Passports and Visas

Boston is one of America’s oldest cities and has a rich history that attracts over 20 million tourists each year.  Known as the “intellectual capital of the United States”, Boston is a center of education that has more than 350,000 college students from around the world, making up over 7% of the metro area’s population.  Boston has 35 universities, colleges, and community colleges along with many of the country’s best research and teaching hospitals.  As a hub of academia, medicine, and technology, it is no surprise that Nigerians—one of the most educated ethnic groups in America—are numerous in the Boston area with an estimated population of at least 10,000.  Greater Boston is the eleventh-most populous metropolitan area in the United States with a population of 4.9 million people, and includes towns such as Cambridge, Brookline, Quincy, Newton, Waltham, and Medford.     

Turkey is one of the top tourist destinations in the world and attracts over 50 million visitors each year.  Straddling Europe and Asia, the land that makes up this nation of 83 million people sits at the crossroads of many ancient civilizations, making Turkey a must-visit destination for American tourists interested in historical sites and culture.  

Las Vegas is the largest city in the state of Nevada and located in the Mojave Desert, sandwiched between California and Arizona.  The Las Vegas metropolitan area, known as the Las Vegas Valley, includes Clark County and the cities of North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Boulder City, as well as several other unincorporated communities and neighborhoods.  The Las Vegas Valley has a population of 2.3 million people and has been America’s fastest growing city the past decade.  Although Las Vegas ranks only as the 28th-most populous city in the United States, there could be as many as 300,000 tourists visiting the city on any given day.  Las Vegas is known as “America’s Playground” and is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, receiving over 42 million visitors each year.  The Nigerian immigrant population is small, yet it is still possible to find Nigerian restaurants in Las Vegas just like other cities across America.

Los Angeles is America’s second most populous city after New York.  Greater Los Angeles—which includes Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Orange County—has a population of nearly 19 million people.  Known for its endless sprawl (and endless freeways), Greater Los Angeles is the largest metropolitan region in the United States by land area and includes over 200 cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Malibu, Beverly Hills, Culver City, Burbank,  Long Beach, Irvine, Anaheim, Oxnard, and Huntington Beach.  There are at least 10,000 Nigerian immigrants scattered throughout Los Angeles and perhaps as many as 15,000 in Southern California.  Americans trying to get a taste of Nigeria before their trip can visit one of the handful of Nigerian restaurants in Inglewood or can check out the latest Nigerian movie on their favorite streaming service.

San Francisco, known as the “City by the Bay”, is one of America’s most famous and beautiful cities.  Located in Northern California, San Francisco is just one of the many cities that together make up the San Francisco Bay Area, or Bay Area for short.  The 14-county combined statistical area (that comprises the Bay Area) has nearly 10 million people, making it the fifth-most populous region in the United States.  The Bay Area includes cities such as Oakland, Berkeley, Concord, Pleasanton, Fremont, San Jose, San Mateo, Palo Alto, Sausalito, San Rafael, and Novato.  The economy of the Bay Area is one of the most vigorous and entrepreneurial in the world.  While the Nigerian immigrant community of 5,000 is relatively small, it is likely that more Nigerian skilled professionals will move to the Bay Area as Silicon Valley (a region of the Bay Area known for technology and innovation) increases investments into Sub-Saharan Africa.

Seattle is the largest city in America’s Pacific Northwest region and located in the state of Washington.  The Seattle metropolitan area has a population of 4 million and is the fifteenth-largest metropolis in the United States.  Known as the “Emerald City”, Seattle is situated in a magnificent natural environment, surrounded by evergreen forests, mountains, and water.  Having no shortage of scenic views, outdoor activities, cultural events, trendy restaurants and coffee shops, it is no surprise that Seattle is a popular tourist destination with over 40 million visitors coming to the city each year.  The Seattle metropolitan area includes the cities of Tacoma, Bellevue, Kent, Everett, Renton, Kirkland, and Redmond.  Although there are over 350,000 Nigerian immigrants living in the United States, only about 1,500 live in the Seattle area.

The city of Dallas and the surrounding metropolitan area is the most populous metropolis in the southern United States and fourth-most populous in the country.  The Dallas metropolitan area—known as the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, or DFW by local residents—has a population of 7.6 million people and includes the cities of Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, Frisco, Mesquite, Denton, Grand Prairie, and McKinney.  The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, located in North Texas, is one of the fastest growing regions in the country thanks to its low cost of living, low taxes, abundance of resources, and ease of doing business.  The African immigrant community in Dallas is diverse and its population is spread throughout the city.  There are likely at least 15,000 Nigerian immigrants living in Dallas and the North Texas region.

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people (America’s eighth-largest metropolis) and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  Philadelphia has a Nigerian population of at least 5,000 and there are many more African immigrants from other West African countries living in the city.  Americans preparing for a trip to Nigerian can check out the “Little Africa” neighborhood in Philadelphia for a sampling of the continent’s cuisine.

Detroit is the second-largest city in the Midwest (after Chicago) and is better known by its nickname “Motor City”, or “Motown”, because of its prominence as the global center of the automotive industry.  Although the city has certainly had its share of ups and downs, Detroit remains an important and influential American city.  The Detroit metropolitan area, known as Metro Detroit, has a population of 4.3 million and is the fourteenth-largest metropolis in the United States.  Metro Detroit includes the towns of Dearborn, Royal Oak, Auburn Hills, Troy, Livonia, Southfield, Rochester Hills, Warren, Pontiac, Sterling Heights, and other municipalities.  While the population of Nigerians in Detroit is relatively small compared to other American cities, there are Nigerian immigrants here along with Nigerian students attending college throughout the state of Michigan, acquiring knowledge they will bring back to their homeland.   

Nigeria is a West African country located on the Gulf of Guinea that is almost four times the size of Michigan. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and seventh most-populous in the world.  Known as the “Giant of Africa”, Nigeria has the largest economy in Africa and is well known for its huge oil and gas sector, but less well known is its growing manufacturing sector that is exporting products across the continent.  For example, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, located in Nnewi, is the first indigenous automobile plant in the country.  English is the official language of the country, but Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa are some of its most widely spoken native languages.  While Abuja is the political capital of Nigeria and one of the fastest growing cities in the world, Lagos is the economic and cultural capital of the country, if not the cultural capital of Africa.  

Obtaining a Nigerian Visa from Detroit

Nigerian visas are issued by the Nigerian government in the United States.  The Nigerian government is represented by two consulates (there is one located in Atlanta and the other is in New York City) and one embassy, located in Washington, D.C.  To apply for a Nigerian visa in Detroit, you must contact OIS Services (the contractor for the Nigerian government) and appear in person at one of their offices.  OIS has offices in Atlanta, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C.  Please check the website of OIS for more details about the location of their offices and contact information:  https://oisservices.com/

It is a good idea to review the requirements for the visa on the Nigerian consulate website.  Here is the link to the consulate website in

Chicago is America’s third-most-populous city and its metropolitan area, known as Chicagoland, has a population approaching 10 million people.  Chicago is a vibrant international city with a robust economy that is the corporate headquarters for 57 Fortune 1000 companies  While manufacturing and food processing provide a strong foundation for its economy, the city is also an important financial center and is home to the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.  From its food to its music, Chicago is a very American city—an American city that continues to evolve and grow thanks to the contributions of immigrants.  Chicago has a large African population of around 50,000, of which over half are Nigerians.