The United States Embassy in Nigeria has reminded Nigerians that visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, even if the visa is denied.

The Embassy stated this in reaction to Nigerian applicants, particularly those applying for student and visitor visas, who complained about the financial burden of repeated denials without refunds.

US Embassy in a tweet on X on Tuesday, using the hashtag #VisaWiseTravelSmart, explained that the visa fee helps cover the cost of processing each application, whether it is approved or not.

“We hear your concerns regarding U.S. visa application fees. Like most countries, U.S. visa fees cover the cost of processing the application, regardless of the outcome,” US Embassy wrote.

“While fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, each application is reviewed thoroughly and fairly. For best results, prepare your application carefully and use the resources on our website –https://ng.usembassy.gov/visas/.”

The standard U.S. nonimmigrant visa fee stands at over $185 (approximately ₦280,000). This includes tourist, business, student, and exchange visas. Work and religious visas cost $190, while K visas cost $265, and the fee amount for E visas is $205.

Some have had to reapply and repay the fee multiple times after being rejected, with no refunds offered.

On its official website, the U.S. government also reminded applicants to schedule their visa interviews in their home country or the country where they live permanently.

The US also reminded visa applicants that they 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 to the United States under U.S. law.”

The US also reiterated that under a Presidential Proclamation on national security, which took effect on June 9, 2025, visa issuance and entry into the U.S. are suspended or restricted for nationals of certain countries identified as security risks.

“Applicants who are subject to this Presidential Proclamation may still submit visa applications and attend scheduled interviews, but they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States.”