People traveling for business/studies/humanitarian reasons can request an expedited appointment by e-mailing: YaoundeNIV@state.gov, stating their name and date of birth, nationality, steps taken to make sufficient advance preparation and why they were not successful, the reasons why travel cannot be deferred, the reason for travel to the United States, the date of current interview, the date of requested interview, and the date of departure from Cameroon.

As a returning student, you must reapply through the normal system – and are encouraged to plan ahead and book an appointment before leaving the U.S.  Students must submit a new application and obtain another visa prior to returning to the United States.  You need to submit only (1) the appointment confirmation and (2) an updated I-20 form. If your I-20 has not been updated, you will need to add a letter from your university. It is also critical that you verify with your school that you remain a student in good standing and that you return to school within the timeframe they provide.  Failure to do so can result in the termination of your SEVIS status — and result in being refused entry by Customs and Border Protection at the U.S. port of entry.

The Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of entry to the US will determine the visitor’s length of stay.  Typically, tourist and business travelers will be allowed a stay of up to six months and MUST request an extension of that period if they wish to remain longer.  Staying in the United States beyond the authorized time period without receiving written confirmation of an extension can make travelers ineligible to re-enter the United States for up to ten years.

No, the visa issued by the U.S. Embassy does not entitle you to enter the United States of America.  Rather, it allows you to travel to the United States in order to apply for entry. At the port of entry, a Customs and Border Protection officer will consider the nature of your travel before granting you entry.

The first fee paid is the $140 MRV (Machine-Readable Visa) application fee and is paid by all nonimmigrant visa applicants, except diplomats traveling for official purpose. Funds generated from this fee support border security enhancements in the US. If approved, Cameroonian applicants will be required to pay an issuance or reciprocity fee of $60 or FCFA equivalent for a six-month visa or $240 or FCFA equivalent for a twelve-month visa.

Unlike the MRV fee, the issuance fee varies for nationals of different countries based on the principle of reciprocity. If American citizens are not required to pay any issuance fee or enjoy visa-free status to a certain country, nationals of that country are not required to pay the issuance fee for a US non-immigrant visa.

No. The MRV fee is a non-refundable application fee.

There is no time restriction for re-application following visa denial. However, unless there has been a significant change in your circumstances it is unlikely that a second application will result in visa issuance.  Specifically, obtaining additional documentation following a visa denial does not alter the underlying facts, and is therefore unlikely to assist a re-application.

No, you cannot appeal the decision to deny your nonimmigrant visa.  However, you may reapply provided that your circumstances have changed.

If the interview and other basic documents have provided enough information about your circumstances, ties to Cameroon, and the nature of your trip, the consular cfficer may make his/her decision to deny/approve your application without requesting any further documents.

No, it is not a permanent decision, and will not adversely affect future visa applications. If you reapply, a different consular officer will consider your application afresh and make his/her own decision. Please be aware that unless there is a significant change in your circumstances, it is unlikely that a second application will result in visa issuance.

If an applicant presents fraudulent documents, we will deny the application and we will cooperate with local law enforcement in the event we believe a violation of Cameroonian law may have occurred.  Additionally, committing fraud can render applicants permanently ineligible to visit or live in the United States.

We highly recommend that you reject such offers and, if possible, report them to the Consular Section and/or local authorities. Any report will be handled in the strictest confidence.