US Embassy warns students visa applicants against touts

United States Embassy Vice-Consul in Nigeria, Mr. Jerrod Hanson, has warned student visa applicants against seeking assistance from touts to process their applications.

Hanson made the appeal during a forum organised by the embassy to discuss the Student Visa

application process with individuals preparing to study in US in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to him, a number of applicants rely on touts for information and approach the visa interview like an examination with predetermined answers.

Hanson said, “Ultimately, you are going to qualify on your own merit and experience.

“The more you do it yourself, the more eligible you will be when the time comes.

“All the information you need we make available online, there is no need to pay anyone else; there is no need to think about what the right answers are.

“You have to work it out yourself, you know what you want to do, why you want to do it and you have the funding, you are going to do just fine.”

Cultural Affairs Officer of the embassy, Mr. Bill Strassberger, said genuine visa applicants would not encounter any difficulties.

Strassberger said, “We wanted to bring in an officer to demystify the visa application process because many people have a misunderstanding of the process of applying for a visa.

“Many people rely on touts; they listen to so-called advisers that don’t know much of what we are talking about they get bad information.”

-Punch

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