US Changes Visa Application Procedures Effect September 1, 2013
Culled from flynaija
Effective September 1, 2013, the DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application and the DS-261 (Choice of Address and Agent) will replace the paper-based DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration (parts I and II) and the DS-3032 (Choice of Address and Agent).
Beneficiaries submitting new cases that arrive at the National Visa Center (NVC) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on or after September 1 will be instructed to complete the DS-260/261 in lieu of the DS-230/3032. Please see http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_5164.html for more information.
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE PARENTS:Adoption and guardianship decrees from Nigerian states that lack adoption laws, and adoptions by non-Nigerians, may not be allowable under Nigerian law or acceptable for purposes of U.S. immigration. Please click here for more information.
Note: Applicants must bring all necessary documents, including photocopies of some documents, to their visa interview appointments.Click here for more information about documents.
Immigrant visas entitle the recipient to permanent resident status in the United States. “Green Card” holders may live and work there, and eventually become naturalized if they so desire.
Most immigration petitions are initiated by a close relative or an employer in the United States. The petition is filed with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. All final interviews and approvals are done at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos. After initial approval, applicants will be notified by the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos about documentation requirements and how to schedule the final interview. Required medical examinations for immigrant visas are conducted only in Lagos and only by doctors certified by the U.S. Consulate General.
Certain categories of immigrant visas are numerically controlled. This may necessitate a waiting period before the application can be further processed. Petitioners should anticipate a delay of up to approximately six months to complete the procedure and be scheduled for a final interview.
Please note that the embassy do not answer inquiries about visa cases in person. American citizens with visa inquiries or Legal Permanent Residents requiring assistance with their travel documents should direct their inquiries to LagosIV@state.gov. Most issues will be handled via e-mail; boarding foil requests, Returning Resident applicants, and other cases as necessary will be handled by appointment only.
The fee for an immigrant visa is $230, payable in cash in U.S. dollars or Naira equivalent. The fee for K1/K3 visas is $240 (please refer to K1/K3 visa instructions for more details). They do not accept checks or credit cards.
Additionally, if you receive an immigrant visa on or after February 1, 2013, and plan to apply for Lawful Permanent Residence, you will need to pay a new $165 fee to USCIS. The fee must be paid online after the visa packet is received from the consulate and prior to traveling to the U.S. For additional information, see the USCIS Immigrant Fee webpage.
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