Business visa · from Nigeria
US B-1 business visa from Nigeria
Commercial travel to the United States is made on a B-1 visa, usually issued together with B-2 as a combined B1/B2. You complete the DS-160, pay the fee and attend an interview in Abuja or Lagos. The category covers meetings, negotiations, conferences and trade fairs — it does not cover working for a US employer or being paid from a US source.
Typical processing
Interview slot dependent — currently 2–4 months in Lagos / Abuja
Government fee, estimated
USD 185 (B1/B2); USD 205 (work)
Paid to the mission, not to us
How this differs from a visitor application
As with every US non-immigrant category, the officer begins from the presumption that you intend to immigrate, and the interview is where that is settled. A business applicant has an advantage a tourist does not — a verifiable company and a concrete commercial reason — but only if they can state it plainly in the moment.
What this application needs in addition
On top of the standard documents for United States, which are listed in full on the destination page.
- ✓DS-160 confirmation page with the barcode
- ✓Invitation from the US company or event organiser, with dates and purpose
- ✓Your company's CAC registration, tax records and evidence of trading
- ✓A letter from your company confirming your role and who bears the cost
- ✓Trade fair or conference registration, where that is the purpose
- ✓Evidence of ties to Nigeria — the business itself, property, family, ongoing commitments
Where these applications go wrong
These are the failures our desk sees most often on this route. None of them is about the applicant being unqualified — they are all preparation.
The business exists only on paper
Registration without trading evidence — no invoices, no tax record, no bank activity consistent with the claim — does not support a business purpose.
The applicant defers to the agent
An applicant who cannot explain their own trip without prompting undermines it. The interview is a conversation with you, not with your file.
The stated purpose drifts into employment
Describing hands-on work for a US entity moves the trip outside B-1 and into a category requiring a petition.
Not sure how strong your file is?
The free assessment takes about a minute and tells you what a consulate is likely to take issue with — and what would fix it — before you pay a government fee.
Questions people ask
How long does a B1/B2 last?
Validity is set by the consulate and Nigerian applicants are commonly issued multi-year visas, but the length granted is at the officer's discretion and the permitted stay on each entry is set separately at the border.
Can I attend a trade fair on a B-1?
Yes — attending and negotiating are permitted. Selling directly to the public from a stand, or taking payment in the US, is not.
Travelling to United States for another reason?
This page is first-time guidance, not a legal source. The embassy, consulate or immigration authority for your destination is the only authority on its own requirements, and they can change without notice. Fees shown are what the government charges and are estimates — they are paid by you to the mission, and Rayonner's processing fee is separate and quoted before you commit. No agency, including this one, decides or can guarantee the outcome of a visa application.