How to Get American Visa in Nigeria 2020

According to lots of Nigerians, getting an American visa is comparable to riding a bicycle up a slope. If you are going through this article, you are most likely interested in obtaining an American visa popularly known as US visa.

Lots of Nigerians are interested in obtaining an American visa for different reasons. Some common reasons are the search for greener pastures, the quest for better education, medical reasons, holidays, etc.

Rather unfortunately, it appears more Nigerians fail to get an American visa the first time they apply for one. This trend can be attributed to lack of adequate information and knowledge as regards the American visa.

So here’s all you need to know about the american visa, starting with the types available.

Types of American Visa

There are two major categories of American visa. They are immigrant visa and non-immigrant visa.

Non-Immigrant American Visa

This visa covers business, work, tourism and studying. This category of visa is for people than do not intend on staying permanently in the United States. The exact type of visa to be applied for when seeking an American visa is dependent on your reason for going into the United States. There are types of visa under this category. They are

B1/B2 Tourist/ Visitor Visa

This visa type is for people visiting the Unite States for business, tourism and holidays. It is only valid for a short period of time.

E1/E2 American Visa

This visa is for investors. This visa is given to traders and investors whose countries have a commercial treaty with the United States

F-1 and M-1 American Visa

This is also known as student’s visa. It is given to students to undergo learning in the United States. Its duration is usually a little longer than the length of the course to be studied

H-1B American Visa

This is a visa for professionals. Applicants for this visa must possess at least a bachelor’s degree in a field of study.

J-1 and Q-1 American Visa

This is the visa type given to individuals seeking to get into the United States in an exchange program. Those eligible for this visa type are business trainees, researchers, specialists, international visitors, professors, etc.

K-1 Visa

This is the visa type given to a fiancé or fiancée of an American citizen

L-1 American Visa

This is also known as Intracompany transfer Visa. It is given to executives and employees of a company when they are on a transfer to their company’s American affiliate.

O-1 American Visa

This visa is given to foreign nationals with special abilities. This abilities could be in the field of business, sports, science, etc. Before this visa is given out, it has to be confirmed that the entry of the individual seeking this visa is of national interest.

P-1 American Visa

This visa type is specifically for entertainers, athletes and other celebrities of some sort

R-1 American Visa

Otherwise known as religious worker visa, this visa type is strictly set aside for religious workers

Immigrant Visa

This visa is for those that are planning on staying in the United States permanently. They include

Family Sponsored Immigration Visa and Employer sponsored immigrant visas.

How to Get US Visa in Nigeria

Prior to applying for an American visa, it is important to determine your visa type. When applying for a particular type of visa, knowledge about the particular requirements for that visa will be of utmost importance. Without adequate knowledge about the requirements for a particular type of visa, getting an American visa might prove to be a difficult hurdle.

After your visa type is determined, an American visa can be gotten in simple steps

  • Payment of Visa fee
  • Filling the DS-160
  • Schedule a visa appointment
  • Pay a visit to the American embassy and have your interview

Documents Required for US Visa

  • Current and old passport
  • A copy of visa receipt
  • A copy of original letter of interview appointment
  • Pension book for those that are retired
  • Details of income and a copy of company registration certificate. This is for business owners
  • A document showing partnership agreement for people running a business based on partnership
  • A copy of your business card
  • Applicants working in the government are expected to show a No Objection Certificate letter (NOC)
  • A leave sanction letter for applicants in the private sector
  • A letter from your employer which shows your position in office and details of your salary, purpose of visiting the United States.
  • A document showing payment details for the last three months
  • Sponsorship documents
  • Documents showing properties
  • Visa fee receipt
  • A printed copy of the confirmation page of online submitted Form DS-160. This should also include CEAC bar code.
  • A photograph

Location of American Embassy in Nigeria

The U.S. Consulate General in Lagos is located at the following address:

U. S. Consulate General, Lagos
2 Walter Carrington Crescent
Victoria Island
Nigeria

Estimated Cost of Processing American Visa

The amount for processing an American visa depends on the type of visa. Non-immigrant visas such as tourist, students and business visas require an application fee of $160. Application for E -visas go for an estimated amount of $205. Also, application for k- visas cost $240.

Estimated Time for Processing American Visa

After having your interview, there is no specific time for processing the American visa. Visa could be ready in two days, some other times it could take a couple of weeks.

Estimated Cost of Travelling to the United States of America

The cost of travelling from Lagos, Nigeria to the United States is heavily dependent on the part of the United States. Usually, direct flights can only be gotten to New York and Atlanta from Lagos, Nigeria. However, other cities can be reached through indirect flights.

Aviation fuel, class being travelled with, and airline being used are also determinants of price.

Below are the different cost of flying from Lagos to different cities in the United States.

  • Lagos to New York (₦449,478)
  • Lagos to Houston (₦573,981)
  • Lagos to Atlanta (₦577,147)

Although most Nigerians try to get into the U S for different reasons through different visas, only a handful of them are able to make it in without being deported.

For those that are not able to get visas, American visa lottery becomes the next option. American visa lotteries appear to be given on a platter of gold. However, they also come with their own struggles. Some of them include getting the required documents and getting funds for flying.

Also, if you are going to the US through an American visa lottery, plans should be made for your accommodation.

 

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *