Standard Visitor visa: Nigerian citizen in United States → United Kingdom
Nigerian citizens living in the United States need a UK Standard Visitor visa — apply online on gov.uk and give biometrics at a UK visa application centre in the United States.
Lets you visit the UK for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities, usually for up to 6 months. No paid work.
- Validity
- 6 months (long-validity 2-, 5- or 10-year Standard Visitor visas are also available)
- Entries
- Multiple entry
- Max stay per visit
- Up to 6 months per visit
When to start
Start 30 days–2 months before your travel date.
Getting an appointment in United States
- 38 centre locations nationwide plus premium centres (VFS directory, captured 2026-06-11). Ten are full-service Mon–Fri: New York, Washington DC, Chicago, LA, San Francisco, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, Seattle; the rest (Phoenix, Denver, Dallas, Portland, Philadelphia and more) run limited schedules.
- With this density, comparing two or three cities usually finds a near-term slot.
- No recent public wait-time reports found for the US — the band below is general guidance.
Check your purpose (tourism, business, short study) is a permitted Standard Visitor activity.
Get your passport, proof of US status, travel/accommodation details, evidence of funds.
Complete the application on gov.uk and pay the £135 fee for a 6-month visa.
As a US resident, apply at your nearest UK Visa Application Centre — there are 30+ across the US. Check its exact location and opening hours on the official directory.
As part of the online application, book your biometrics appointment at your US centre.
If you want a faster decision, buy Priority or Super Priority online via UKVI — not at the centre.
Prove your identity and give your fingerprints and a photo (biometrics) — you upload your supporting documents online beforehand. You’ll get your passport or travel document back on the same day; the centre may keep some other documents while it processes your application.
After booking, upload your supporting documents to the VFS Global website before your appointment — you can submit them online for free.
A standard application is usually decided within about three weeks.
What you'll need
- Passport / travel document — A passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay in the UK. ✓ verified
- Evidence you'll leave the UK — Documents showing you will leave at the end of your visit (e.g. employment, studies, family or property ties). ✓ verified
- Evidence you can support yourself — Bank statements or payslips showing you can support yourself and any dependants during the trip (or that someone is funding you). ✓ verified
- Funds for your return journey — Evidence you can pay for your return or onward journey (or that someone is funding it). ✓ verified
- Tuberculosis (TB) test certificate — If you’re visiting the UK for more than 6 months, a certificate proving you’ve had a TB test at a clinic approved for UK visa applications. ✓ verified· visiting for more than 6 months
Where you'll apply
Because you live in the USA, you apply at a UK Visa Application Centre in the US — not in your home country. There are UK visa application centres in 30+ US cities (including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and Seattle). Use the official VFS US centre directory (linked below) to find and book the one nearest you.
- UK Visa Application Centres — United States — serves 30+ locations across the US — find and book your nearest
Fees
| Standard Visitor visa (6 months) | GBP 135 |
| VFS optional / premium services | varies |
Gotchas to watch
- Apply from where you lawfully live: as a Chinese national in the US, you apply through the US visa application centre — not China — and you provide US-based evidence (US status, US address, US bank statements).
- Priority / Super Priority must be bought online via UKVI — you cannot pay for it at the centre.
- Families apply separately: each person must have their own application, pay the fee, and attend their own appointment.