Visas

WHAT IS A VISA?

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States generally must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is placed in the traveler’s passport.

Certain international travelers may be eligible to travel to the United States without a visa under the Visa Waiver Program, which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The Visa section of this website is about U.S. visas for foreign citizens and nationals to travel to the United States.

Visit Travel.State.gov for additional information.

Note: U.S. citizens do not need a U.S. visa for travel to the United States. When planning travel abroad a U.S. citizen may need a visa issued by the embassy or consulate of the country they wish to visit.

What Type of Visa Do You Need?

For short-term visits to the United States (for tourism, business, education, and more), you can go directly to the online application (form DS-160). For immigrant visas, which are issued to foreign nationals who intend to live and work permanently in the United States, you can visit the U.S. citizenship and Immigration Services site for the relevant forms.  If you are unsure what type of visa you need, please use the Visa Wizard below. 

View Local Information

Visa Types

Our Locations

The map below shows where we provide consular services.

U.S. Embassy Abuja

U.S. Consulate General Lagos

U.S. Embassy Abuja

Address:

Plot 1075 Diplomatic Drive Central District Area, Abuja, Nigeria

Phone:

(234)-9-461-4000

Fax:

Fax: (234)-9-461-4036

U.S. Consulate General Lagos

Address:

U.S. Consulate General Lagos Office 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos

Phone:

(234)-1-460-3400

Fax:

(234)-1-261-9856

Hours:

Business Hours
Monday – Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Friday 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Additional Information

Rights and Protections for Temporary Workers Rights and Protections for Immigrant Visa Applicants Non-Resident Applicants Returning Resident Visa Diplomats and Government Officials Visas

Rights and Protections for Temporary Workers

The pamphlet linked below informs you of your rights as a nonimmigrant visa holder in certain employment- and education-based categories.

Select Your Pamphlet

Rights and Protections for Immigrant Visa Applicants

The pamphlet informs applicants applying for K-1 visas, K-3, IR-1/CR-1 immigrant visas, and F2A immigrant visas of their legal rights relating to domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse.

Select Your Pamphlet

Non-Resident Applicants

The current wait time for a visa appointment for non-residents is (3) three calendar days. The Consular section at the U.S. Embassy in Suva, Fiji is accepting applications for all visa types from applicants residing outside of the Consular district. Applicants should follow the instructions below and plan on being in Fiji for at least 3 business days after the visa appointment* to receive their passport with the visa. If you have urgent travel, please see the instructions below for returning your passport via courier for visa printing.

Non-resident Applicants

Returning Resident Visa

A permanent resident (called lawful permanent resident or LPR) or conditional resident (CR) who has remained outside the United States for longer than one year, or beyond the validity period of a Re-entry Permit, will require a new immigrant visa to enter the United States and resume permanent residence. You can learn more about Returning Resident Visas on usvisas.state.gov.

Returning Resident Visas

Diplomats and Government Officials Visas

Diplomats and other foreign government officials traveling to the United States to engage in official duties or activities on behalf of their national government must obtain A or G visas prior to entering the United States. All transit to a third country (such as Canada) for official business requires an official C-3 transit visa. Diplomats and officials cannot travel or transit using visitor visas or the Visa Waiver Program to engage in official duties or activities on behalf of their national governments.

Diplomats & Government Officials Visas