How to Apply for American Visa 2025

The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean.

Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and Washington, DC capital. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture, and on the west coast, Los Angeles’ Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.

Types of American Visa

As a visitor, you would need to identify the various types of visa categories you may want to apply that suit your purpose of travel. These categories include:

• B Visa [B1 /B2] – (This is the visa category for Tourist, Medical, and Business visitors)
• F1 Visa – Student visa
• K-3 Spouse of U.S. Citizen Visa
• K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa
• L-1 Intra- Company Transfer Visa
• J-1 Exchange Visitor Visa
• O-1 Extraordinary Ability Worker
• H-1B Specialty Work Visa
• H-2B Temporary Work Visa
• E-1/E-2 Investor Visa [Contact us for more info].

The Following Are the Documents You Need Before Your Visa Interview

• Passport valid for travel to the U.S. – Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your period of stay in the U. S.
• Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
• Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview.
• Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160. If the photo upload fails, you must bring one printed photo in the format explained in the Photograph Requirements.

Additional documents may be requested to establish if you are qualified. For example, additional requested documents may include evidence of the following:

• The purpose of your trip;
• Your intent to depart the U.S. after your trip; and/or
• Your ability to pay all costs of the trip.

Evidence of your employment and/or your family ties may be sufficient to show the purpose of your trip and your intent to return to your home country. If you cannot cover all the costs for your trip, you may show evidence that another person will cover some or all costs for your trip.

• Visa fees: Nigerians applying for a U.S. visa — including children — must pay a non-refundable, non-transferable visa application fee, sometimes referred to as the MRV fee, before applying for a nonimmigrant visa.

The visa application fee must be paid whether a visa is issued or not. The type of visa for which you apply determines the fee amount.

Applicants for B, C-1, D, F, I, J, M, T, TN/TD, and U visas are to pay $160 to any GTBank branch. Applicants for H, L, O, P, Q, and R visas are to pay $190 to any GTBank branch. 

K-visa applicants are to pay $240 to the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos cashier. And E-visa applicants are to pay $270 to any Guaranty Trust Bank branch.

Applicants for A, G, NATO, C-2, and C-3 visas are not required to pay any fee. The same applies to applicants for J visas participating in certain U.S. Government-sponsored educational and cultural exchanges.

Visa fee is also waived for a parent, sibling, spouse, or child of a U.S. Government employee killed in the line of duty who is traveling to attend the employee’s funeral and/or burial; or a parent, sibling, spouse, son, or daughter of a U.S.

Government employee critically injured in the line of duty for visitation during emergency treatment and recuperation.

Suppose the principal applicant applies for an L-1 visa under the blanket L visa petition. In that case, the principal applicant must pay a $500 fraud prevention and detection fee at the time of their visa interview in the embassy.

This must be paid each time a new I-129-S is submitted. The principal applicant may be required to pay a higher $2,250.00 border security act fee if indicated on the I-129.

How to Make Payment

Non-immigrant visa applicants can pay for their visas in cash at any GTBank branch. At the bank, request a U. S. visa fee collection slip. Write your fee payment amount and telephone number on the slip, and make your payment. You will be given a receipt. Keep this receipt for your records.

Alternatively, you can pay for your visa application via online transfer, provided you have a GTBank account enabled for online transactions.

You must correctly type your payment code (also called a UID) into the online payment form when you pay your fee online.

The payment code is created after you create your online profile at the beginning of the online payment process. This code verifies your payment and allows you to schedule your visa interview.

Conclusion

If you are looking to apply for an American visa, following the steps outlined will make your process easy.

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