THE United States Embassy in Nigeria has reaffirmed that visa application fees remain strictly non-refundable and non-transferable, regardless of whether an applicant is approved or denied entry.
The embassy made the clarification on Tuesday via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, using the hashtag #VisaWiseTravelSmart, in response to growing complaints by Nigerian applicants especially students and visitors, who lamented the financial strain caused by repeated denials and the requirement to pay fresh fees for every new application.
“We hear your concerns regarding U.S. visa application fees,” the embassy posted.
“Like most countries, U.S. visa fees cover the cost of processing the application, regardless of the outcome. While fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, each application is reviewed thoroughly and fairly.”
The statement urged Nigerians to prepare applications diligently and to use resources available on the embassy’s website (ng.usembassy.gov/visas/) to boost their chances of approval.
Currently, the standard U.S. nonimmigrant visa application fee is set at $185 (approximately ₦280,000), covering popular categories such as:
Tourist/Visitor visas (B1/B2)
Business visas
Student (F/M) and Exchange visas (J)
Other visa categories have higher fees, including:
Work and Religious visas (H, L, O, P, Q, R): $190
Fiancé(e) visas (K): $265
E Visas for Treaty Traders/Investors: $205
Nigerians who are denied visas must reapply and repay the full fee for subsequent applications, often multiple times.
In its advisory, the U.S. government reminded applicants to schedule their visa interviews in their country of nationality or country of permanent residence, in line with global best practices.
The embassy also reiterated that applicants are expected to make their social media profiles public for vetting purposes.
“Applicants are to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility under U.S. law,” the embassy said.
The embassy further reminded applicants that under a Presidential Proclamation on national security, which took effect on June 9, 2025, visa issuance and entry into the U.S. remain suspended or restricted for nationals of certain countries designated as security risks.
The embassy’s latest clarification comes amid a surge in visa applications from Nigerians seeking educational, business, and tourism opportunities abroad.