She Got U.S. Visa But Denied Entry On Arrival

Photo credit: Pexels/Damir K

She left Lagos with big dreams.

A suitcase full of premium wigs.

An invitation to exhibit at a U.S. trade fair.

And a valid business (B-1) visa in her passport.

But within 24 hours of landing in America…she was back on a flight to Nigeria.

You know that feeling when everything you've worked for comes crashing down?

That was what happened to the Nigerian hair vendor who thought she had everything figured out for her U.S. business trip.

"I was only going to exhibit," she explained in an Instagram video while sobbing. 

"But I didn't know any better because the U.S has all your data, Instagram page, and every little thing."

Imagine being locked up for 24 hours in a detention room after a stressful 12-hour trip. 

The B-1 visa sounds like it should cover business activities. 

But she was apparently wrong.

The B-1 visa lets you do things like:

• Meet with business partners

• Attend conferences

• Negotiate deals

• Attend exhibitions

It does NOT let you:

• Sell products to customers

• Take orders

• Conduct any sales transactions

• Run a business operation

But the hair vendor thought "attending an exhibition" meant she could sell her products at the event.

What she could have done was to have customers place orders via her website and ship to them from outside the U.S.

She'd have attended the event only to showcase her products. 

“They checked my Instagram... they saw the posts where I told customers in the U.S. they could come and pick up their hair orders. I thought I was just exhibiting. I didn’t know it wasn’t allowed.”

Having a visa doesn’t guarantee entry to any country.

Especially when you're on the wrong visa for your intended activity.

Immigration officers don’t just rely on your visa stamp. 

They may also check your social media and website if needed. 

If your online activity says one thing and your visa says another, you may be at risk.

If you're planning to exhibit, especially in the U.S., here's what to keep in mind:

• Be clear on your purpose of travel

• Double-check visa requirements before booking your flight. 

• If in doubt, consult a visa expert or the country's immigration website. 

• Also, treat your social media as your storefront because what you post can be used as evidence. 

Some may look at the vendor's predicament with judgment but this could happen to anyone.