The Schengen visa application process (from the information I obtained from the Dutch embassy website) requires one to submit evidence of hotel booking:

I hope that does not apply to the US as well.
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You need a passport or official travel document accepted by all Schengen countries. A passport should be valid for at least three months after departure from the Schengen area and contain two blank visa pages.

We can only endorse visa in passports which have been issued during the past 10 years (not extended). If your passport is older than 10 years please apply for a new passport.

An ordinary Nigerian passport that has been extended manually is no longer recognised by the Benelux countries and will therefore not be accepted.

Please also submit a copy of the holder page of the passport.
If you have a new passport, please submit the old passport as well.

Your residence permit should be endorsed in your current valid passport or, in case your residence permit is endorsed in your old passport, please submit that one as well. If you return to the United Kingdom your residence permit for the United Kingdom must still be valid on departure from the Schengen area.

Since 24 November 2005, children travelling on their parent's passport have their own visa. Applicants should complete a separate visa application form and submit a recent passport photograph for every child travelling. There will be no charge for the visa for the child(ren).


Other documents that have to be submitted for a tourist visa are:


1.One fully completed and signed application form. Please mention your daytime phone number with your full address. For minors (under 18) written approval by both parents or legal guardians with a copy of each parent's/guardian's passport is required.
2.Payment for visa must by made by postal order (payable to the Royal Netherlands Embassy) or cash. Please note that cheques, debit / credit cards are not accepted.
3.Two recent standard-size passport colour photographs per person taken against a light background with good contrast, clear and of good quality, printed on normal photographic paper, not mounted and full face (without sunglasses or head covering, unless for religious belief).
[size=14pt]4.Evidence of hotel bookings for the full period of your stay in the Schengen area. If you are unsure at which embassy to apply, please click here. [/size] 5.Evidence of sufficient funds to cover the cost of your intended stay (e.g. original recent bank statement) amounting to a minimum of € 34 (approx GBP 30) per day. Please note that cash, overdraft or credit card facilities are not accepted.
6.Travel insurance policy covering medical expenses including emergency hospital treatment and repatriation. The policy must have been taken out with an insurance company in the UK and provide cover for all Schengen countries. Minimum cover: € 30.000.
7.A recent and original letter from your employer, stating the start date of your employment contract and your last payslip. If you are self-employed a letter is required from your solicitor, accountant or Company House. If you are a student, please submit a recent and original letter from school, college or university confirming attendance. If you are unemployed, please bring your social benefit booklet.


In addition to the original documents, please bring photocopies of all documents with you when submitting your application. The Embassy will not provide copies.

The Visa Section has full authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant. The latter is hereby informed that submitting the above-mentioned documents does not guarantee automatic issuance of a visa.

Upon entering the Schengen area travellers must be in possession of copies of all documents submitted in support of their application.

http://www.dutchembassyuk.org/consular/index.php?i=160

I got the follwing information from the Dutch Embassy website (they actually expect one to book in advance!):
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You need a passport or official travel document accepted by all Schengen countries. A passport should be valid for at least three months after departure from the Schengen area and contain two blank visa pages.

We can only endorse visa in passports which have been issued during the past 10 years (not extended). If your passport is older than 10 years please apply for a new passport.

An ordinary Nigerian passport that has been extended manually is no longer recognised by the Benelux countries and will therefore not be accepted.

Please also submit a copy of the holder page of the passport.
If you have a new passport, please submit the old passport as well.

Your residence permit should be endorsed in your current valid passport or, in case your residence permit is endorsed in your old passport, please submit that one as well. If you return to the United Kingdom your residence permit for the United Kingdom must still be valid on departure from the Schengen area.

Since 24 November 2005, children travelling on their parent's passport have their own visa. Applicants should complete a separate visa application form and submit a recent passport photograph for every child travelling. There will be no charge for the visa for the child(ren).


Other documents that have to be submitted for a tourist visa are:


1.One fully completed and signed application form. Please mention your daytime phone number with your full address. For minors (under 18) written approval by both parents or legal guardians with a copy of each parent's/guardian's passport is required.
2.Payment for visa must by made by postal order (payable to the Royal Netherlands Embassy) or cash. Please note that cheques, debit / credit cards are not accepted.
3.Two recent standard-size passport colour photographs per person taken against a light background with good contrast, clear and of good quality, printed on normal photographic paper, not mounted and full face (without sunglasses or head covering, unless for religious belief).
[size=14pt]4.Evidence of hotel bookings for the full period of your stay in the Schengen area. If you are unsure at which embassy to apply, please click here. [/size]
5.Evidence of sufficient funds to cover the cost of your intended stay (e.g. original recent bank statement) amounting to a minimum of € 34 (approx GBP 30) per day. Please note that cash, overdraft or credit card facilities are not accepted.
6.Travel insurance policy covering medical expenses including emergency hospital treatment and repatriation. The policy must have been taken out with an insurance company in the UK and provide cover for all Schengen countries. Minimum cover: € 30.000.
7.A recent and original letter from your employer, stating the start date of your employment contract and your last payslip. If you are self-employed a letter is required from your solicitor, accountant or Company House. If you are a student, please submit a recent and original letter from school, college or university confirming attendance. If you are unemployed, please bring your social benefit booklet.


In addition to the original documents, please bring photocopies of all documents with you when submitting your application. The Embassy will not provide copies.

The Visa Section has full authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant. The latter is hereby informed that submitting the above-mentioned documents does not guarantee automatic issuance of a visa.

Upon entering the Schengen area travellers must be in possession of copies of all documents submitted in support of their application.

http://www.dutchembassyuk.org/consular/index.php?i=160

ojdollars:

Confirmed boooked Air Ticket
Confirmed Booked Hotel Reservation
Health Insurance 1month = 16,000naira from Aigin Health Insurance or so in Lagos

Is one expected to have paid for an air ticket and hotel reservation when he has not obtained a visa?

Is one required to take copies of his bookings for air flight and hotel along to the interview if sponsoring himself for a tour of the US?

Shouldn't one's bank statement and other documents be sufficient to show sufficient financial capacity to sponsor oneself?

Do we need to take bookings for air flight and hotel along to the interview if we are sponsoring ourselves for the trip?

Do we need to take bookings for air flight and hotel along to the interview if we are sponsoring ourselves for the trip?

?

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Timotee:

Hello, I think wat u're looking for might be on another thread on the travel section.
Check d travel section

This is the travel section!

savemysoul:

what type of visa did apply for?

Non-immigrant visa for a short vacation.

?

Help!

Help!

?

My wife and I will be going to the US embassy to attend a visa aplication interview - our first time.

Can someone give us an idea of what the process is like and the documents we are required to present at the embassy?

Also, it was after we had applied online separately, that we realised we should have combined our application. Is there anyway we can still do that so that we are interviewed together?

Any useful info will be appreciated.

Thanks.