hi nairalanders, a very big thank you to tzetzefly for the big contribution you directions you gave concerning my friends
us appointent date issue,i has schedule appointment went for interview last week three days b4 the US church convention
he was given 2years multiple b1/b2.
please tzetzefly my friend cannot attend the conference again
my question is.how soon can he use the visa for tourism or can he use it for another conference?
and also in the visa they wrote annotation please what is the meaning of this?

Mollydee88: @AbujaNIV
I'm a little confused here.
I have booked my appointment in Lagos via https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/; which included me as the primary applicant and my wife.

Having supplied all details correctly; in the scheduled print out i have; an error message states thus

''PLEASE NOTE THAT ONE OR MORE OF THE DS-160 NUMBERS USED TO SCHEDULE THIS APPOINTMENT CAN NOT BE VALIDATED. INCORRECT DS-160 NUMBERS MAY LEAD TO A DELAY IN BEING PROCESSED''

Please advise on what to do?

Contact the call center at 01 440 6294 to ask about this one. Good luck!

Green120: Thanks for the good job you are doing on this thread please i need your help.
I have Been a silent follower and read through all the post.
My wife, myself and my two kids ages 3yrs and the other 7 months,applied for a student visa, my wife was the main applicant while myself and the kids applied for f2 but we applied at the same time as she did and our visas where denied,the VO only gave her a paper stating she didn't have any strong ties back home and the only question asked was why did you pick this school.

She reapplied immediately and went for interview today with just my 7month old baby and she said all the VO asked her was how will you pay for your studies which she answered that I was going to pay for her, he asked her again what I do and she said I own my company and that I am also into landed properties,
VO how will you cope with your child
She answered that she will enroll her in a day care

VO how will you pay for the day care
She answered my husband will

VO why did you choose this school( roosevelt university)
She said as she was about answering, she had only said the school has a good academic reputation the the VO cut her short and said by who
She said usnews.com

VO what does the school rank in the usnews ranking
She said 77 in the region

VO why didn't you go for other ones that are ranked higher
She said she needed a school that is affordable as well

VO is cost a problem and she said no

Only for him to bring out a blue paper and handed it to her saying am sorry you do not qualify for bla bla bla

Kindly advice

This is a friendly public service announcement to remind everyone that we don't give advice on specific cases. The decision is always up to the interviewing Officer.

lagdude: Good morning VO, weldone for the good job you doing here. God will continue to bless you.
As a LPR, is it possible for one to invite his/her family to the state for visiting and like how many years will the LPR holder would have stayed in the states before he/she can invite a family member.

CHEERS

Invitations are not required for non-immigrant visas.

temol: Good morning VO, so glad to see this thread. In less than a month, my family was lucky to get a b1/b2 visa valid for 2 years. And making plans to travel around that december but just last week he was able to secure a job at a US company. Sir, would like to ask if the status of the visa could be changed or if he can still apply for a new via while the company file for him?

U.S. immigration law does not allow anyone to work on a B1/B2 visa. To work, he/she will need a petition-based visa sponsored by his or her company.

hawtmum: Hello abujaniv. If one is placed on administrative processing and checks the visa application status online, and it says "issued". How long does one have to wait to be contacted by the embassy. NB: It's 15 business days now since the status was updated.

We address administrative process on our web site. See our FAQs at http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/niv_faq2012.html

meggy11: Hi VO, pls advice accordingly. Though this is a NIV renewal issue. Planning on using the drop box cause I am qualified to use it. The question is I live in port harcourt. Can I use the dhl services in port harcourt to drop it off for me or I need to go to lagos/abuja to drop it off myself?

You can contact the call center at 01 440 6294 for drop box questions.

mamaxxx: Hi,i was issued a b1/b2 visa before i even got pregnant after i found out i was pregnant i decided to go give birth in the States. However at POEi was refused entry because the immigration officer says i didn't have sufficient funds though i had paid part of the hospital fees already and also had over $3000 cash on me. I also had my master card on me and explained to her that my husband was going to send some funding to my account to complete payment.

My visa was immediately canceled and i sent back to Nigeria unjustly. I intend to fight this and win the battle as i feel like i was wrongfully picked on by thus lady who was just obviously in a badmood. Others who had less money on them were allowed in. Please note that this is not my first time in the state.

Where do i go from here?i still intend on having my child in the US and can fund my account the prove that i am able to afford it'

You can re-apply and explain your situation to the interviewing Officer.

auto001: Good morning VO . Please I need a us transit visa to connect my trip to st vincent kindly advice me what to do thanks and God bless you

You should follow the instructions on our web site: http://nigeria.usembassy.gov/niv_appointmnent_instructions.html

d2ddayo: i am writing this in good faith, i hope it changes my perception about the united state embassy now. i applied for a visit visa in 2012 to visit my uncle and his family but was denied on the basis of " my uncle traveled in 2008 with a visit visa which he didnt return back to nigeria but got married there and started a family there". i didnt know about this though because i have always been travelling to europe twice yearly since 2005 and i always observe immigration rules because i have my strong tie here in niigeria. well the VO checked my passports and saw all my travel histories but based on that i wasnt granted. well i felt bad a bit but got over it. on january 3rd 2014, after i applied again, this time to visit my best friend who is in the US army, who sworn that if my visa is being granted to visit him and his family that i will return back to nigeria. definately because i have my own family here, i have a very good job here as well and i am entitled to a 2 weeks yearly vacation. but to my surprise again, the VO checked my passports saw all my travel history and even said i see u travel alot and what for which i told her business and vacation. but before i know what was goin on, she had brought a blue paper again and said am sorry the visa cant be granted today. now my question is just this, why is it so? i dont ve any intention to stay back i love my job, my family is here and all. all i wanted is to visit my bestfriend and see my god daughter. been two years now we last saw eachother. why is there a mistake i made or what exactly shoudl i do?

We don't give out reasons for not issuing visas, and we don't give advice. Every interviewer looks at many factors before making a decision about whether to issue the visa, however.

omobabe1: hi nairalanders, a very big thank you to tzetzefly for the big contribution you directions you gave concerning my friends
us appointent date issue,i has schedule appointment went for interview last week three days b4 the US church convention
he was given 2years multiple b1/b2.
please tzetzefly my friend cannot attend the conference again
my question is.how soon can he use the visa for tourism or can he use it for another conference?
and also in the visa they wrote annotation please what is the meaning of this?

A visa annotation can sometimes be used to help the immigration officer at the arrival point in the U.S. determine a traveler's purpose, whether to admit the visa holder to the U.S., and for how long. We don't know the details of this circumstance so cannot comment on it specifically.

abujaniv:

We don't give out reasons for not issuing visas, and we don't give advice. Every interviewer looks at many factors before making a decision about whether to issue the visa, however.

thank you for your response though, well there is no harm still trying what you want so i will like to know hope it wont show desperation if i still apply again, because i last applied january. i will be on leave by october and will be travelling to the netherland maybe i should re apply.

hi all

Hi Visa Officer. My mum has been invited over to spend some time with my brother in the US. Presently he is in Nigeria and would like to accompany her to the embassy to make her case stronger. is it possible for a partner without appointment to accompany her into the visa hall and help her answer questions during the interview. I dunno how it works, just curious

amreen502: hi. i got my f1 visa and iam going to fly this fall. after my visa approval i got married ND REQUESTED for dependants i20.i got the new i20 as well.now my next step is filling ds 160 form for my husband.
i have 2 queries
1. his parents are in us. mother on job visa and father on dependant visa.should we mention that his parents are in us? will they get to know if we dont mention it in ds from??
2.his visa was rejected twice 6 years back when he was trying for f1 visa. should we mention that his visa was rejected in the ds form.??will they have the information regarding his 6 years back visa denial?
please help out...

Good day my name is Emmanuel, my wife is a US citizen and she already filed the I 130 form for me which have been accepted on the 30th of June and the receipt number with me i want to know if i can apply for a visa to the US? Because my wife is due to have our baby in September 2014 thank you.

CAN I LEAVE THE UNITED STATES WHILE I HAVE A PENDING IMMIGRANT PETITION AND A VALID F-1 VISA?
Dear Visa Officer I am not a US citizen. I do not hold a green card. I am legally in the US on an F-1 visa. I got an F1 visa on June 04, 2013 to attend a Community College for an Associate degree. This visa was given for 2 years.The F1 visa I got in 2012 for my undergraduate studies expired on May 31, 2014. My sister filed a I-130 petition for me and received I797C (receipt notice) on June 17, 2013. I filed a form 1-176 and received employment authorization card (EAD) on June 12, 2014.My current F1 visa has expired and as such I would like to go back to Nigeria and renew my F1 visa so I can continue traveling freely between the United States and Nigeria. I have heard that it is unlikely that I will be given a new F-1 visa due to my pending I-130 petition. I have a couple of questions below which I need answers:
A) Will I be issued a new visa despite my pending I-130 application? It is claimed that one can be issued a new F1 visa after filing a I-130 petition because F1 indicates nonimmigrant intent and I-130 indicates immigrant intent. Is this true? Or is it only when getting an initial F1 visa that one has difficulties due to I-130 petitions?
B) How likely is it that I can reenter the US after going home this Xmas? I have heard that Visa Officers are not allowed to issue non-immigrant visa to people with pending I-130 application? Others have suggested that even if you are issued an F-1 visa with an immigrant based petition pending you wouldn’t be granted entry at the Port Of Entry (POE) as the border agent will ask me if an immigrant petition has been filed for me. At that point if I say yes I will be viewed with more scrutiny and prevented from being able to reenter.
C) Previously I thought that Visa Officers are the only one capable of knowing if an immigrant petition has been filed for me. Please can you confirm if border agents are also capable of knowing if an immigrant petition has been filed on my behalf.
D) However, others have suggested that being that my priority date (the date in which I will be eligible for a GC) will not come for several years. They think that my chances are as good as anyone else's. How true is that?
E) Is it possible for me to utilize the DHL Drop Box Visa Renewal Program without being physically present in Nigeria? Can I fill out the online application and then instruct my sister to drop off the letter with my passport, application confirmation sheet, passport photos, visa fee receipt, and appropriate forms to one of the DHL facilities in Abuja or Lagos or will the consular section request that I attend a visa interview despite having submitted my application through the Drop Box program further complicating the whole issue.
Thanks in advance for your esteemed help. I appreciate.

hi good people of nairaland and the gurus in the house please i want you to help in solving my own matter,i got us niv visa last 2 months for church convention but i was on able to go due to some issue.now i want to visit US this October and my port of entry was Washington but now i want to enter true New York as tourist,hope this wont work against me at the port of entry?

I am asking because I want to know and I cant afford to fail or raise a false hope. ASK AND U SHALL BE TOLD!!!

MR B

priest2u: Hi Visaofficer,
I have an approved H1B petition beginning October 1 2014, currently in the USA working with OPT. I intend to apply for H1B stamping along with fiance( would have become my wife at the time I appear for the interview). Please what document do I need ? Can we appear together for the interview? Please guide on what document I need for H1b stamping along with H4 for my wife.

Thanks

orbis: Hi Visa Officer. My mum has been invited over to spend some time with my brother in the US. Presently he is in Nigeria and would like to accompany her to the embassy to make her case stronger. is it possible for a partner without appointment to accompany her into the visa hall and help her answer questions during the interview. I dunno how it works, just curious

Good question. In general, we don't allow people without appointments into our interview halls--as you can imagine, they're quite full enough as it is. We do make exceptions when warranted, such as for small children applying on their own (a parent can come in, of course) or for people who need assistance (if they're disabled, for example).

Often, people are worried they need to come in with their parents because the parents don't speak English, and that isn't really something to worry about. We have many very talented Nigerian colleagues in our visa sections, and we generally can always find someone to translate.

Quick question VO; When VOs ask for an applicant's monthly salary, do they mean his average monthly income after tax (allowances+bonuses+basic divided by 12) or his monthly take home pay after all the deductions of allowances, bonuses etal?

I ask cos most coys pay a large sum (could be upfront, allowances, bonuses etc) to their employees at the beginning of every year and then pay a not so huge amount monthly.

So, which do we say is the applicant's monthly income?

amreen502: amreen502: hi. i got my f1 visa and iam going to fly this fall. after my visa approval i got married ND REQUESTED for dependants i20.i got the new i20 as well.now my next step is filling ds 160 form for my husband.
i have 2 queries
1. his parents are in us. mother on job visa and father on dependant visa.should we mention that his parents are in us? will they get to know if we dont mention it in ds from??
2.his visa was rejected twice 6 years back when he was trying for f1 visa. should we mention that his visa was rejected in the ds form.??will they have the information regarding his 6 years back visa denial?
please help out...

Again, we don't really comment on specific cases. But it's always, always, always a better idea to tell us the truth than to not tell us the truth. For example, since the form asks if your friend has ever been a refused a visa, your friend should probably tell the truth. We don't like it when people don't tell us the truth.

Dear Visa Officer,

Thanks for your help so far.I need some enlightenment;a a person that has a valid US NIV and intends to apply with his spouse on expiration,does he need to use the drop box?If he did,will he appear for interview with the spouse since is a couple application?Kindly,inform on the right way to proceed.He wishes to appear for the interview with the spouse because the interviewer on the spouse's last appointment was not fully convinced(her guess)that she was actually married to him because her passport and DS-160 still bear her maiden name.Though on the next application,her Passport would have expired and the new one will reflect her current status.

Your help will be most appreciated.

Thanks

thawk: Good day my name is Emmanuel, my wife is a US citizen and she already filed the I 130 form for me which have been accepted on the 30th of June and the receipt number with me i want to know if i can apply for a visa to the US? Because my wife is due to have our baby in September 2014 thank you.

Well, it sounds like you're well on your way to having your interview for an immigrant visa.

In general (and this question comes up a lot), it's worth noting that U.S. immigration law is very strict when it comes to intending immigrants not qualifying for non-immigrant visas. Therefore, it's often very, very difficult for applicants who are actively trying to immigrate to the U.S. to get non-immigrant visas.

LUCAS99: CAN I LEAVE THE UNITED STATES WHILE I HAVE A PENDING IMMIGRANT PETITION AND A VALID F-1 VISA?
Dear Visa Officer I am not a US citizen. I do not hold a green card. I am legally in the US on an F-1 visa. I got an F1 visa on June 04, 2013 to attend a Community College for an Associate degree. This visa was given for 2 years.The F1 visa I got in 2012 for my undergraduate studies expired on May 31, 2014. My sister filed a I-130 petition for me and received I797C (receipt notice) on June 17, 2013. I filed a form 1-176 and received employment authorization card (EAD) on June 12, 2014.My current F1 visa has expired and as such I would like to go back to Nigeria and renew my F1 visa so I can continue traveling freely between the United States and Nigeria. I have heard that it is unlikely that I will be given a new F-1 visa due to my pending I-130 petition. I have a couple of questions below which I need answers:
A) Will I be issued a new visa despite my pending I-130 application? It is claimed that one can be issued a new F1 visa after filing a I-130 petition because F1 indicates nonimmigrant intent and I-130 indicates immigrant intent. Is this true? Or is it only when getting an initial F1 visa that one has difficulties due to I-130 petitions?
B) How likely is it that I can reenter the US after going home this Xmas? I have heard that Visa Officers are not allowed to issue non-immigrant visa to people with pending I-130 application? Others have suggested that even if you are issued an F-1 visa with an immigrant based petition pending you wouldn’t be granted entry at the Port Of Entry (POE) as the border agent will ask me if an immigrant petition has been filed for me. At that point if I say yes I will be viewed with more scrutiny and prevented from being able to reenter.
C) Previously I thought that Visa Officers are the only one capable of knowing if an immigrant petition has been filed for me. Please can you confirm if border agents are also capable of knowing if an immigrant petition has been filed on my behalf.
D) However, others have suggested that being that my priority date (the date in which I will be eligible for a GC) will not come for several years. They think that my chances are as good as anyone else's. How true is that?
E) Is it possible for me to utilize the DHL Drop Box Visa Renewal Program without being physically present in Nigeria? Can I fill out the online application and then instruct my sister to drop off the letter with my passport, application confirmation sheet, passport photos, visa fee receipt, and appropriate forms to one of the DHL facilities in Abuja or Lagos or will the consular section request that I attend a visa interview despite having submitted my application through the Drop Box program further complicating the whole issue.
Thanks in advance for your esteemed help. I appreciate.

This is a pretty complicated question--and, again, we don't comment on specific cases. But a few general points jump out. As we mentioned in response to another question, the law is fairly strict about not issuing non-immigrant visas to people who are intending to immigrate--indeed, one of the requirements to get a student visa is an intent to return to the home country afterwards. Also, the dropbox program is meant for Nigerians living in Nigeria. It's not meant to let someone skip answering awkward questions in an interview because they're afraid of the result.

I'm not going to comment on which government officials can see what about a person's case. But generally, you should probably err on the side of assuming that an American government official knows about your interactions with the American government.

mrbamo: Hello,

This is my first time to use this platform and I hope to get some good help from here. I am a Nigerian, I am studying in China, myself and my classmate (Nigerian) would like to attend an academic conference at a school in USA where we wish to present our paper at the event (our abstract has been approved by the organizers). The questions are;

1) Do we need to go back to Nigeria to apply or we can apply here in China?

2) I could remember that I applied for F-1 visa in 2010, Yes! I applied in China but I was denied on the ground that I have no social background. Do you think this may have any effect on the next application? Even though I cant remember any of those information I filled in the old DS156 then.

3) What supporting documents do you think would be of help? I am a genuine traveler and I have visited a number of countries before now. Been to my Nigeria twice in the last two years too.

I am asking because I want to know and I cant afford to fail or raise a false hope. ASK AND U SHALL BE TOLD!!!

MR B

Greetings Mr B,

We don't comment on specific cases. We like it when people tell us the truth in their applications, especially concerning prior refusals. Applicants are welcome to apply anywhere, but the consular officer is reuired to determine a person's ties to their home country--this often becomes more difficult when someone's not applying in their home country.

priest2u: priest2u: Hi Visaofficer,
I have an approved H1B petition beginning October 1 2014, currently in the USA working with OPT. I intend to apply for H1B stamping along with fiance( would have become my wife at the time I appear for the interview). Please what document do I need ? Can we appear together for the interview? Please guide on what document I need for H1b stamping along with H4 for my wife.

Thanks

Congrats on the approved petition! Husbands and wives can appear together for interviews. For things like H1B, we need to see things like proof of a professional degree, proof of the approved petition, and proof that you're going to do the job the petition says you are. If you're newlyweds, that's fine, but we also need to be convinced of the relationship's validity.

Again--and we said this in the old thread but it's worth repeating--documents are very rarely our primary reason for refusing a visa. If there's a document you needed and you didn't bring it, we can always give you permission to go back and get it. We primarily base our decisions on the interview, not on documents.

jonka: Dear Visa Officer,

Thanks for your help so far.I need some enlightenment;a a person that has a valid US NIV and intends to apply with his spouse on expiration,does he need to use the drop box?If he did,will he appear for interview with the spouse since is a couple application?Kindly,inform on the right way to proceed.He wishes to appear for the interview with the spouse because the interviewer on the spouse's last appointment was not fully convinced(her guess)that she was actually married to him because her passport and DS-160 still bear her maiden name.Though on the next application,her Passport would have expired and the new one will reflect her current status.

Your help will be most appreciated.

Thanks

Not sure I totally understand the question. You're never REQUIRED to use the dropbox--it's a service we offer.

Phema: Quick question VO; When VOs ask for an applicant's monthly salary, do they mean his average monthly income after tax (allowances+bonuses+basic divided by 12) or his monthly take home pay after all the deductions of allowances, bonuses etal?

I ask cos most coys pay a large sum (could be upfront, allowances, bonuses etc) to their employees at the beginning of every year and then pay a not so huge amount monthly.

So, which do we say is the applicant's monthly income?

We're looking for an average. Applicants stress over this question a lot, but to our mind it's fairly simple. In general, how much money do you get in a month? Obivously, you're free to qualify it however you like--there's no rule against explaining things in more detail.

abujaniv:
We're looking for an average. Applicants stress over this question a lot, but to our mind it's fairly simple. In general, how much money do you get in a month? Obivously, you're free to qualify it however you like--there's no rule against explaining things in more detail.

Thanks alot. Just wanted a professional opinion.

abujaniv:

Not sure I totally understand the question. You're never REQUIRED to use the dropbox--it's a service we offer.

I understand that for NIV renewal,applicant will be required to use the drop box services and will not need to appear for interview unless on special cases the consulate calls for interview of such person.Now,an applicant for renewal of NIV and wants to apply with the spouse(who has never had a NIV) as a group/couple application,will such a person still use the drop box or not?Can such a person use the drop box and appear for interview with the spouse(who is a fresh applicant/never had a NIV).I hope you understand better now.Thanks