American Visa Application Requirements: All you must know

American visa requirements are those documents need to apply for a USA visa. In other words, they are everything need to get you a USA visa approval. They include your passport, financial documents, marriage documents, job offer documents etc.

Basically, everything that will help your chances of getting your visa is an American visa requirement.

You do have to understand anyway that USA visa requirements differ for every individual and mostly influenced by your reason of travel. If you are applying for a stay visa, you’re American visa requirements will differ from some one applying for a tourist or study visa.

The visa requirements might differ anyway, but the process is majorly the same. So lets begin.

[American Visa Requirements] How do I apply for American Visa when most Nigerians don’t even get it?

Well, it shouldn’t surprise you to know that there are more Nigerians applying for USA travel visa than any other country in the world. That being said, you could see why  most applicants don’t get the visa.

Why they don’t get it:

• They don’t meet the American Visa Requirements
• There are just too many people apply for the Same American Visa at the time which you are applying
• Some people just have shady documents
• They fail the interview

People might have told you a lot of negative stories about getting a USA travel visa. In this article, I will tell you a true story of how Nduka (real name withheld for obvious reasons) got his USA travel visa and then give you all the information you will be needing to make sure you American visa requirements are complete.

This true story will help you get over many of the misconceptions Nigerians have about USA travel visa.

Some of the misconceptions include racial abuse, discrimination, and outright visa denial, just to mention a few. When you hear the stories that some Nigerian tell about their ordeal at the US embassy, you will be shocked.

Nduka’s story was different and all positive. It makes you wonder if it’s the same USA travel visa that many people are saying is very difficult to obtain.

The objective of this article is to use this true story to change your misconception about the USA travel visa and give you a rundown of the American Visa application requirements. This true story shows that if you have difficulty obtaining a USA travel visa genuinely in Nigeria, then something is wrong.

The Story of Nduka and How He Got His USA travel visa

I will be reporting the story of Nduka for you so that you understand every bit of it. According to Nduka, his experience proves that you don’t have to die before death arrives at your door. What it means is that you should not believe what you hear until you have verified for yourself.

Nduka said that he had been hearing of the inhuman treatment given to Nigerians at the US embassy in Nigeria. He said that you only face such when you try to go through the “back door” while obtaining your USA travel visa. According to Nduka, you should not pay agents to help you get out of attending the visa interviews. You should always attend the interview yourself no matter what.

Nduka said that his experience at the embassy gave him a very different view about getting a USA travel visa.

He applied for a holiday visa for himself and his children.  Nduka said he filled all the necessary and required documents and got a fixed date for the interview. Hope you noted that he got a date for the interview. He never paid anyone in order to avoid the interview. On the said interview date, he was interviewed and given a visas for himself and the children.

Too good to be true right? Well, you should follow this vanguard newspaper link for the full story. According to Nduka, you need to go through the proper channel to stand a chance at obtaining a USA travel visa.

The essence of this true-life story is to remind you to always follow due process in seeking a USA travel visa. Don’t do the Nigerian thing here where we say I know somebody that works there. These types of connections can cut both ways especially when you are not sure of the connectivity of your connection.

[American visa application requirements] Important Lessons from the Story Of Nduka

The one thing that is certain is that if you follow the footsteps of Nduka, you will certainly improve your chances of getting your USA travel visa. I have picked some very important lessons from Nduka that will help you when applying for your own visa. These very important lessons include:

• Present the complete document

For you to stand a chance at getting a USA travel visa, all your documents must be complete to a fault. You must meet the American Visa application requirements.

There are no two ways about this. Without the complete documents required, it will certainly not be possible that your application will be accepted. It will do you no good to submit incomplete documents to the embassy. Instead, it will only jeopardize your chances of getting your USA travel visa. You need to be sure that your passport won’t expire anytime soon, and the rest of the documents arranged in order.

• Be very careful with the details

You need to pay attention to the instructions given. Here, there is no room for assumption as it can be the beginning of your undoing. You should know the type of envelope required, what size of passport, do you staple of paste your photo on the application form? Things like the above mentioned needs to be ascertained. You should not see them as irrelevant; they go a long way in helping you achieve your goal.

• Provide enough evidence

Having enough proof to assure them of your intentions will always count in your favor. The important thing is that whatever evidence you are submitting is authentic and relevant. It will do you no good to present false evidence in order to facilitate your USA travel visa application. Aside rejecting your visa application, you can also be banned from any subsequent visa application.

American visa application requirements and how you can apply

Like earlier said, your American visa application requirements will depend largely on your purpose of travelling to the United States of America. This is according to the official website of US embassy in Nigeria. You can see US EMBASSY for more details on this. You must meet all the requirements for the particular visa that you are applying for before you can receive it.

It very important you bear in mind that a visa does not guarantee you entry into the United States. It only means that a United States consular officer certified you are qualified to apply for entry to U.S. Before going into more details about the American visa application requirements and how to apply, you need to know the types of visas.

USA travel visa: the different types

There are basically two types of USA travel visa that you can apply for. These different travel visas include the following:

• USA immigrant Visa and
• The non immigrant visa

The USA immigrant visa

This is the type of visa that you apply for with the intention of living permanently in the United States. This particular immigrant visa allows you to apply as a legal permanent resident to the United States. It is a very good step for you to acquire United States citizenship. The application is often initiated by your family member who is a U.S. citizen or a legal permanent resident. This person will submit a petition on your behalf to the United States citizenship and immigration services (USCIS).

The petition can also be submitted by a U.S. company that offers you employment for a permanent position. As an applicant for this United States immigrant visa from Nigeria, you apply through the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos. For more information on this U.S. immigration visa from Nigeria, you can write to [email protected] for more direction.

The USA Non immigrant Visa

You apply for this type of visa as a tourist, business person, student, or a worker who intends to stay for a particular period of time. When it comes to the case of non immigrant visa, you must be able to defend your intention truthfully as Nduka did. You need to proof beyond any doubt that you will depart the USA after your scheduled visit. What matters most here is your honesty and precision with your answers.

There is no time for you to start telling the consular a moonlight tale. The earlier story of how Nduka got his USA travel visa should really be an eye-opener to you. You should know that U.S. non-immigrant visa has different types. This means that the type you apply for is dependent on your reason or purpose of visiting the U.S. Below is the list of the different U.S. nonimmigrant visas, you should go through them carefully.

Types of Non immigrant USA Travel Visa

These different non immigrant visas include:

• The B visa (B1 & B2)

This is the visa that you should apply for when visiting as a tourist, for business, or medical purposes.  For business purposes, you should apply for a B1 visa. This B1 visa allows you to consult with different business associates in the U.S. You can also use it to take part in any scientific, educational, professional or business meetings in the United States. It can as well be used if you want to go and negotiate a business deal.

If you want to visit the United States for tourism, vacation, to see family members, or for medical treatment. The B2 visa is best suited for this. You can also use this visa to attend social events in the United States as well. When going for a medical treatment, there are certain documents that will be required at your interview. The documents include your medical diagnosis report from a local and reputable hospital explaining your nature of ailment.

You will also submit a letter from the hospital in U.S. that has stated they are willing to treat your ailment. They will also need you to provide proof that your expenses in the U.S. will be properly paid for.

• The USA Fiancé(e) visa

This is another non immigrant visa that you can apply for from Nigeria to United States of America. This visa known as the K-1 nonimmigrant visa permits you to travel to the U.S to marry your fiancé (e) who is an American citizen. You must note that this marriage must take place within 3 months of your arrival in the United States.

Bear in mind that you will have to certify certain conditions and requirements before you can be given this particular visa. Should you have children, they will also be given K-2 visas as well. In order for you to stand a chance at accessing this visa, avoid the use of agents. You should personally visit the US embassy or consulate in Nigeria.

• Work visa

This is another non immigrant USA travel visa that you can apply for in Nigeria. The visa offers you the opportunity to work in the United States temporarily and not on permanent basis. For you to be granted this visa, your prospective employer have to submit a petition on your behalf to the embassy. The visa only lasts for the duration of the work you are employed to do in the U.S.

• Student visa

Another non immigrant USA travel visa that you can apply for is the student visa. You need to know that before you apply for this visa, the school or program for which you applied for must have accepted you. It will take you an average of 3 months to process this particular visa. Everything is dependent on your ability to present all the required documents. Your student USA travel visa is only valid for the duration of your studies.

• Transit USA travel visa

This is the visa that you apply for when traveling through the U.S to another destination. On the average, it will not take you more than 5 days to process this visa. Although, it can take longer period of time if you are not truthful with the consular at the embassy. Your transit USA travel visa is only valid for a maximum 29 days. In some cases, it is only valid through the date you will depart the United States on your ticket.

You need to know that transit visas belong to the category of C-types visas. This means that they cannot be extended for any reason, you better take note of this.

What Documents are needed to apply For a Non immigrant USA Visa

American visa application requirements for applying for a non immigrant USA visa is a follows:

• Your international passport

 Your passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 months after your period of stay in the United States.

• You should also have your nonimmigrant visa application, from the DS-160 confirmation page.
• Your application fee receipt should also be available, especially if you are required to pay before the interview.
• You will have to upload your photo when filling the DS-160 online form. In case you were unable to upload the photo, you need to bring your printed photo in line with the photograph requirements.

In order to verify and establish that you are qualified for the visa, additional documents might be required.

Some of these additional documents include:

• Proof that you are able to pay the cost of your trip to the United States of America
• The reason for your travel to the U.S.
• The intent you have to leave the Unites States after your visit

USA travel visa interview

Your interview is the major determinant to whether you will be given a visa or not. So, this means that you need to be very truthful and precise with all that you say during your visa interview. No need for irrelevant stories, you just answer the questions that you ar asked. Once you have all the relevant authentic documents and genuine intentions, the interview will go smoothly.

There will always be trouble for you should you think that you can go through the “back door”. The interview questions are always basic and straight forward. They will need to know your purpose of visiting and how long you intend to stay. Depending on your answers to those questions, the officer can decide to be thorough by asking other questions.

How You Can Schedule A USA travel visa Appointment

For you to schedule a USA visa appointment, you need to create your profile on the USA visa website. On the website, you will have to fill all the necessary information. The information required includes:

• Your 10 digits DS-160 confirmation number
• The international passport number
• Petition number for the temporary work visas
• Your U.S visa application fee  receipt number
• The case number for immigrant visa
• Your SEVIS number if you are applying for M, F students and J exchange visitors

The next step is for you to schedule a photograph and fingerprinting appointment. It is after this stage that you can now schedule for your visa interview.

How to Pay Your USA travel visa Fees

At all cost, you must avoid paying through third parties or agents. Many people have lost their money through this very process. For your USA travel visa fees, you will pay a Machine Readable Visa (MRV) application fees. You should know that this fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Every visa applicant pays this application fee, whether the visa is issued or not. The type of visa you applied for will determine the amount to be paid.

You must note that this USA travel visa fee is paid online. Only the K-visa applicants pay their visa application fee at any Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) branch. You can also pay through the GTB’s online bill pay service.

Bear in mind that what we have done through this article is to change that long held misconception that it is very difficult to obtain a USA travel visa in Nigeria. The story of Nduka is proof that such things are mere opinions. If you do all that is required of you at the U.S. embassy, your visa will be granted to you. This is true so long as you are honest and genuine.

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