I had my interview on a Monday. 2 days later (Wednesday), I got an email notifying me that my passport was ready for collection. I went to DHL VI on Friday to collect my passport with my visa stamped without any hassle.
Definitely, you can still meet the Aug. 11th resumption deadline of your school. Just go get your visa man.
May the prayers of all men of goodwill accompany you. Good luck.

Badmanola:
Hello everyone, my interview is on Aug 3 and I have just two questions.
- I’ve seen so many transcript here so I would like to ask, for the people that got approved, did you submit all documents and left with none or did you submit just passport and I-20 and left with other documents?
- After getting approved how many days did it take for your passport or any other documents to be returned?
My program start date is August 11 and I just want to know if I’ll get my passport and other documents back before that date.

If you don’t have answers to the above questions but you have any helpful insights regarding any part of the F-1 Visa interview, PLEASE DO QUOTE THIS POST.
Thank you and Goodluck to everyone.🤝🏾

Let me too answer the ones I know too.
When I renewed my passport, it came with a different passport number from the old one. So your reissued passport might carry a different passport number.

If you misplace your passport on the day of the interview, it invariably implies that the interview can not go on because you need your passport as an identity to identify yourself through the whole process to even gain entry into the embassy or consulate. So if you can reschedule your interview, great. But if not, so get a new passport and start the interview process again.

On your DS-2019 issue, talk to your sponsor about your options. They are better positioned to advise you.

All the best.

laryom1:
Hi guys. For guys who had interviewed for J1 visa, did any of you have to present proof health insurance at the interview? Or its till after you get to the states?
Also, I noticed some people describe some VO has “with earpiece” , what does that mean? Are there VOs without earpiece? How are they different ?
If my DS2019 takes so long to get here, and I’m unable to get an interview date before my program start date, if I apply for an expedited appointment after the program start date on the DS2019, would it still be accepted?

Also, please, if you misplace your passport on the day of your interview? What’s the solution?

And lastly, if a passport get reissued, does it carry the same passport number?

Would really appreciate responses to these questions 🙏🏾.

Would appreciate if I could be added to the WhatsApp group 08169244711

broshowfar:
The EA was also refused. Is there any other way out?

Just be on the lookout for more favourable dates.
You can check for favourable dates by clicking the 'cancel appointment' button which takes you to the cancel appointment page. The page shows you the earliest available date. If the date is good for you, simply go back to the 'reschedule appointment' page and then reschedule. Pls, don't cancel your appointment ooo. Just leave the page.
If the date is not good enough, simply log out. You may do this severally in a day without the risk of having your account frozen for 3 days!

Kindly use the "Emergency Request"option on your portal if you haven't done so already.

broshowfar:
Please does anyone know how to help? Admissions for fall are in august and the only date available for visa interview is October 4th. Is there anything that can be done or the admissions should be deferred? Someone is proposing paying an agent for a closer date.

It may be network issues. Keep trying.

Felicidad:
PLS O MY PEOPLE I HAVE AN IMPORTANT UESTION O

WHEN I LOG INTO MY VISA PORTAL, JUST RECENTLY O THE MENU THAT APPEARS ON TYHE LEFT HAND SIDE ISNT THERE ANYMORE LIKE
I NOTHING I SHOWING IS IT TECHNICAL ISSUES OR STH ELSE

IM WORRIED
THANKS

So the missing names are the only things you could take out of it. You feel entitled to information which for personal reasons (reasons you aren't privy to) I did not want to share.
Wow...just wow. Entitlement is a disease whose cure is everywhere, but its sufferers do not know they need it!

Sisib15:
Lol
Worst transcript ever. You had to hide the name of your school and the course you are going for. In this age...
You shouldn't have shared your transcript because there is nothing beneficial in it.

Date; July 10th 2023 (yesterday)
Lagos Consulate
Window 1 - Middle aged bearded dude
Scholarship: 50%
Deficit: Self-funded
First attempt for F1 visa
Status: Visa Issued

Me; Good morning (while passing my passport and I-20 to him before being asked)
VO: Good morning. What are you going to study?

Me: I'm going to study for my Master of *** at the *** School of Public and International Affairs at *** University with a dual concentration in *** and ***. And that's the major reason I accepted the school offer ahead of other admissions I got from Cornell, Syracuse, and Brandeis Universities. I need the dual concentration to equip me with a complete skillset for my career trajectory.

VO: I see you've got a 50% scholarship. So who's covering the deficit?
Me: I will cover the deficit. I do quite a number of things. I am the program manager at a civic tech organisation focused on ..., I have a cottage processing plant which processes ... (I was stating everything I do, but he cut in. He did not even ask how much I was earning and me too I did not tell him)

VO: How old are you?
Me: ***

VO: Are you married?
Me: Nope, but soon to be engaged (I was not even sure he heard the engagement part)

VO: I see you were in the US some years ago. What was that for?
Me: I was there for ***( I stated all the positive reasons I was there for while he was typing)

VO continued typing for a few seconds and then looked up at me.

VO: Congratulations you qualify for a US visa.
I collected my white paper and yaa danu

This page has been helpful during this process. Thanks to everybody.
I wish success to those with upcoming interviews.

Before going for your interview, please watch Argo visa interview videos on youtube if you haven't done so already. They are super helpful.

That scammer must have thought he has hit the jackpot! What effrontery! 600k...haba baba

maangel01:
My Cousin is preparing to travel for his Masters. He said that he needs to get a date but he is required to pay a service charge of about #300k before paying another #300k to get an emergency visa interview Date. I just stumbled on this threat and want to confirm whether this is needed as I don’t want him to be scammed.

Since the MPower loan was a red flag this time, more scrutiny might be paid to your source of income the next time you apply. Especially if you get rid of the loan. So you may want to go with all manner of financial support documents.
All the best.

mojolajesu:
I feel really sorry for you about this.

without thinking too much, I know what happened to your application.

The 10-year payment plan is a red flag unless you prove that you have the capacity to pay back when you come back to 9ja which most times doesn't go through.

The VO got so impressed with your profile that she forgot to ask you where is the source of the loan. If you had said no to the MPOWER question and had another source that is not US based, you would have scaled through.

My Advice:
When next you are able to try, use your father as the sole sponsor. you can also add your personal funds but forget the LOAN.

from my research so far, only 2 out of 20 people get approved with loans(especially MPOWER). I have been a victim too. so I am speaking from experince.

if you need more insight into this, I will be happy to help you.
Best of Luck.

Omoh...this is surely the work of the devil. You suppose don yaa danu, i.e runaway...

Sisib15:
#copied
Visa denied
First attempt

White chubby lady
Lagos embassy

Deficit 32k

IS school of business

Vo: pass me your documents
Me: here they are..
Vo: what do you do
Me: I work as a Senior associate at Xyz, one of the world leading largest audit and consulting firm. I lead teams in audit and also manage client portfolio, my client cut across the asset management sector, the fintech sector, the insurance sector and the banking sector.

Why an MBA: I have been selected for manager position by the partners of my firm and an MBA is prerequisites to attain to the role.

VO: I am quite impressed with your profile
ME: thank you ma

VO: how will you b funding your deficit
Me: I will be funding my deficit from two sources which an $18,000 personal funds which is a combination of $5k personal savings which I saved having worked for 5years in the financial services industry and a $13k approved educational loan that a 9month moratorium and a10year repayment plan which I will b paying after my MBA.

The second sources will b financed by my Dad..he is the managing director of drock ventures working in collaboration with the Nigerian port authority. He helps client to clear imported cars and electronic gadgets from the Nigerian port.he earns an annual income of 65million with a staff strength of 20 people.

Lastly I will getting a 60% paid study leave from my organization upon the approval of visa that serves as bond between Me and my organization

VO: type for some minutes.. And she said everything looks good..she handed me the white paper...I was not thinking because I was happy..

As I was leaving the VO called me back and asked me can I see your i20 again and I showed her..
VO: is this loan an Mpower loan
Me: yes ma..

VO: sorry u did not qualify for this visa..she then collected the white paper that she had already given me and then gave me a blue paper

All those who went for visa interview this week, abeg make una post transcript nau.

mojolajesu:
Hello people,

We have not seen transcripts in a while on the group. Please guys, post your visa transcripts so we can keep learning

Kindly ask them to go ahead and issue you the I-20. Then you can apply for an emergency appointment.

Dharmielorlarh:
Good morning guys please I need your help.
My school wants to issue me my I-20 but are concerned if I'll be able to meet up with the fall resumption which is August 28. Since I have not booked an appointment. Please I need help on options that are available.

Thanks guys

I believe it is better to go to a public (federal or state) owned hospital. Better still just go to port health authority in the airport if you are in Lagos.

SpongeBobSP:
Hi, guys.
So I need this info ASAP for.my sister.
Her school is asking nfir immunization like rubella, meningitis , tb etc..
My question is can these be done in any hospital or there are specify hospital they require for USA, and if she already has the old immunization certificate from when she was younger, will that suffice?
Thanks in advance.

This is one of the toughest parts of applying to grad schools in the US. There are thousands of universities, and finding the right one is a major work that you might have to undertake yourself.
You can start with the rankings or members of the Association of American Universities (AAU). Check your program admission requirements. Most ranked schools and members of the AAU often do not have a hard GPA cut-off, but it is a strong factor in their admission decisions. Some programs are also tests (GRE) optional.

Bigolly:
I’ve been trying to get MSc admission for my younger sister for spring 2024, I’ve been running into one issue or the other with the schools I’ve been trying, please what are the schools that can give her admission and funding with 2.2, without GRE and will not request Wes evaluation. I will appreciate if anyone can walk me through the process of getting admission for her

I don't think the statement has to be 6 months long. What many school require is that the statement should be within the last 1 year.
I actually submitted a 1 month statement (March - April) to my school last month, and it was accepted.

Just talk to your school.

Dharmielorlarh:
Hello
Pls I need help o
If the school is asking for statement of account not more than 3months. Can someone start POF for one month then present to the school for i-20?
Pls very urgent

No, you don't need to cancel to get an earlier date. Infact it is advisable that you never cancel.
I once had a similar experience. I'll see an early date on the cancel page, but by the time I get to the reschedule page, I'll get a different date.

Just exercise patience. Continue to check the cancel page. When you find a favourable date, get to the reschedule page ASAP, and you'll see the date right there steering at you.

I saw a July 5th 2023 date yesterday morning. So it is possible.

febishola20:
I need help rescheduling my appointment, I go January 2024 date the first time I scheduled, I’ve been seeing people get earlier dates on here, I tried the cancelled page and it says”the earliest available slots is August 10” when I went back to the to the reschedule page the earliest date I saw is November 8, my question is do I have to cancel my appointment first before I can get earlier date ? Please I need your help guys

Congratulations man. All the best

Olayinka744:
Visa status: APPROVED
First and last attempt
Lagos Consulate
13th of June, 2023
School: South Dakota school of mines and technology
Program: Masters in Industrial Engineering
Funding: Zero funding
Deficit: $27,290

God's grace, favour and mercy spoke for me because I thought I will be denied when I was stuttering when she asked me for what my sponsor does but God did it with a lot of prayers and fasting.

Interview Proper (By black American Woman)

F1: Good morning with a smile
VO: Good morning. Pass me your documents
F1: How are you doing today?
VO: Fine, thank you
VO: How old are you?
F1: XX years
VO: Have you travelled out of the country before?
F1: No. I have not had any reason to.
VO: What is your background?
F1: B.Sc in Chemical Engineering from Bleep University.
VO: What do you do for work?
F1: I work as a Project Engineer at Bleep. A fire safety Engineering and Consulting company
VO: How long have you been working in your current place of work?
F1: 3 years 3 months
VO: Why do you need this Masters?
F1: I need the Masters as a result of the Safety Project Manager vacancy that is about to be open at my current place of work due to the fact that the current Safety Project Manager will soon be transferred to the newly open branch outside lagos state.
So I discussed with my Engineering manager to express my interest in which he told me that I need to have the required skills and knowledge. And that is why I am going for this Masters program. (Note: my speech was incoherent here due to anxiety because she had already denied 3 people before me. I was number 4 on her queue).
VO: How do you intend to cover for your deficit?
F1: My mom and I will be covering my deficit.
My Mom in the person of Mrs. Bleep will be covering 70% of my COA. She makes a combined annual income of 45M.
VO: What does she do?
F1: She is one of the major distributor of Bleep products in Ondo State where she resides and also owns 20 hectares of Cocoa and Palm oil plantation.
VO: How much do you have to cover the remaining COA?
F1: I have a personal savings of 4.2M which I have saved over the 6 years of working and my company has also promised a 40% monthly paid study leave upon the approval of my Visa to support my living expenses throughout the duration of my program.
(Note: at this point, she told me to slow down that it seems I talk too fast? I said yes)
She then said let me get this straight. You mean your mom will be covering the larger part of your COA and you will be taking care of the rest? I said yes. And she said I will be approving your visa. Take this white paper and the rest was history.

Aswear...

TEMIT0PE:
People no dae even share transcipt again

This 2023 set ehn. Una kala gaan 😂

Oga abeg drop transcript nau...

Olayinka744:
Please who is going to South Dakota school of mines and technology for Masters in Industrial Engineering? Let's link up. I got my Visa approved.

The challenge with the Emergency Appointment thingy is that if it is denied once, you can no longer access it until you pay a new MRV fee.
So it may be better to look for a favourable date on the 'Cancel Appointment' page and then reschedule your appointment.
If this doesn't work out for you, then you may use the emergency appointment option. Kindly make sure you use it within 60 days of your 'Start of Class' date. I tried mine within 60 days of my 'Program Start' date which is earlier than my 'Start of Class' date and I got denied.
Pay careful attention to these differences.

All the best.

Nemerem1:
Hello
Please guide me. For example, I am scheduled to have my interview on September 2023, but my start date is August. Can I use reschedule appointment tab and not request for expedited appointment slot. Because that expedited part dey fear me o.

You have 4 times to reschedule, excluding the first appointment you booked.

mimini:
Hello house,
I am seeing an earlier date but still in 2024. Is it wise if I schedule that date? How many times can I reschedule dates at most b4 it expires? I really need one for June 2023.

You may visit the 'cancel appointment' page as many times as you want. There is no limit on that. Just be careful on how many times you login to the site daily.
I got a July 10th 2023 date just about 1 hour ago.

mimini:
Hello house,
Please I am scared of checking the reschedule a date section on the visa appointment site because, the first time I checked to see if there are earlier date, there was a warning at the top that I will soon exhaust my access limit. And I don't want to be permanently blocked.
I have scheduled a date which is far 2024, and I am looking for an earlier date in June/July, which can only be done if I check the reschedule date section.
Does this happen to everyone? Do I need to be scared of checking for earlier dates? Please gurus should advice on what to do.
I also want to be added to Abuja group for visa appointment, 07067625525.
Thank you.

There is a daily limit on the number of times you can visit the reschedule page. Too many attempts will lead to your account being frozen for 72 hours. Mine was.
The solution: Visit the 'Cancel Appointment' page. You will find something like the 'earliest available date'. If it is within what you want, simply go back to the reschedule page and then reschedule your appointment. Please don't cancel your appointment on the 'cancel page'!

Simply return to the reschedule page and then reschedule.

mimini:
Hello house,
Please I am scared of checking the reschedule a date section on the visa appointment site because, the first time I checked to see if there are earlier date, there was a warning at the top that I will soon exhaust my access limit. And I don't want to be permanently blocked.
I have scheduled a date which is far 2024, and I am looking for an earlier date in June/July, which can only be done if I check the reschedule date section.
Does this happen to everyone? Do I need to be scared of checking for earlier dates? Please gurus should advice on what to do.
I also want to be added to Abuja group for visa appointment, 07067625525.
Thank you.

Good morning my dear people. I got denied my MPOWER loan application because according to them: "Your projected debt burden at the time of graduation exceeds our risk limits".
I have a 50% scholarship award and I requested for the remaining 50% balance which amounts to about $32k.
Pls what other options are available to me.

I have a US cosigner who is ready to help out, but his credit history is less than 3 years which is what other loan companies like Earnest, Ascent, and Sallie Mae requires. They all rejected my cosigner due to that fact.

I need help...abeg ooo🙏🏽

Reflected where? You have to fill in your details on the fmj website to retrieve your receipt. If that is what you have done, and it is still not showing, then get the tracking number and see where your money has gone.
You may also send DHS an email to alert them of your challenge. They often advise against making a second payment. They may help you to resolve your issues.

Oluwayimika101:
Good evening guys... A friend of mine in the US helped me pay the SEVIS fee using the POSTAL MONEY ORDER since the 3rd of this month and it hasn't reflected till this moment.... My interview is in 2days time.. can I still go ahead with the interview or I should just cancel the appointment

Wow. Please is there a WhatsApp/Telegram group I can join to keep tabs on new dates? Thanks.

TenaciousOrphan:
Wow! That’s seriously harsh. But Lagos has been releasing dates unlike Abuja.

I applied this morning. I got feedback about 2 hours later with a denial. It was for Lagos.

TenaciousOrphan:
When did you apply for the EA and was it for Abuja?

Thank you for your kind attention.

TEMIT0PE:
Then maybe you should email them (support-nigeria@ustraveldocs.com) and explain your situation

My admission date is 11 August 2023. It is obviously within 60 days, but I got EA denial this morning. Please what could be the reason?

TEMIT0PE:
Your earliest admission date is not within 60 days yet. Most likely why your request was rejected. That requirement is clearly spelt out on the CGI portal. You cannot request another emergency unless you pay MRV fees again.
You have to stay vigilant on the portal and look to reschedule.

You don't have to input the "214F" again. The system has already done that. So you should simply continue with the next digit or character.

Zihno:
Please can anyone help with how to input school code while filling the sevis fee payment form? The long code don’t fit anywhere

Thank you very much. This is inspiring.

Belle123:
8/12/22
Lagos embassy
First Attempt
Visa Approved
Course MBA in project management
COA : 44k
Mpower loan 48k personal fund 10k

V.O : good morning pass me your passport & I-20 .
Me : good morning here’s my i-20 & passport

V.O : have you ever traveled out of Nigeria before
Me : Yes I’ve been to Lebanon , the United Arab Emirates, Cameroun, Ghana and Rwanda

V.O : typing…….
V.O : What did you have your bachelors in ?
Me : I have a bachelors in Law and a B.L from the Nigerian law school

V.O : How much do you earn on an average monthly
Me : Bleep,xxxx

V.o: typing …………
V.O : Why an M.B.A
Me : I chose to study an mba because it will equip me with the skills and knowledge I need to expand my business into other areas of my industry. An MBA from MSU will also Increase the trajectory of my earning capacity and give me a boost in my career advancement Lastly an international mba on my profile will look very good to potential clients and investors
V.O ( cuts in ) oh you plan on having investors ?

Me : oh yes I do . I plan on expanding my business into other sectors of my industry and I cannot do this with the funding of investors
V.O ( cuts in ) So this Degree is mainly to help expand your business
Me : Yes amongst other benefits

V.O : typing……..

V. O : what business do you do
Me : I’m the founder and creative director of xyz company we are a boutique event company that specialize in the planning and coordination of corporate and social events such as AGM´S Seminars, weddings and anniversaries. We also do event haulage , rentals and logistics as well as event consultancy and hospitality management.

V.O : typing………..

V.O : How many are you in your company ?
Me : we are a growing team of 5 there’s myself the founder , there’s the project manager who is going to be in charge of the business while I’m studying and I’ll also be remotely supervising the activities of the staff and tracking the progress of events

V.O : ( cuts ) oh you plan on leaving your business running ?
Me : Yes i do , i have formulated a business plan with my team and project manager to this effect , we will have scheduled monthly Calls and meetings when I’ll get summary reports of the status of all projects and events . I’ll also be in direct communication with the clients to make sure the standard of customer satisfaction does not drop and that what my team is reporting to me is in fact the true nature of events .

V.O : how long have you had this business for ?
Me : Roughly about 4 years . I founded it in 2018

V.O : Are you married
Me : I’m not married however I’m in a committed relationship with my partner and we plan on getting married and starting a family after I return

V.O : who is financing your education
Me : I have an Mpower loan of 48,000 and personal funds of 10,000 usd

V.O : how much did you say they’re giving you again ?
Me ( at this point I wasn’t sure if she was asking me to defend the loan or tell her more about it so I asked her to repeat the question )
V:O How much is Mpower giving you
Me : oh they’re sponsoring me with 48,000 usd

V.O : typing ( for a long time )
V.O : Congratulations you qualify for a U.S visa at this time , take this white paper and blah blah blah

quote author=Teddiement post=123602726]Wow. Please how were you able to defend that MPOWER loan? Would you kindly post your transcript if possible? Thank you very much.

Wow. Please how were you able to defend that MPOWER loan? Would you kindly post your transcript if possible? Thank you very much.

Belle123:
Yes . I got approved using Mpower loan of 48k and personal funds of 10k