The United States Mission in Nigeria has responded to growing concerns that many Nigerians have raised about paying high U.S. visa fees without any guarantee of approval.
They noted that while charges remain non-refundable and non-transferable, every application is thoroughly and fairly reviewed.
In a notice published on its official X account and the U.S. Department of State website, the Mission advised Nigerians seeking U.S. visas to prepare their applications diligently and rely on official resources to avoid costly mistakes.
“We hear your concerns regarding U.S. visa application fees. Like most countries, the U.S. visa fees cover the cost of processing the application, regardless of the outcome.
“While fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, each application is reviewed thoroughly and fairly. For best results, prepare your application carefully and use the resources on our website,” they said
Backstory
In May, the U.S. Department of State revised its global schedule of nonimmigrant visa application fees, a change that also applies to Nigerian applicants.
The update affects almost every major category, including business and tourism visas (B-1/B-2), student visas (F and M), exchange visitor visas (J), temporary worker visas (H), and investment-linked categories such as E-1 and E-2.
Under the new schedule, visitor visas, which remain the most sought-after category for Nigerians traveling for business or tourism, now cost $185. The same fee applies to transit (C-1), crew member (D), student (F and M), exchange visitor (J), media (I), trafficking victim (T), and criminal victim (U) visas. Temporary worker visas such as H, intra-company transferee (L), extraordinary ability (O), athlete/artist (P), cultural exchange (Q), and religious worker (R) visas were adjusted upward to $205.
Fiancé(e) visas (K) carry a fee of $265, while treaty trader and investor visas (E-1/E-2) and the Australian speciality occupation visa (E-3) were set at $315.
What you should know
In July, the government mandated that most Nigerian citizens applying for U.S. nonimmigrant visas are to be granted single-entry visas valid for just three months, replacing previous longer and multiple-entry validity periods.
- It is also mandatory for all applicants under the F, M, and J visa categories to make their social media profiles publicly visible.
- The U.S. Department of State says this is to enable vetting of applicants’ online presence as part of its national security procedures.
- They also introduced a requirement that visa applicants must disclose all social media usernames or handles used in the last five years on applications such as the DS-160. Failure to do so can affect the eligibility of the application.
