a new student can only get an SSN if they are in the USA. Also that I do not have what is required to get my I-9 process.
The contract I signed with school stated I resume work as a TA this fall. My stipends are going to be held until I resume work which my Dean is now proposing by Spring semester. I contacted a friend who informed me I can get my social security number while I am still in Nigeria. That once that is sorted I should contact the Dean again and inform him how passionate I am about resuming work this fall. Since my assigned class for the fall is going to be an online/remote instruction.
Please, is it possible I can get my SSN while I am still in Nigeria as a new student? I checked out their website but I saw a lot of confusing options. But my friend was certain I can get it if I contact them. How do I go about this?
Thank you VO

Dear VO,

I recently got an admission to a school in the USA. I have been in Nigeria due to the Covid-19 situation. My school is to resume this fall which I have already selected the virtual class option. I was awarded a Teaching Assistantship (TA) role and was assigned a Supervising Professor (SP) with a monthly stipend starting from August. I got in contact with the Associate Dean concerning my work by August virtually which was okay by my SP as he was also planning to have his classes virtually this fall and we will be assisting him remotely too. My Dean got in contact with the Director of the International Student office and they got to me by email stating that I cannot resume work since I am not in the USA. They also stated that since I do not have my SSN yet, there is no way I can be on-boarded as a TA since I am a new student. That a new student can only get an SSN if they are in the USA. Also that I do not have what is required to get my I-9 process.
The contract I signed with school stated I resume work as a TA this fall. My stipends are going to be held until I resume work which my Dean is now proposing by Spring semester. I contacted a friend who informed me I can get my social security number while I am still in Nigeria. That once that is sorted I should contact the Dean again and inform him how passionate I am about resuming work this fall. Since my assigned class for the fall is going to be an online/remote instruction.
Please, is it possible I can get my SSN while I am still in Nigeria? I checked out their website but I saw a lot of confusing options. But my friend was certain I can get it if I contact them. How do I go about this?
Thank you VO

Dear VO,

I recently got an admission to a school in the USA. I have been in Nigeria due to the Covid-19 situation. My school is to resume this fall which I have already selected the virtual class option. I was awarded a Teaching Assistantship (TA) role and was assigned a Supervising Professor (SP) with a monthly stipend starting from August. I got in contact with the Associate Dean concerning my work by August virtually which was okay by my SP as he was also planning to have his classes virtually this fall and we will be assisting him remotely too. My Dean got in contact with the Director of the International Student office and they got to me by email stating that I cannot resume work since I am not in the USA. They also stated that since I do not have my SSN yet, there is no way I can be on-boarded as a TA since I am a new student. That a new student can only get an SSN if they are in the USA. Also that I do not have what is required to get my I-9 process.
The contract I signed with school stated I resume work as a TA this fall. My stipends are going to be held until I resume work which my Dean is now proposing by Spring semester. I contacted a friend who informed me I can get my social security number while I am still in Nigeria. That once that is sorted I should contact the Dean again and inform him how passionate I am about resuming work this fall. Since my assigned class for the fall is going to be an online/remote instruction.
Please, is it possible I can get my SSN while I am still in Nigeria? I checked out their website but I saw a lot of confusing options. But my friend was certain I can get it if I contact them. How do I go about this?
Thank you VO