A visa is a legal permission usually in form of a stamp placed in the international passport of a person who wishes to leave their country of origin to a country where they are not citizens of. There are many reasons while a person may seek for US visa application in Nigeria in an attempt to move to the United States of America. The reason why a person wants to move to America determines the kind of visa such a person can acquire for. America commonly referred to as the Home of the brave and land of the free is also home to the phenomenon as the American dream. It is undoubtedly true that many opportunities abound in the United States; the opportunities are so much attractive that many people seek to travel to the country both by legal and illegal means. Anyone who is not a citizen of the united states is required to legally obtain a visa if they will be permitted to enter the country through official means.

US VISA APPLICATION IN NIGERIA – STEP BY STEP GUIDE

The United States of America is customarily a settler’s society; the majority of the current citizen of America with the exception of the Native Americans can trace their origins to one-time immigrants along the course of history. The largest source of population growth in the United States has always been through immigration. Till today, America remains a pretty diverse nation with various people representing various races and nationalities. Within 2010 to 2016 the average number of immigrants to the united states averages a little over one million people, which continues to increase yearly, however it must be noted that the procedure for immigrating to the United States of America has been made much stricter since the events of the infamous terrorist attacks of 9/11.

TYPES OF UNITED STATES VISA

As earlier stated there are different types of visa available to choose from, this is mainly dependent on who is applying for a visa and why He is doing so. The many kinds of visa in the United States can be classified into two main groups

  • Non-Immigrant Visa
  • And Immigrant Visa

Non-Immigration visas or temporary visas are visas issues to people who have sort timed interest or engagement in the united states, this kind of issue doesn’t allow the carrier to stay indefinitely in the United States. Visas that people with this type of intention can receive include:

  • TOURIST OR VISITOR VISAS

This visa allows visitors to the US to conduct business or enjoy leisure for a specific amount of time, this visa does not allow for the carrier to get a local job.

  • TRANSIT VISA

Transit visas are issued to people who need to pass through the United States to get access to another country. The only action permitted by this visa is traveling.

How To Apply US Visa Application In Nigeria

  • TREATY AND INVESTORS VISA

This is issued to investors, traders and employees to perform business transactions on US soil from countries that have commercial treaties with the States.

  • STUDENT VISAS

This visa is issued to people who are eligible to study in the US, such persons must be able to finance their school fee and are expected to return to their country of origin at the end of their study period.

  • SPECIALTY OCCUPATION (PROFESSIONALS) VISAS

Qualified personnel can apply for this visa if they have the minimum requirement of a bachelor’s degree in their discipline and if their intending employee can prove that they are willing to pay at least the minimum wage for that position in the United States.

  • EXCHANGE VISITOR VISAS

This visa is for people heading for the US under the umbrella of approved exchange programs. This oftentimes involves the academic scholars, business mentees, teachers, researchers, specialists, camp counsellors and AU pairs.

  • FIANCÉ(E) VISAS

This visa issued to the significant other of a US citizen provided that the duo would get married in the States within the period of 90 days.

  •    INTRACOMPANY TRANSFER VISAS

This visa is available to top-notch executives, managers and special knowledge employees transferring from a company in their country to their counterparts in the U.S. Persons holding this Visa could be considered eligible for a permanent residency without resorting to acquiring labor certification.

  •    EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY WORKER VISAS

This category of visas is set aside to entice foreign nationals with specialized and spectacular ability. This category usually includes renowned entertainers, top athletes, scientists, and business mogul.

  •    ARTISTS AND ATHLETES VISAS

This is the visa category for athletes, artists, and entertainers seeking entry into the U.S.

  •    RELIGIOUS WORKER VISAS

This is a visa category for clergymen and other category Religious workers.

Immigrant Visas or Permanent Residency Visas (“Green Cards”) are visas issued to persons considered to be beneficial to the United States if allowed permanent residency in the U.S. Visa in this group is discussed below:

  •    FAMILY-SPONSORED IMMIGRATION VISAS

People who are U.S. citizens may require that member of their families like their marriage partner, biological parents, children, and siblings.

  •    EMPLOYER-SPONSORED IMMIGRANT VISAS

Highly skilled or gifted Foreign Nationals such as outstanding Professors, excellent Researchers and Multinational Executives and Managers are encouraged to take residency in the United States through the Use of this Visa. People in this category may demand permanent residency without having to pass through the time consuming and strenuous process of acquiring labor certification.

  •    WORKERS WITH ADVANCED DEGREES OR EXCEPTIONAL ABILITY IN THE SCIENCES, ARTS OR BUSINESS

People to demand this visa must have an existing job offer from a willing employer. This employer would be responsible for completing the process of labor certification. This is to make sure that the immigrating worker is not depriving an American citizen of His Job. If however, the applicant can prove that what he has o offer is off National interest, the job offer requirement and the process of labor certification can be overlooked.

  • SKILLED WORKERS AND PROFESSIONALS

Visa applicants in this category are normally required to possess a job offer where the potential employer must be willing to complete the labor certification process.

  • SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS FOR RELIGIOUS WORKERS

Ministers and custodians may be permitted to apply for permanent residency.

  • INVESTOR/EMPLOYMENT CREATION VISAS

the US Congress set-asides up to a whopping sum of 10,000 visas per year as Provided Under the 1990 Immigration Act, to foreign investors in developing commercial enterprises arrears who can create at least job employment opportunity for ten individuals. The two groups of investors allowed under this program are people who will invest at least the minimum of $500,000 in “targeted employment areas” and investors who can offer investment worth at least $1,000,000 anywhere else. Not less than 3,000 of the total annual allotment of visas must be directed to targeted employment areas.

  • D VISA

D visa is a special kind of visa offered to mainly crew members of marine and aviation industry.

  • I VISA

The I visa is usually issued to journalistic representatives of foreign media.

  • S VISA

S visas are non-immigrant visas that are usually issued to individuals who have been of assistance to law enforcement as witness or informant in an investigation. There is an annual limit of 200 visas issued in a year.

  • T VISAS

The T-1 visa is offered to the victims of severe human trafficking.

  • THE GREEN CARD LOTTERY

every year, 55,000 visas are usually annually allocated in a random drawing to pool individuals from nations underrepresented in the total percentage of immigrant pool in the US.

Please note that as a Green card holder, you are permitted to sojourn out of the US as long as you maintain the US as your home base. If you, however, wish to become a US citizen, you are required to wait at least the minimum period of five years. Green cards are renewable after ten years.

HOW TO APPLY FOR UNITED STATES VISA IN NIGERIA.

  • STEP 1: DETERMINE YOUR US VISA TYPE

As you plan to process your visa application, determine what kind of visa you would be required to obtain, based on the already provided information above.

  • STEP 2: FILL OUT THE U.S. DS-160 APPLICATION FORM

As an applicant, you are required to fill out the detail of this form. The form will require you to provide personal details, previous travel history, and intention for application and contact details. The verifiability and credibility of information give here goes a long way to aid the screening process.

The Form is not editable after submission. In case of any error in the information provided, please fill out another form. After a successful submission of the form, please print the confirmation page and file it securely. Upon the process of booking your appointment with the embassy in Nigeria, you would be required to provide it. The form is available at the link below:  https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/

  • STEP 3: PAYMENT OF US VISA FEES

Having concluded the above mention steps, payment should be made dependent on the visa type you are applying for. This fee is not refundable.

Payment is available in two formats, Bank deposit or online payment.

Over the counter payment can be achieved at any of the Guarantee trust Bank Branch. To make payment, please provide the following:

  •    a copy of your international passport biodata page
  •    your functional contact numbers
  •    the visa types you are paying for.

The receipt gotten from the bank should be kept safe, as it would be required as evidence in event of appearing for your visa appointment.

Online payment could be done through the GTBank app. The customized form for the payment should be filled correctly. Please type your payment code correctly, this code allows for the verification of your payment at the interview.

STEP 4: SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT WITH A US VISA INTERVIEW

  •    Visit https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/?language=English&country=Nigeria
  •    Create an account for a new user
  •    Verify your account
  •    On the dashboard panel, click on schedule appointment and follow the prompts

To successfully complete this scheduling option, you must provide the following details:

  •    A ten digit barcode number obtainable from the DS- 160 printed confirmation page
  •    International Passport Number
  •    UID Number from the Bank receipt.

STEP 5: ATTEND VISA INTERVIEW APPOINTMENT

Please arrive at least 30 minutes early for your interview, and provide the following documents:

  •    International passport valid for another 6 months minimum after the period of your intended stay
  •    The printed Confirmation Page (DS -160)
  •    Visa payment receipt from GT Bank
  •    Any other supporting document depending on Visa type

The US embassies in Nigeria are located at Lagos and Abuja respectively.

STEP 6: AT THE END OF THE INTERVIEW THE OFFICERS WILL INFORM YOU OF THE NEXT STEPS IN CASE OF ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION.

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CONCLUSION ON THE US VISA APPLICATION IN NIGERIA HOW TO

Whatever the reason of your intention to travel, the above information should suffice enough to carry you through. And when you eventually get accepted, remember to keep representing Nigeria, keep making the nation proud.

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