Travel News

BY  Chigozirim Enyinnia &Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha 

A number of Nigerian students have seen their plans to study in the United States frustrated as their applications for F-1 visas were denied, BusinessDay’s findings reveal.

The visa denials have left some students in a funk as they also lamented the financial losses caused by the development.

A 24-year-old writer seeking to improve her skills through a postgraduate programme in creative writing was denied a US visa earlier this year.

The student, who declined to be identified, said she provided the necessary documents, which qualified her for an interview. “I was shocked when I was handed the rejection slip. The first thing that came to my mind was the disappointment this posed for my parents. After the time and expenses invested, it still was a failure,” Kike said.

She told BusinessDay that she had done everything she needed to do and provided all the necessary information for the interview to go well. She was just waiting for the green light to buy her flight ticket.

“I had looked up past interviews and prepared my answers because this meant a lot to me,” she said. “We were already making plans. To us, it seemed like a sure thing. After all, it’s just a student visa, and I was excited to continue my education there. I even got a great opportunity for a part-time job through a graduate assistantship program. You can imagine how much that would add to my experience once I finished my master’s programme.”

Kike said she had paid $350 for the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System fee and N67,200 for the US Embassy visa fee.

Read also: What qualifies you for a US visa?

“After I had provided all these, and my responses during the interview, the interviewer simply looked at me and handed me the denial letter. I was shocked to get such a letter from the embassy,” she said. “Beyond the embarrassment of being rejected, I felt a profound sense of hopelessness for my future.

Chinaza Ofodum also experienced a visa rejection in 2022, which she described as “demoralising”.

“It was disheartening. Even though I had all the required documents, I still faced rejection. To be honest, I’m still perplexed by the reasons behind it,” she said.

Student visa applications are increasingly being denied by the US, according to research, with African applicants the least likely to be let in, according to a recent report by the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration.

“More than 92,000 potentially qualified African students were denied visas between 2015 and 2022,” it said.

The report revealed that the refusal rate in West Africa was 71 per cent compared to just 16 per cent in southern Africa.

It said 31 per cent of applications for F-1 student visas were refused in 2022 – a “significant” increase from 23 per cent in 2015.

Rajika Bhandari, senior adviser at the Presidents’ Alliance, said the low acceptance rates for African students were a “missed opportunity” for the US because excluding potentially qualified and interested students runs counter to the country’s need to attract global talent.

“Turning away such large numbers of African students also limits the ability of US colleges and universities to benefit from a diverse population of international students,” she added.

Michael Ugorji, a travelling agent, said the interview appointment is the most challenging part of the student visa application.

“You can get admission to any university in America, pay your school fee, and every other thing, but to get a visa appointment is the problem,” he said. “Some people are even paying to draw appointments from different sides, yet they are denied the visa appointment.”

“Some people who are going for the August-September academic session are forced to forfeit their admissions even after paying the school fee as a result of the delays in getting visa-appointment.”

In an email sent to BusinessDay by the US Embassy spokesperson, the US Consulate said Nigeria sends more students to US colleges and universities than any other country in Africa.

“In the 2021-2022 school year, Nigeria sent 14,438 students to the US, the highest number of students in more than 30 years,” the spokesperson said. “In this calendar year to date, Mission Nigeria has interviewed over 32,000 students – with over 16,000 of those just since May.”

According to the spokesperson, the consular officers are trained to assess the circumstances of each student visa applicant, and student visa adjudication policies are consistent world-wide.

“All visa applications are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act and applicable federal regulations. International students are welcome in the United States and a top priority for the Department of State,” he said.

He said the consulate recognises the important contributions these students make to US college and university campuses, their positive impact on US communities, and the rich benefits of academic cooperation in increasing cultural understanding and furthering research and knowledge.