Frequently Asked Questions

	Can I apply for a visa in Nigeria if I am not a Nigerian citizen or a permanent resident of Nigeria? While you have the right to apply for a non-immigrant visa at any U.S. Consulate, you should apply at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over your place of permanent residence. It may be more difficult to qualify for a visa when applying outside your own country of permanent residence. If you choose to apply in Nigeria, it is on the understanding that you may be refused because it is harder for our Consular officers to determine whether you have sufficiently demonstrated strong ties to your home country. Remember, the application fee is non-refundable whether or not the visa is issued. Note: Because the United States has no diplomatic relations with Iran, the majority of Iranian nationals go to Dubai or Ankara to apply for non-immigrant visas. Back to Top
	My passport has expired, but my visa is still valid. Can I still use my visa? If your visa has not expired, been cancelled or damaged, simply carry your old and new passports together when you go to the United States. If you prefer to have a visa placed in your new passport, you will need to apply for a new U.S. visa. Remember, there are no guarantees that a visa will be issued. Back to Top
	How can I transfer/renew/extend my visa? A visa cannot be transferred, renewed or extended regardless of its type. You will need to apply for a new one. Back to Top
	What should I do if my visa is lost or stolen? If your visa is lost or stolen, it is very important that you report the loss of the passport and visa to the Nigerian police and that you obtain a police report in order to help protect yourself from identity theft. We also ask that you send a fax addressed to the Fraud Prevention Unit at 000 including the following information:   Your name, date and place of birth, and nationality;   Your address and phone number;   A photocopy of the lost visa, if available, or the date and place of issuance, if known;   A photocopy of the bio-data page of your lost passport, if available. If not, the nationality and number of your lost passport as well as the issuance and expiration dates, if available; and the   Circumstances of the loss: when and how your passport was lost or stolen. Back to Top
	Must I do my visa application form electronically? Yes. Each applicant must complete the DS-160 Online Visa Application Form; this ensures the most efficient processing of your visa application. The Embassy / Consulate will not accept applications that have been handwritten or typed. DS-160 The DS-160 is electronically sent to the Embassy / Consulate, but you must print and bring a confirmation page to your interview. Back to Top
	Can I mail in my completed visa application? No, mailed applications are not accepted by the Embassy/ Consulate. Back to Top
	How long does it take to obtain a visa? The majority of applicants receive their visas two business day after the interview. Some applications can take longer to process-about 2 to 3 weeks on average. Additional factors such as the need for special clearances, additional documents or incomplete applications may affect the processing time of other individual cases. Applicants will be told at the time of their interview whether the visa can be issued and delivered the next business day or whether additional processing time will be needed. Sometimes factors beyond our control may delay our release of visaed passports. Remember, it is always best to apply early! Back to Top
	How long before my planned departure should I apply for a visa? We recommend that you apply as far in advance as possible or at least 2-3 months before your travel date. While most applications can be processed within 24 hours, occasionally a case will require additional processing time of several weeks. Back to Top
	How soon will I know whether I qualify for a visa? The interviewing officer will inform you of the outcome of your visa application at the conclusion of your interview. Back to Top
	How do I get my passport & visa   Applicant's whose U.S. visa is granted will be given a numbered colored ticket by the Embassy /Consulate. Please store this ticket carefully.   Passports will be returned back to the applicant only from VFS center in the city where they were interviewed.   Visit VFS Application center after 2 business days to collect your passport.   Passports will be handed over between 0800 hrs-1230 hrs and 1330 hrs- 1600 hrs.   Applicants and authorized representatives must show valid photo ID with a photo copy of the same in order to collect documents from VFS.   Passport will be handed over to the representative or any individual bearing both the collection ticket and a duly signed letter of authorization from the applicant.   You may track status of your passport by Clicking on 'Track Passport' link on the Home page before you visit VFS application center. Please Note:   Passports will be held at the VFS Application centers where you were interviewed only for 90 business days from the day they are received from the Embassy / Consulate.   Passports not collected within 90 business days will be returned back to the Embassy / Consulate. Back to Top
	Can I arrange to get my passport and visa back earlier? No, except in the case of a genuine humanitarian emergency. Applicants are urged to apply as far in advance of their travel date as possible. Back to Top
	The consular officer told me that my visa application requires additional administrative processing. Why? When applicants apply for a visa, they are routinely checked against available records of people who are ineligible for visas or whose applications require additional review by several United States government agencies before a visa can be issued. If your name or a close variation of it indicates further investigation of the application is needed, your visa application will require additional processing time. However, we do work diligently to minimize any impact on your travel plans. Visa applications for persons to study or work in certain sensitive scientific and technical fields are also subject to an interagency clearance in Washington, D.C. Since 1998, this Visas Mantis clearance process has been used to screen against the illegal transfer of technology. Once the clearance process is completed and a visa is issued, the individual may apply for admission at a U.S. port-of-entry. The Department of State and DHS have made steady progress in improving the clearance process for technology-related visa cases throughout the past year. Most cases are processed in two to four weeks, although clearance time varies from case to case. The Department of State also recently extended the validity of these clearances, reducing the number of times a visa applicant is subject to this process. Science Related Clearance Validity Extended The Embassy/ Consulate will contact you at the telephone number or e-mail address you listed on your application as soon as the Embassy/Consulate receives a notification that they can finish processing your visa. Please understand that this waiting period is necessary as the Embassy/Consulate strives to make every effort to ensure the safety and security of the United States for all, including foreign visitors. Back to Top
	What are "strong ties?" Visa applicants must demonstrate that they have sufficiently strong family, social, or economic ties to their place of residence to ensure that their projected stay in the United States will be temporary. It is impossible to specify the exact documents visa applicants should bring since each applicant's circumstances vary greatly. Visa applicants should bring to the interview whatever documents they think will help their visa applications. Under U.S. law, it is the applicants' responsibility to show that they have strong enough ties to their place of residence to qualify for a non-immigrant visa. Third party guarantees do not represent sufficient evidence of strong ties to receive a visa. Back to Top
	Can I accompany a visa applicant to his/her interview? The applicant is the only person allowed into the Embassy / Consulate for a visa interview. Relatives, friends, co-workers, employers, lawyers, etc. will not be allowed into the building. Parents or legal guardians are advised to accompany any minor child (age 14-18) to the interview if the child is applying for a tourist visa. Back to Top
	I am going to Guam. Do I need a visa? To find out, go to Visit Guam (www.visitguam.org), a web site that has information about which nationalities qualify for the Guam-only visa waiver program and which airlines are signatory carriers of this program. Back to Top
	Are visas issued before 9/11 still valid? Yes, provided it has a future expiry date and is not an indefinite validity visa (see FAQ on Indefinite visas). The main change since 9/11 is that upon entry into the United States, you will be fingerprinted as part of the US-VISIT program. Back to Top
	Are Indefinite or Burroughs-type visas still valid? No. All Indefinite and Burroughs-type (without a photo) visas became void after March 31, 2004 and cannot be used for entry into the United States. If you possess either one of these U.S. visas, you must apply for a new one. Back to Top
Traveling to/from the United States
	How long can I stay in the United States? Upon arrival in the United States, you'll present your passport (with your U.S. visa) to an immigration official, who will then determine how long you can stay, up to a maximum of 6 months. Remember, the validity period of your visa is NOT the length of time you may stay--it is simply the period that the visa may be used to apply for admission to the United States. Holders of multiple entry visas may enter the United States as many times as they like during the validity of the visa. Those with single entry visas may only enter once. A Non-Immigrant who remains in the United States beyond the period for which s/he has been granted permission to stay may become subject to deportation. Back to Top
	I forgot to turn in my I-94 when I left the United States. What should I do? Failure to turn in your I-94 (or I-94W) when you leave the U.S. can create a serious problem. Without this record of your departure, you will be identified in our records as an "overstay." Being identified as an overstay means that you will be denied re-entry into the U.S. If you failed to turn in your I-94, please send it - along with any documentation that proves you left the U.S. to ACS Inc.1084 South Laurel Rd., London, Kentucky 40744. Documentation to prove your departure can include the boarding pass from your flight. If you exited the country by a land border it is much harder to verify that you did- in fact - leave the country on the date you claim. If you have any documentation of your arrival in your home country (i.e. passport stamp), then you should send a copy of that. If the above office does not have any supporting documents to substantiate your claim to have left the U.S. on a certain date, there is no guarantee that you will be entered into the record as having done so. We strongly urge you to keep a copy of what you send to ACS Inc. and to carry it with you the next time you come to the U.S. in case the CBP officer has any questions about your eligibility to enter. If you want to confirm that your I-94 was received by ACS, please give them 4 months to process the paperwork. Then you can write the following address to determine whether or not your departure was recorded. If you turned in the I-94 when you left the U.S. as required, please do NOT request confirmation that it is on file. This process is only for people who did not turn in the I-94 when they exited the U.S. You will need to provide your name, date of birth, passport number, and date of departure, in addition to asking whether or not your departure was recorded. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air Sea Passenger Operations, Room 5.4D, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington D.C. 20229. Back to Top
	Can I use my Nigerian driver's license when I visit the United States? Visitors who wish to rent cars and drive in the United States must have a valid driver's license from their own country. In some cases, an international driver's license may be required. You can contact individual car rental companies directly for specific information. Driver's licenses accepted in the United States are:   Any license issued by any U.S. state, territory or possession.   A license issued by a Canadian province.   A license issued by a country that participated in the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic or the 1943 Convention on the Regulation of Inter-American Automobile Traffic.   A license issued by a country that has a reciprocal agreement with the United States. Back to Top
	Which food products can I take to the United States? The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) establishes criteria for the admissibility of plant, dairy and meat products returning with travelers and determines what may be admitted into the United States. All travelers entering the United States from a foreign country must declare all:   Fruits   Vegetables   Plants and plant products   Meat and meat products   Animals, birds, and eggs Your declaration may be oral, written, or both, and must cover all items carried in your baggage and hand luggage. If you are returning from abroad, you will be given a Customs Declaration form on which to declare your agricultural products. You will also be asked to indicate whether you have visited a farm or ranch outside the United States. USDA officers inspect passenger baggage for undeclared agricultural products. Failure to declare any items may result in delays and fines of up to USD 1,000. Agricultural products of U.S. origin, such as fruits, vegetables, meats, and birds taken out of the United States, cannot always be brought back into the country. These items should be declared upon returning. Consult in advance with USDA inspectors. The USDA also can be contacted at 00-1-301-734-8896 for information about the admissibility of plant or plant products. Back to Top
FAQ's for Visa Refusal Applicants:
	Why didn't the Consular officer give me time to explain? The Consular officer who refused your visa is highly trained. During a short interview, the Consular officer looks at several aspects of your case: your situation in Nigeria, your stated intent in visiting the United States, your previous travel history, your financial situation, and many other factors. Based upon the unique circumstances of your case, the Consular officer asked you the questions he/she deemed necessary to elicit relevant information. The Consular officer weighed your answers to those questions with the other facts of your case. Back to Top
	Why are visa interviews so short? I was refused after only a couple of questions and the interviewer hardly looked at my documents? Consular officers handle over 60,000 applications every year. Because of this experience, they are able to quickly review the application form and supporting documents in order to determine the range of questions to ask. Keep in mind, most of the information they need is already supplied on the application form itself, so there is usually no need for the officer to ask more than a few additional questions. They often need only to verify your identity or clear up one or two points. Also, if the interviews were longer, you would end up waiting in line for a considerably longer time. In order to be fair to all applicants and to provide everyone an equal opportunity to establish eligibility, they must work quickly and efficiently. Back to Top
	Why didn't the Consular officer look at my documents and why was I refused even when I presented the requested documents? The problem is not the documents. Rather, your current overall situation (as supported by those documents) was not adequate to overcome the presumption that you are an intending immigrant. Applying for a non-immigrant visa is not a documentary process - Consular officers never rely solely upon them as they do not establish an applicant's intentions. Documents that demonstrate that an applicant is well established in his/her own country can, in some circumstances, help to show an individual's intent to return to his/her own country after a temporary stay in the United States. Depending on the specifics of your case, the Consular officer may or may not have needed to examine your documents closely to make a decision about your eligibility for a visa. You were correct to bring documents with you, in case the Consular officer needed to refer to them. If the Consular officer made a decision in your case without a detailed scrutiny of your documents, it was because other circumstances of your case were clear. If your visa was refused, it is highly unlikely that any document you could provide would significantly alter the Consular officer's decision about your case. Back to Top
	Why can't I get my money back? The US $131 that you paid is an application fee. The application instructions state clearly that this fee is non-refundable whether or not you qualify for a U.S. visa. We have no authority to refund an application fee. Back to Top
	Why didn't the person I spoke with on the phone tell me that I would not get a visa? Every application for a visa is evaluated on its own merits. Before an application is presented, it is only possible to give general information regarding the visa application process and suggest the types of documents that might help you to demonstrate your eligibility for a U.S. visa. The visa application instructions clearly state that there is no guarantee that you will receive a U.S. visa if you choose to apply. Back to Top
	I wanted to inquire about a visa refusal for someone I know who applied for a visa. Why couldn't I obtain any information? Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), section 222(f), the records of the Department of State relating to visa decisions are confidential, and therefore information may not be provided to third parties about a particular visa applicant. Certain information may be provided to the petitioner in visa cases, attorneys representing a visa applicant, or to members of Congress, or other persons acting on behalf of and with the permission of the applicant. Back to Top
More FAQs on VISA to US:
	I am a domestic helper. Can I accompany my employer to the States? Under certain limited circumstances, a B-1 visa may be issued to a personal servant accompanying or following to join the employer on a temporary visit to the United States. B-1 Information Back to Top