Tobias Sylvester
The United States Embassy in Nigeria has said that contrary to the opinion held by most people, its visa officers do not enjoy denying Nigerians visa.
In a Facebook post yesterday, the US Embassy said that there are some questions often misunderstood by applicants which earn them a rejection.
The embassy said the first step to securing a US visa is to complete the DS 160 form correctly.
“Contrary to popular opinion, visa officers do not enjoy handing anyone the 214b refusal letter,” according to the post.
“Proof: Visa Officers will be live on Facebook to talk about some of the commonly misunderstood questions on the DS 160 and help you improve your next application.”
According to TheCable, the embassy said its officers will be on a Facebook Live session at 2 p.m. on Wednesday to answer visa questions and discuss common mistakes seen on the DS 160.
However, some rejected applicants disagreed with the position of the embassy as they recounted their unpleasant experiences.
One Eunice Erusiafe said his son was denied visa three times while intending to visit the US for surgery.
“My son was denied visa three times without any reason; he was going for an open-heart surgery (congenital heart defect). The boy is going through a lot of pains right now; I pray God sends help to us,” she wrote.
Ufoeze Ugo said she was rejected for admitting that she wasn’t married.
“To think I stood before a staff and the first thing he asked me was: What does your husband do? I answered “Sir, I am not married”. The next thing I heard was ‘sorry ma; you are not qualified for this visa’. So it is now a must to be married,” Ugo said.
“When people are sincere they are denied. I can’t lie because I want to go to another man’s land.”
Magnus Nwanonenyi said he was invited by a company in US in 2005 to attend three-day conference but was denied visa with no reason given.
