U.S. Visa Application And Requirements For Nigerian – DS-160 Form
U.S. Visa Application And Requirements For Nigerian Citizens and Other Nationals – DS-160 Form. In this article, we will show you how-to-apply for U.S. visa from Nigeria (United States of America visa) and other Nationals. In addition, we will discuss the list of US-visa requirements for Nigerian citizens.
What is U.S. Visa?
U.S. visa is a sticker stamp that you get on your passport, which makes you eligible to enter the United States. The U.S. visa does not grant you entry into the United States territory. The officials at the point of entry determine your pass.
For Nigerian passport holders, the validity of the visa is usually 2 years. In rare cases, visa validity maybe less than 2 years. However, you must not spend more than 6 months while in the United States on visit/tourist purposes.
Recently, the the ban on Nigerian passport holders restricts the duration of stay to 3 months for tourist visa.
See Also: Canadian Visa Requirements For Nigerians (Complete Guide)
What Are The Category of U.S. Visa?
There are two categories of U.S. visa; the Immigrant and Non-immigrant visa.
Immigrant visa
An immigrant visa is issued to a foreign national whose aim is to live and work permanently in the United States.
There are two types of immigrant visa: Immediate Relative / Family Sponsored and Employer Sponsored.
Nonimmigrant visa
Nonimmigrant visa as the name implies, is issued to foreign nationals seeking to enter the United States on a temporary basis for tourism, visit, business, medical treatment and certain types of temporary work. Their intention is not to live permanently in the United States.
Later in this post, we will show you the list of visa type under the two categories.
There are vital documents required by the U.S. consular, irrespective of the type of visa you intend to obtain.
U.S. Visa Requirements For Nigerian citizens
Here are the required documents for a U.S. visa:
- Completed nonimmigrant DS-160 form. You can apply via DS-160 form here.
- Your valid passport. This must be valid for at least 6 months beyond your planned stay in the U.S. Your travel document must have at least one blank page for visa.
- One photograph. The U.S. visa photo requirement must meet the specific requirements as outlined on the site. Ensure you upload the right photo with white background through the DS-160 form.
- U.S. fee receipt proving payment of N59,200 (Mar, 20), for a nonimmigrant US visa application in Nigeria. You need to pay the U.S. visa fee in order to schedule an appointment.
- Invitation letter. You must provide an invitation letter from a host in the U.S., if invited. The letter must be written by a United States citizen or legal resident, confirming that they are willing to admit you. In addition, they must show that they have family ties or friendship.
- Sponsorship documents. If you are planning to come to the United States through a sponsor who is a U.S. resident then he must submit these documents:
- Letter for Affidavit – a letter confirming sponsor’s financial capability to support you during your stay in the United States.
- Bank Letter – it is a document issued by the bank showing your sponsor’s details and the day when the account was opened. In addition, it must show the total amount of money deposited during the past year and the present balance.
- Employment Letter – this shows the sponsor is currently employed and shows the salary he is paid.
- Payslips – four recent payslips.
Before we show you how-to-apply for U.S. visa from Nigeria, let’s show you U.S. visa fees in Nigeria and additional documents that may increase your chances.
See Also: Cost Of Nigerian International Passport Currently
How Much is U.S. visa Fees in Nigeria?
Here is the list of U.S. visa fees in Nigeria.
| Fee Amount (USD) | Fee Amount (NGN) | Visa Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| $160 | ₦96,000 | B | Business/Tourist |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | C-1 | Transit |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | D | Ship/Airline Crew |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | F | Student (academic) |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | I | Journalist and Media |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | J | Exchange Visitors |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | M | Student (vocational) |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | T | Victim of Human Trafficking |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | TN/TD | NAFTA Professionals |
| $160 | ₦96,000 | U | Victim of Criminal Activity |
| $190 | ₦114,000 | H | Temporary/Seasonal Workers and Employment, Trainees |
| $190 | ₦114,000 | L | Intracompany Transferees |
| $190 | ₦114,000 | O | Persons with Extraordinary Ability |
| $190 | ₦114,000 | P | Athletes. Artists & Entertainers |
| $190 | ₦114,000 | Q | International Cultural Exchange |
| $190 | ₦114,000 | R | Religious Worker |
| $265 | ₦159,000 | K | Fiancé(e) or Spouse of U.S. Citizen |
| $205 | ₦123,000 | E | Treaty Trader/Investor, Australian Professional Specialty |
| Visa Type | Description | Fee Amount (USD) | Fee Amount (NGN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Business/Tourist | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| C-1 | Transit | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| D | Ship/Airline Crew | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| E | Treaty Trader/Investor, Australian Professional Specialty | $205 | ₦123,000 |
| F | Student (academic) | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| H | Temporary/Seasonal Workers and Employment, Trainees | $190 | ₦114,000 |
| I | Journalist and Media | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| J | Exchange Visitor | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| K | Fiancé(e) or Spouse of U.S. Citizen | $265 | ₦159,000 |
| L | Intracompany Transferees | $190 | ₦114,000 |
| M | Student (vocational) | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| O | Persons with Extraordinary Ability | $190 | ₦114,000 |
| P | Athletes. Artists & Entertainers | $190 | ₦114,000 |
| Q | International Cultural Exchange | $190 | ₦114,000 |
| R | Religious Worker | $190 | ₦114,000 |
| T | Victim of Human Trafficking | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| TN/TD | NAFTA Professionals | $160 | ₦96,000 |
| U | Victim of Criminal Activity | $160 | ₦96,000 |
Visa issuance fee / Reciprocity fee of $110 (₦66, 000) is mandatory when the U.S. official approves the visa.
Current Consular Exchange Rate: 600.00 NGN = 1 USD
Current Rate Valid Through:20/06/2023.
Additional Documents To Increase Your Chances
- Previous USA, Schengen, UK, Australia, Canada visas. If you have expired US visa on your previous passport, then you should take it with you on the day of appointment at the U.S. embassy. This increases your chances as it shows a proof that you have entered the country before. Previous visas to other countries as mentioned above can help to raise your profile. Currently, valid visas to these countries give you almost 100% issuance.
- Employment / Professional Details. If employed, come with a letter from your employer showing details of your salary, position, length of employment, the period of authorized vacation and purpose of the trip to the US. The must be on company’s letter head. If retired, bring your pension statement. If you are self-employed, come with your company registration certificate (CAC documents) and income details.
- Travel itinerary. Get a travel plan that shows what you are planning to do while you are in the US. This must include documents a flight reservation that shows your planned date of entry and exit in the US. If applicable, it can also show local flight reservations within the U.S. and hotel reservations/accommodation. Your accommodation/hotel reservation must show where intend to stay in the U.S. (hotel, a rented house, a friend’s or relative’s house and so on).
See Also: How To Send Things From USA To Nigeria: Cost Of Shipping
Other Documents
Property / Investment Documents. If you have investment or property documents, you need to come with them. Your investments/properties are plus if you are applying for a nonimmigrant visa. Since it shows your strong ties with your home country, it means you have what will definitely bring you back to your home country.
- Family Documents. Go along with documents that show your relationship status and family details. Go with things like: Birth certificate, marriage certificate, spouse’s death certificate, close family photographs, adoption certificate, divorce certificate, etc.
There are some U.S. visa types that require extra requirements, in addition to what we have seen above.
The interviewer may request for extra documents, depending on the type of visa you are applying for. See below the details.
U.S. Medical Visa
An appointment from an authorised physician in Nigeria is required in this case. You must undergo a medical examination with a U.S. embassy approved doctor in Nigeria. Any other examination carried out by other physician outside the U.S. recommended hospital will not be accepted.
U.S. Study Visa
When applying for a U.S. student and exchange visa, then the U.S. consular will request you show a proof that you have been admitted at a US educational institution. The educational institution must be under the Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). During the interview, you will submit proof of payment of SEVIS I-901 fee aside of the normal visa fee.
U.S. Work Visa
In general, you might submit some of the following documents for U.S. work visa:
- Your qualifications (degree, Master, Doctorate, diplomas, certifications etc)
- Resume or CV
- Letter of employment from previous employers
- State License (where applicable)
- Proof that you have extraordinary abilities
- Job offer from a U.S. employer
- Additional Fees
Fingerprint Collection
Fingerprints are a mandatory requirement for all applicants wishing to obtain a U.S. visa. In Nigeria, your fingerprints will be taken during the interview.
Only the following categories are exempted from fingerprint collection:
- Children under 14.
- Elders over 79.
- A-1, A-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, C-3.
- NATO applicants.
- People who cannot physically give their fingerprints.
Your documents must be translated to the official language of the country in which the interview will take place. A competent translator must certify each documents. If you are applying outside Nigeria with your Nigerian passport, you must translate all your documents and show your permit. Likewise, you must meet the US-visa requirements for Nigerian citizens.
What is DS-160 Form?
DS-160 form is an online Nonimmigrant visa application form which allows you to apply for a U.S. visa on temporary travel purposes. The platform (DS-160 form) also allows you to apply for the U.S. K visa (fiance visa).
You must submit the DS-160 form electronically to the Department of State via its official website.
You need to meet certain U.S. visa requirements for Nigerian citizens before you can attempt to apply for a U.S. visa using the DS-160 form. Subsequently, we will show you how-to-apply for U.S. visa from Nigeria.
See Also: How To Get A Work Visa In USA Fast (USA Work Permit 2023)
How To Apply For U.S. visa from Nigeria
In this section, we will show you how-to-apply for U.S. visa from Nigeria.
- Visit the U.S. Consular portal
- Click on complete my DS-160 form, on the left section
- Scroll down to bottom and look for “The Form DS-160 is online here“
- Select a location where you will be applying for the visa
- Choose your preferred location (Nigeria Abuja or Nigeria Lagos)
- Enter the security code to continue
- Click on “Start An Application”
- It will generate Your Application ID (Note it down for future reference)
- Choose a Security Question and Answer
- Click on the Continue button
- On the next page, enter your personal information to the last page (security and background)
- Sign electronically and submit your DS-160 form.
- Print out your form and bring to the interview.
You can save your application to continue later with your application ID.
Please note that you will provide a list of your active social media, phone number, email address and social media history of the five previous years.
Below is the type of Nonimmigrant Visas. Each comes with US-visa requirements for Nigerian citizens, as explained, with extra documents.
Purpose of Travel to U.S. and Nonimmigrant Visas | Visa Type |
|---|---|
| Athletes, amateur and professional (competing for prize money only) | B-1 |
| Athletes, artists, entertainers | P |
| Australian worker – professional specialty | E-3 |
| Border Crossing Card: Mexico | BCC |
| Business visitors | B-1 |
| Crewmembers (serving aboard a sea vessel or aircraft in the U.S.) | D |
| Diplomats and foreign government officials | A |
| Domestic employees or nannies (must be accompanying a foreign national employer) | B-1 |
| Employees of a designated international organization, and NATO | G1-G5, NATO |
| Exchange visitors | J |
| Exchange visitors – au pairs | J-1 |
| Exchange visitors – children (under age 21) or spouse of a J-1 holder | J-2 |
| Exchange visitors – professors, scholars, teachers | J-1 |
| Exchange visitors – international cultural | J, Q |
| Fiancé(e) | K-1 |
| Foreign military personnel stationed in the U.S. | A-2, NATO1-6 |
| Foreign nationals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | O-1 |
| Free Trade Agreement (FTA) professionals: Chile | H-1B1 |
| Free Trade Agreement (FTA) professionals: Singapore | H-1B1 |
| Information media representative (media, journalists) | I |
| Intra-company transferees | L |
| Medical treatment, visitors for | B-2 |
| NAFTA professional workers: Mexico, Canada | TN/TD |
| Nurses traveling to areas short of health care professionals | H-1C |
| Physicians | J1, H-1B |
| Religious workers | R |
| Specialty occupations in fields requiring highly specialized knowledge | H-1B |
| Students – academic and language students | F-1 |
| Student dependents – dependent of an F-1 holder | F-2 |
| Students – vocational | M-1 |
| Student dependents – dependent of an M-1 holder | M-2 |
| Temporary workers – seasonal agricultural | H-2A |
| Temporary workers – nonagricultural | H-2B |
| Tourism, vacation, pleasure visitors | B-2 |
| Training in a program not primarily for employment | H-3 |
| Treaty investors | E-2 |
| Treaty traders | E-1 |
| Transiting the United States | C |
| Victims of human trafficking | T-1 |
| Victims of criminal activity | U-1 |
| Visa renewals in the U.S. – A, G, and NATO | A1-2, G1-4, NATO1-6 |
This post is all about how-to-apply for U.S. visa from Nigeria and US-visa requirements for Nigerian citizens.
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