How to Apply for US Visa in Nigeria

How to Apply for US Non-Immigrant Visa in Nigeria

In this article today we are going to talk about how to start and finish the US visa application process in Nigeria. So this post is for people who want to apply for a US visa while living in Nigeria. But before we get to the intricacies of the matter, let me explain what I mean when I say “Visa” and who needs one.

how to get US DS-160 visa application form A visa is a stamp that in embedded in a person’s international passport that permits that person to gain entrance, live in or pass through a foreign country over a period of time. In other words, for you to legitimately enter the United States of America you must obtain a U.S visa at the U.S. embassy in Nigeria. Bear in mind that a visa is not the same thing as an international passport. An international passport is issued by the Nigerian Immigration Service whereas a visa is issued by the embassy whose country you want to go to (U.S. embassy in our case).

Steps on How to Apply for a US Non-Immigrant Visa in Nigeria

Step 1: Know Your US Visa Type

Before applying for a U.S visa, you have to know the type of visa that you need. Are you traveling to the United States to attend a conference, vacation, schooling, medical reasons or job related? These instances fall into different US visa types. Each of these visas categories have their unique qualifications and requirements that the visa applicant must fulfill. The most common non-immigrant visas types are:

  • Tourist/Business Visa
  • Work Visa
  • Student Visa
  • Exchange Visitor Visa
  • Transit/Ship Crew Visa
  • Domestic Employee Visa
  • Journalist & Media Visa

Click Here To Get the Full List of US Non-immigrant Visa Categories

Step 2: Fill Out the U.S DS-160 Application Form

You will have to fill out the US DS-160 application form. To start the process, Click Here.

On this online form, you will be required to input your personal details, contact details, travel history and intentions. Every information that you give there must be correct and accurate. If you give any false information your visa might end up being rejected.

Note: Once you have completed and submitted the form you cannot make any more changes. If you notice a mistake after you have filled and submitted your US application DS 160 form, you should generate and fill out a new form.

If you need assistance with completing your US DS-160 application form, you can also contact us on 07033378184 or assist@travelvisa.ng to help you- we will be glad to.

When you are done submitting your US DS-160 form, a confirmation page will be issued to you. You are to print out this page and keep it safe as it will be required when you are booking for your US visa appointment at any US embassy in Nigeria. You also have the option of forwarding the confirmation page to your email.

Step 3: Pay Your US Visa Fees

Now that you know the category of U.S visa that suits your travel need, it is time to pay the visa fees. Note that different visa categories mean different visa charges. This means that the amount that you pay for a tourist (B1/B2) visa may not be the same when you are paying for a Temporary/Seasonal Workers visa. The visa fee is non-refundable.

So how much is US visa fee in Nigeria?  Click here to get the complete list of US visa categories and their charges.

Bear in mind that the visa fee is subject to change with the Dollar / Naira exchange rate.

US Visa Fee Payment Options

All visa applicants can make their payment in these two ways:

Over-the-Counter Payment at the Bank

You can walk into any branch of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Branch and make payment for your US visa fees. You will be required to provide the following:

  • A photocopy of the bio data page of your international passport.
  • Write down the visa type you are paying for.
  • The cash.
  • Your contact telephone number.

When you have made the payment, you will be issued a receipt. Keep this receipt safe as you will be required to come to your visa appointment interview day with it.

Online Payment

If you have a GTBank account and it is activated to do online banking then you can pay for your US visa application fee by using GTBank online app. You will need to create an online profile to do so. As you fill out the form, make sure that you type your payment code correctly (This code is also known as UID).This code verifies your payment and allows you to schedule your visa interview appointment.

If you need assistance with paying your US visa fees, you can also contact us on 07033378184 or assist@travelaid.com to help you.

Step 4: Schedule a US Visa Interview Appointment in Nigeria

Now it’s time to schedule your US visa application appointment. Let’s start!

  • Go to: https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=Nigeria.
  • As this is your first time, scroll down and click on “New User”.
  • Fill out all fields and create a unique password and click on “Submit”.
  • Once your account has been verified, a profile will be created for you and you will see your dashboard.
  • On the left-hand side of your dashboard, click on “Schedule Appointment”. This will start the process of scheduling you interview appointment date and time.

Note: To successfully schedule a visa appointment with the US embassy in Nigeria, you will need the following information:

  • Your International Passport number.
  • The UID number from the GTBank receipt.
  • The ten digit barcode number from the DS- 160 confirmation page.

How to Schedule the US Visa Interview Appointment

As the form rolls out you will be required to:

  • Correctly enter your personal data
  • Select your visa class
  • Add dependents (children) if they are traveling with you.
  • Select your visa delivery location
  • Confirm visa payment and finally
  • Schedule the day and time you will be available for the interview.

If you need assistance with scheduling your visa interview appointment, you can also contact us on 07033378184 or assist@travelvisa.ng. We will be glad to help.

Step 5: Attend Your Visa interview Appointment.

Visit your designated US embassy for your visa interview. Make sure you are there at least 30 minutes before your allotted interview time. You are to come with the following documents:

  • Your international passport. This should be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in the United States.
  • The visa fee payment receipt you procured in GTBank.
  • The DS-160 confirmation page with the 10 digit barcode.
  • Supporting documents (I will talk about those in another article).

The United States of America have two embassies in Nigeria. They are:

  1. S. Consulate General, Lagos, 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island Lagos.
  2. S. Embassy, Abuja, Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja.

Step 6: Visa Collection/Denial

At the end of your interview, you will know whether your visa application is approved or rejected. If your visa is approved, the consular will collect your international passport and give you a form you will fill. After two working days, you are to take this form to the VFS document collection office you selected when you were scheduling for your interview appointment and retrieve your international passport which will now have a US visa stamp on one of the pages.

If your visa application was rejected, your international passport will be returned to you at the end of the interview. If you were denied visa, you can either write a petition or come back for another interview. You will need to fill out a fresh US DS-160 visa application form, pay a new US visa fee and schedule another visa interview appointment.

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4 Comments

  1. Thank you for your travels guard lm very happy l have plans to travel to us but l don’t want to make any mistakes l want to do it and get it at once by the mighty name of God l need the right documents to present. Thanks

  2. I’ve been reading up all the blog post about this US visa approval . So far I have read four of yours and it’s so enlightening. I must commend.

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