here are three basic steps to apply for a visa.

• First, you have to pay your visa application fee
• You have to fill up the application itself online
• And then, you use your receipt number from the visa fee you paid, to actually register for an appointment.

All the information about applying for a U.S. visa can be found on our web site at http://nigeria.usembassy.gov.

For the standard tourist visa, it is $160, which at the current exchange rate (May 4, 2012) is about 26,400 Naira (Nigerian currency). Different classes of visas have different fees, but most people apply just for the standard visa.

All of our visa fees are collected through Guarantee Trust Bank (GT Bank). You can go to the bank itself and pay cash, and there is also an online payment option for GT Bank customers.

For a standard tourist or business visa, there is no additional fee. Although for some classes of visas, especially students for example, there is an additional processing fee of $200 for students, but for most people, it is just the standard application fee.

It would be difficult to say specifically what documents are required, but typically, the Officer during the interview will ask for documents to verify the information that is talked about in the interview. So, anything that you think can be relevant to your occupation, your family, your ties to Nigeria, your purpose of travel to the United States, anything that will very what you are talking about, would be useful at the interview itself.

Actually, they would not. The fee is not for the visa itself. The fee is for the interview, and the processing - the decision for the visa itself. And so, whether the visa is issued or not, that fee is used during the interview.

This is absolutely not true. All the prices for a U.S. visa are completely transparent. All the prices are available on our web site. The only fees that are required, are the basic application fee, or perhaps in the case of a student, an additional student processing fee of $200. These agents, who offer to provide extra services, typically do people a disservice because they don't understand exactly the process, and they give people misinformation and many times are fraudulently taking advantage of people who want a visa to the United States. We absolutely recommend that people apply for the visa on their own and go through the entire process on their own because too many people end up getting in trouble when they use these types of agents.

The decision is made at the interview, and if your visa is granted, it usually takes about two days for the visa to be printed and then transferred to the pass-back company that we use, where you will be able to collect your passport. In most cases, you will be able to pick up your passport within 48 hours of your interview.

No. All you need to enter the U.S. Embassy or Consulate for your visa appointment is a copy of your appointment and confirmation letter. You do not have to pay anything to anybody to enter for your appointment. Nor do we charge a fee for you to sit in the Embassy or Consulate waiting area for your appointment. Do not patronize touts. The U.S. Mission Nigeria does not approve any touting activities within its consular operation areas. In Fact, if you hear of any stories related to touts, we welcome your comments, through the U.S. Embassy’s web site. Thanks you.