The United States Mission in Nigeria has addressed rising concerns from Nigerians over paying steep U.S. visa fees without any assurance of approval.
- The U.S. Mission in Nigeria addressed concerns over visa fees without approval guarantees, emphasizing fair application reviews.
- Applicants are advised to prepare carefully and use official resources to minimize errors and costs.
- In May, the U.S. Department of State revised nonimmigrant visa fees, setting the rate for visitor visas at $185.
- Nigeria experienced substantial monetary losses in visa applications, with over 50,000 rejections last year.
The United States Mission in Nigeria has addressed rising concerns from Nigerians over paying steep U.S. visa fees without any assurance of approval.
It explained that although the fees remain non-refundable and non-transferable, each application is given a fair and thorough review.
In a tweet posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, the Mission urged applicants to prepare carefully and rely only on official resources to avoid unnecessary errors and expenses.
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The reassurance comes against the backdrop of recent changes to U.S. visa policy.
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.
Under the new rates, visitor visas, the most common category for Nigerians travelling for business or tourism, cost $185.
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Rising frustrations over visa costs
The changes come at a time when frustrations over visa costs are growing.
In May, African applicants lost nearly €60 million ($67.5 million) in non-refundable Schengen visa fees in 2024, according to LAGO Collective, a London-based research group tracking global mobility.
The report found that African countries were hit hardest globally, facing both high rejection rates and rising application costs.
In Nigeria alone, more than 50,000 short-stay Schengen visa applications were rejected last year, according to CNN. With each application costing €90 (about $100), Nigerians lost over €4.5 million (roughly $5 million) in fees that yielded no visas.
