How to Apply for a US Visa in Nigeria
Is this your first time of applying for a US visa? Or have you tried applying for a US non immigrant visa and got rejected once, twice or a couple number of times? Fear no more! This tutorial will teach you exactly how to go about applying and getting a 2 year visa to the United States of America. Before we go into the details of how to apply for a US visa, let us explain what we mean when we say “VISA” and who needs a visa. A visa is a travel document that is placed in a person’s international passport permitting that person to enter, reside or pass through a certain foreign country. So whoever that wants to have free legitimate access to the United States of America must obtain a U.S visa.
Steps on How to Apply for a US Visa
Step 1: Know Your US Visa Category
Before applying for a visa, you have to determine the type of visa that you need. There are various types of visas for different travel reasons. Each type of visa category has its own unique qualifications and requirements for the applicant. The most popular nonimmigrant visa categories are:
- Business/Tourist Visa
- Work Visa
- Student Visa
- Exchange Visitor Visa
- Transit/Ship Crew Visa
- Domestic Employee Visa
- Journalist & Media Visa
However, there are countries whose citizens are allowed to travel to the United States without a visa (Not for Nigerians).These countries are under the visa waiver program which allows them to travel to the US for either business or pleasure. However, they are only entitled to stay in the States for not more than 90 days. That said, lets go back to what we were saying about visa categories – So if you are going to the US as a religious worker then you will go for a category “R” class of visa, For attending a conference, it’s a “B1” visa, B2 category is for tourism/vacation,/pleasure visitors. Just click on our visa list above and determine which suits your travel reasons and plans.
Step 2: Pay Your Visa Fees
As soon as you have determined the type of visa that suits your travel needs, then it’s time to pay the visa fees. Bear in mind that different visa categories correlates to different visa charges. This fee is non-refundable. This is to say that whether you are issued a US visa or not, the money you spent on the fee will not be refunded to you.
US Visa Fee Payment Option
With the exception of class K visa applicants who must pay their visa fee at the US Consulate General in Lagos State, all other non immigrant visa applicants from Nigeria can make their visa fees payment in the following ways:
Pay For US Visa Fee at the Bank
Visa applicants from Nigeria can make payment for their visa fees at any Guaranty Trust Bank branch. Just walk into any of their branches and tell them you are there to pay for your visa fees. You will be required to produce a photocopy of the bio data page of your international passport.
You must also write down the following:
- Your visa type that you are paying for (example: B1/B2, P, etc.)
- The fee payment amount
- Your international passport number
- Your telephone number
After receiving your payment, the bank cashier will give you a receipt.
Pay US Visa Fee Online
This method is for those applicants who have accounts with GTBank. So if you have a GTBank account and its activated to do online banking then you can pay for your visa application fee by using GTBank’s online pay service. At the beginning of the payment process, you will need to create an online profile. 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.
After you have paid the visa application fee, please keep the GTBank fee receipt for your records. You will be required to come to your scheduled appointment day with your GTBank fee receipt.
Step 3: Complete Your DS-160 Form
The next step is for you to fill out the USA DS-160 form. Before completing the form, make sure that you read the guidelines carefully. Note that every information that you divulge must be accurate and correct. Your visa application will not be approved if you falsify information.
Bear in mind that as soon as you have completed and submitted this form, you cannot make any changes. For you to make any new changes, you will have to generate and complete a new form.
After filling out your form, the code on the confirmation page will be needed to book your interview appointment so keep it safe.
Step 4: Schedule Your Interview Appointment
Now you’ve got all the basic documents in place. It’s time to schedule your visa application appointment. Let’s start!
- Go to:https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=Nigeria.
- Scroll down and click on “New User”. As a new user, fill out all fields and create a unique password.
- 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, click on “Schedule Appointment”. This will start the process of scheduling you interview appointment date and time.
For you to successfully schedule an appointment, you will need the following:
- Your International Passport number
- The UID number from the GTBank receipt
- The ten digit barcode number from the DS- 160 confirmation page
You will need to accurately fill enter your personal data, select your visa class, add dependents if any, select your visa delivery location, confirm visa payment and finally schedule the day and time you will be available for the interview.
Step 5: Attend Your Interview
Visit the U.S. Embassy on the date and time of your visa interview. Make sure you have all the necessary documentation needed for your appointment. This includes;
- An international passport that is valid for travel to the United States. This passport should be valid for at least 6 months beyond your intended period of stay in the U.S.
- Your visa fee payment receipt from GTBank
- Your DS-160 confirmation page with the 10 digit barcode
- A valid e-mail address and telephone number
- Supporting documents (I will talk about those in another article)
The United States of America have two embassies in Nigeria. They are;
- S. Embassy, Abuja, Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive, Central District Area, Abuja.
- S. Consulate General, Lagos, 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island Lagos.
Step 6: Visa Collection/Denial
After your interview, if your visa is approved, the visa will be sent to the document delivery location you selected when you were scheduling your interview appointment. If your visa is not approved, your international passport will be returned to you at the embassy at the end of your interview. If you were denied visa, you can either write a petition or come back for another interview. Bear in mind that you will need to fill out another DS-160 form, Pay visa fee and schedule another appointment.
I guess you now have an idea how to apply for a US visa in Nigeria. If you have any questions, use the comment area.
