Hello all. This is a general public service announcement. We've been seeing an uptick in counterfeit visas and stamps in applicants' passports. These people have been fooled into thinking that these false endorsements will help them get a US visa. If you come into the US Embassy/Consulate with fake visas/stamps, the best case scenario is that you will be denied. If we decide to pursue the matter, we will contact the local police, and you will be arrested, while your passport is forfeited to the Nigerian Immigration Service. To be sure, your credibility will be trashed, and you will find it nearly impossible to ever qualify for a US visa for the rest of your life.

This should be common sense, but please tell your friends and family so that they do not fall prey to agents and touts wanting to enrich themselves by selling fake documents.

Good day VOs, please your kind advice will be appreciated. My wife and daughter were recently denied F2 visas with the rejection letter stating no strong home ties. From the interview, I also think my response that they were not coming with me during my own interview played a role in the rejection. Please what are suitable home ties for F2 applicants? I am actually on paid study leave from my workplace (a Federal University) in Nigeria, and signed a bond to return at the end of my study, will this be a sufficient home tie? Also how does one rectify the discrepancy in responses during both interviews majorly due to a significant change in situations? And what is the impact of time of reapplication on the outcome after such rejection as we are reapplying? Thank you.

Hi Mitchely. Your family is welcome to reapply, however, they should be prepared to offer new evidence in support of their application. Certainly it has an effect that you once said they would stay behind, and then you suddenly reconsider once your own F1 visa is approved. Once your whole immediate family is in the US, it can be hard to demonstrate there are sufficient ties to bring you home. The added difficulty with dependent visas like F2s is that the total costs of living overseas increase substantially while the earning power of the family unit decreases. A bond signed with an employer is difficult to enforce from across an ocean.

Mitchely:
Good day VOs, please your kind advice will be appreciated. My wife and daughter were recently denied F2 visas with the rejection letter stating no strong home ties. From the interview, I also think my response that they were not coming with me during my own interview played a role in the rejection. Please what are suitable home ties for F2 applicants? I am actually on paid study leave from my workplace (a Federal University of Technology) in Nigeria, and signed a bond to return at the end of my study, will this be a sufficient home tie? Also how does one rectify the discrepancy in responses during both interviews majorly due to a significant change in situations? And what is the impact of time of reapplication on the outcome after such rejection as we are considering reapplying? Thank you.

abujaniv:
Hi Mitchely. Your family is welcome to reapply, however, they should be prepared to offer new evidence in support of their application. Certainly it has an effect that you once said they would stay behind, and then you suddenly reconsider once your own F1 visa is approved. Once your whole immediate family is in the US, it can be hard to demonstrate there are sufficient ties to bring you home. The added difficulty with dependent visas like F2s is that the total costs of living overseas increase substantially while the earning power of the family unit decreases. A bond signed with an employer is difficult to enforce from across an ocean.

Thank you for your response. The reconsideration to apply and have them join me was after 4 months during which I secured an additional scholarship that helped assuage my initial financial fears that led to my initial response of them not coming along.

Hello good morning @lagosNIV

I had my interview yesterday in lagos at about 7:15Am...it went well and I was requested to provide an original proof of payment of my sevis fee as the sevis ID on my I-20 is different from the one I have on the payment confirmation slip. I contacted the school already and the sevis dept...I have sent a mail containing the proof of payment(dpf), my I-20 and a copy of the letter I was given at the embassy yesterday to lagosNIV@state.gov, now my concerned is how would I get the visa because I still have my passport with me...I was advices to submit those same document I sent to the mail to dhl office too on the island...please what do you suggest I do now because I really don't have much time considering that my school resumes on 10th of January.

Thanks

Hello Seriousbuyer -

If you have sent the documents which were requested, you should submit your passport via DHL as well. If further documents are needed it will be returned to you, if all required documents have been received then we can issue the visa.

LagosNIV

Seriousbuyer:
Hello good morning @lagosNIV

I had my interview yesterday in lagos at about 7:15Am...it went well and I was requested to provide an original proof of payment of my sevis fee as the sevis ID on my I-20 is different from the one I have on the payment confirmation slip. I contacted the school already and the sevis dept...I have sent a mail containing the proof of payment(dpf), my I-20 and a copy of the letter I was given at the embassy yesterday to lagosNIV@state.gov, now my concerned is how would I get the visa because I still have my passport with me...I was advices to submit those same document I sent to the mail to dhl office too on the island...please what do you suggest I do now because I really don't have much time considering that my school resumes on 10th of January.

Thanks

abujaniv:
Hello all. This is a general public service announcement. We've been seeing an uptick in counterfeit visas and stamps in applicants' passports. These people have been fooled into thinking that these false endorsements will help them get a US visa. If you come into the US Embassy/Consulate with fake visas/stamps, the best case scenario is that you will be denied. If we decide to pursue the matter, we will contact the local police, and you will be arrested, while your passport is forfeited to the Nigerian Immigration Service. To be sure, your credibility will be trashed, and you will find it nearly impossible to ever qualify for a US visa for the rest of your life.

This should be common sense, but please tell your friends and family so that they do not fall prey to agents and touts wanting to enrich themselves by selling fake documents.

By the time you make an example with just 2 or 3 persons, trust me this whole madness and agents will stop forever.


Make an example, we will help u spread the good news with their pictures.

People are annoyingly senseless


Arrest a few and watch this matter resolved with the speed of light


Case solved.

LagosNIV:
Hello Seriousbuyer -

If you have sent the documents which were requested, you should submit your passport via DHL as well. If further documents are needed it will be returned to you, if all required documents have been received then we can issue the visa.

LagosNIV

Thanks for your reply am sending the passport right away through the dhl office in Victoria island

Be assured, people are arrested frequently for these misdeeds. And yet the practice continues.

coldsummer:





By the time you make an example with just 2 or 3 persons, trust me this whole madness and agents will stop forever.


Make an example, we will help u spread the good news with their pictures.

People are annoyingly senseless


Arrest a few and watch this matter resolved with the speed of light


Case solved.

Hello again NIV, please i need HELP.. I have filled my DS-160 form, signed and submitted. while i was still on the application process, i checked date of interview and it was on the 11th of JAN 2018, so i went ahead. submitted and even paid my fees. only for me to go schedule an appointment and the date has been moved to MARCH 7th 2018. please i need advice on what to do. Cos the intended date of travel that was filled and submitted was meant to be 10th Feb 2018. Do i need a refill of the form? what about the fee payment that has gone already? Please HELP!!

Good evening everyone, I hope you're well. Thanks a lot for all your information, however I'm quite sad and anxious right now because this is my first time scheduling an appointment and I thought I did it well.

Please this is my visa confirmation page. My visa category shows "All others." I thought it was supposed to show something like business/tourist category because I am applying for a b1 basically.

Do I have to fill a new ds-160? I've already scheduled the appointment. I'm looking at my ds-160 pages and I can't really point out the error and why I have "all others" showing in my "visa category."

If there was a mistake I made, how can I kindly clarify this please?

Champora:

.

If there was a mistake I made, how can I kindly clarify this please?

Or is the "all others" correct? It's my first time doing this so I really just want to be sure that it's the right thing. Thanks a lot.

Dear Sir,

I had my interview two days ago, the consular after collecting my bank statements and passport handed me a yellow slip stating that my case requires administrative processing and that my visa decision will be delayed by a week. I am very concerned as my school resumes in less than a month from now. Please here are my questions

1. Since the consular said my visa is delayed by a week, may i return to the embassy with the yellow slip next week wednesday? Will I be allowed entry if I present my last interview documents and my yellow slip?
2. I have read that administrative processing might cause delays that span into months, may I schedule another appointment for same f1 visa, incase my passport comes in late and a visa is not issued? I asked this because available appointment dates are fast running out before the start of my program.

Kindly respond.Thank you

Hello righturn -

You will be contacted when we have completed the administrative processing. Typically you will receive a SMS and an email to the contact number and email address you provided through CGI when filling out your application. Any estimates the officer made about how long the administrative processing would take were just estimates. Rest assured that we get through the work we need to do on cases in administrative processing as quickly as we can.

You may schedule a new appointment if you would like, as a back up, but if the administrative processing on your first case has not been completed and a final decision has not been made on your first application, then no further applications can reach a final decision until the administrative processing is completed either.

LagosNIV

righturn:
Dear Sir,

I had my interview two days ago, the consular after collecting my bank statements and passport handed me a yellow slip stating that my case requires administrative processing and that my visa decision will be delayed by a week. I am very concerned as my school resumes in less than a month from now. Please here are my questions

1. Since the consular said my visa is delayed by a week, may i return to the embassy with the yellow slip next week wednesday? Will I be allowed entry if I present my last interview documents and my yellow slip?
2. I have read that administrative processing might cause delays that span into months, may I schedule another appointment for same f1 visa, incase my passport comes in late and a visa is not issued? I asked this because available appointment dates are fast running out before the start of my program.

Kindly respond.Thank you

Hi Lagos NIV and Abuja NIV.

I have two years US tourist visa with my family but my wife is pregnant now and i want her to have the baby in the US. I work for an international oil services company so i can take care of all the bills that will be accrued during delivery. Please kindly advice on what to do so that i will not have problem at the port of entry in the US. If i have to inform the embassy or reschedule another interview. Please advice.

LagosNIV:
Hello righturn -

You will be contacted when we have completed the administrative processing. Typically you will receive a SMS and an email to the contact number and email address you provided through CGI when filling out your application. Any estimates the officer made about how long the administrative processing would take were just estimates. Rest assured that we get through the work we need to do on cases in administrative processing as quickly as we can.

You may schedule a new appointment if you would like, as a back up, but if the administrative processing on your first case has not been completed and a final decision has not been made on your first application, then no further applications can reach a final decision until the administrative processing is completed either.

LagosNIV

Thank you Sir for your prompt response

Hello Teslas -

A valid visa grants you permission to travel to the US and request entry. CBP ultimately makes the decision whether or not to allow you in to the US. Some people who did not declare the intent to have childbirth in the US are allowed in by CBP. Some are not. If you are planning to have a baby in the US and you did not previously disclose that intent to a VO, you have two options. Your first option, and my recommendation, is to apply for a new visa without using dropbox, have an interview, and disclose your current intent to have childbirth in the US during the interview. This is the safest option, as your intent will then be documented in the system, and you are much less likely to be turned away at the Port of Entry while heavily pregnant after the expense and the long flight to the US. Your second option is to continue with the visa that you have, and bring all the necessary documents to the Port of Entry, and hope for the best.

I want to emphasize this point, as I see it being discussed here often. Sending a "change of intent letter" has no effect. It does not go into the file or into the casenotes, it does not get to CBP in any way. The only way to ensure that your changed intent is documented is to apply for a new visa and have a new interview.

Teslas:
Hi Lagos NIV and Abuja NIV.

I have two years US tourist visa with my family but my wife is pregnant now and i want her to have the baby in the US. I work for an international oil services company so i can take care of all the bills that will be accrued during delivery. Please kindly advice on what to do so that i will not have problem at the port of entry in the US. If i have to inform the embassy or reschedule another interview. Please advice.

Thanks a lot for your prompt response.

A valid visa grants you permission to travel to the US and request entry. CBP ultimately makes the decision whether or not to allow you in to the US. Some people who did not declare the intent to have childbirth in the US are allowed in by CBP. Some are not. If you are planning to have a baby in the US and you did not previously disclose that intent to a VO, you have two options. Your first option, and my recommendation, is to apply for a new visa without using dropbox, have an interview, and disclose your current intent to have childbirth in the US during the interview. This is the safest option, as your intent will then be documented in the system, and you are much less likely to be turned away at the Port of Entry while heavily pregnant after the expense and the long flight to the US. Your second option is to continue with the visa that you have, and bring all the necessary documents to the Port of Entry, and hope for the best.

I want to emphasize this point, as I see it being discussed here often. Sending a "change of intent letter" has no effect. It does not go into the file or into the casenotes, it does not get to CBP in any way. The only way to ensure that your changed intent is documented is to apply for a new visa and have a new interview.

[/quote]

Thanks for your prompt response.

TashaStPatrik:
Hello again NIV, please i need HELP.. I have filled my DS-160 form, signed and submitted. while i was still on the application process, i checked date of interview and it was on the 11th of JAN 2018, so i went ahead. submitted and even paid my fees. only for me to go schedule an appointment and the date has been moved to MARCH 7th 2018. please i need advice on what to do. Cos the intended date of travel that was filled and submitted was meant to be 10th Feb 2018. Do i need a refill of the form? what about the fee payment that has gone already? Please HELP!!

Please I also need help na on what to do.

Good afternoon, I would really want my case to receive a solution here.
I applied for f1 nonimmigrant visa and I scheduled 11th of December 2018 and before my interview I have been placed on administrative processing. After my interview the visa officer told me I would be placed on administrative processing for 2 days and after 3 days I went to check my status and found that my application was refused without any reason, I haven't gotten any message or email directly from the white paper I was given on the day of my interview, majority of my documents were collected and I don't know what the issue was.
My school resumes 16th of January and am expected to arrive a week to resumption as stated on my f-120
I would be grateful If I can be directed as to what to do.
Thanks.

Hello Lagos NIV and AbujaNIV
Is it possible to be issued a 214(b) letter and still could have been banned?
How can one know one's true status at the embassy instead of having strings of denias without knowing why.
Is it allowed to seek for such information?
Thank you.

Hello Abujaniv/Lagosniv,

I need clarification. My wife and I have class B1 visa which will expire in June 2018 (in six months' time). We intend travelling to the US in April 2018 and may stay back till July.

Can we renew the visas this December via drop box(this time to class b1/b2)?

Thanks

@Lagosniv/Abujaniv,Pls help me out. My virgin international passport and that of my wife expire August 2018 but wish to apply for visa next week hoping to get a date in February for interview as we intend travelling by March 30th. How safe is it to still use our international passports?

Does a mum need a letter of no objection from her husband when applying for visa for the kids. The mum has a visa and will be traveling with the kids. Their father will not be traveling with them due to his busy schedule. Does she need a letter of no objection from her husband?

abujaniv:
Hello all. This is a general public service announcement. We've been seeing an uptick in counterfeit visas and stamps in applicants' passports. These people have been fooled into thinking that these false endorsements will help them get a US visa. If you come into the US Embassy/Consulate with fake visas/stamps, the best case scenario is that you will be denied. If we decide to pursue the matter, we will contact the local police, and you will be arrested, while your passport is forfeited to the Nigerian Immigration Service. To be sure, your credibility will be trashed, and you will find it nearly impossible to ever qualify for a US visa for the rest of your life.

This should be common sense, but please tell your friends and family so that they do not fall prey to agents and touts wanting to enrich themselves by selling fake documents.

Hmm! A word for the wise is sufficient.

How do I cancel an already submitted B1/B2 form?...I want to fill a fresh form and change my appointment date due to some changes and mistake on my part,thank you...I would appreciate a Step by Step explanation.

@abujaniv, please help
I fill ds Form for myself and my two children but I could not book our appointment because it's showing my husband profile as the principal applicant and my husband have a valid visa and his not going with us, please how do I go about it. Thanks

Hello firmphem -

We are required to inform applicants of the section(s) of the Immigration and Nationality Act under which an application is refused. If you have not been refused under any section other than 214(b), then you are not subject to a long term ban. Each application is considered individually, but we also see any prior applications you've made, and prior applications can be considered in evaluating the credibility of claims you are making on any given application.

We see many applicants who seem to think that being issued a visa is a matter of luck. They have been told that they do not meet the requirements of section 214(b) many times before, yet continue applying without any substantial change in their circumstances. Our system is not based on luck, it is based on qualifications. All consular officers are required to apply the same law to applicants. If you have been refused under section 214(b) and there has been no change in your circumstances, you should not waste your time and money with a new application for the same classification of visa. On the other hand, a prior 214(b) refusal may be insignificant and will not prevent issuance of a visa if your circumstances have changed in a substantial way which will demonstrate to us that your ties to Nigeria have become stronger than they were at the time of the prior refusal.

LagosNIV

firmphem:
Hello Lagos NIV and AbujaNIV
Is it possible to be issued a 214(b) letter and still could have been banned?
How can one know one's true status at the embassy instead of having strings of denias without knowing why.
Is it allowed to seek for such information?
Thank you.

Hello Nagasaki7 -

Take a closer look at your current visa. Most likely it is a B1/B2 visa, as we tend to treat all applications for either B1 or B2 as a combined B1/B2.
So long as your prior visa was issued in either Abuja or Lagos and it is either still valid or has been expired less than 1 year, and you have not had any subsequent visa refusals, you may apply for new visas through our interview waiver (dropbox) program. You are still encouraged to apply well in advance of your planned travel, as sometimes we do call in dropbox applicants for an interview, either randomly or because we have further questions about their application.

LagosNIV

Nagasaki7:
Hello Abujaniv/Lagosniv,

I need clarification. My wife and I have class B1 visa which will expire in June 2018 (in six months' time). We intend travelling to the US in April 2018 and may stay back till July.

Can we renew the visas this December via drop box(this time to class b1/b2)?

Thanks

Hello jesuloluwa2010 -

There is no problem with having no prior travel. Prior travel is just 1 of many factors that are considered in evaluating your ties. Please note the recent post from my colleague in Abuja. It is far better to apply with a "virgin" passport than with a passport containing fake visas or fake travel stamps. The former may result, at worst, in a 214(b) refusal. The latter may result in a lifetime ban from entering the US or even an arrest.

LagosNIV

jesuloluwa2010:
@Lagosniv/Abujaniv,Pls help me out. My virgin international passport and that of my wife expire August 2018 but wish to apply for visa next week hoping to get a date in February for interview as we intend travelling by March 30th. How safe is it to still use our international passports?