The United States Mission in Nigeria has warned visa applicants that application fees are non-refundable, regardless of whether their applications are approved or refused.
The mission issued the clarification in a post on its official social media account, @USinNigeria, on Wednesday, debunking the belief that applicants are entitled to a refund if their visa applications are unsuccessful.
“MYTH: If a U.S. visa application is refused, the applicant receives a refund,” the mission stated.
Clarifying the issue, the mission explained that the fee covers the processing of an application and does not guarantee that a visa will be issued.
“FACT: The fee paid is an application processing fee, not a payment for a visa to be issued,” the statement read.
It added that the fee covers the cost of processing an application through a final decision, irrespective of the outcome.
“It covers the cost of processing the application through a final decision, so the fee is non-refundable, regardless of whether the visa is issued or refused,” the mission said
The clarification serves as a reminder to prospective travellers that paying the required visa application fee does not guarantee approval.
The mission also urged visa seekers to obtain accurate information about U.S. visa procedures through the official website of the U.S. Department of State at travel.state.gov.
It further cautioned applicants against third-party consultants and fraud schemes promising guaranteed visas or refundable application deposits.
Applicants were advised to rely on official U.S. government websites ending in .gov when seeking information about visa requirements and application procedures.