i WANT TO KNOW WHY ALMOST EVERY ONE THAT WANTS TO TRAVEL OUT FOR THEIR MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAMME CHOOSE THE UK.WHAT ABOUT OTHER COUNTRIES,ARE THEIR DEGREES NOT RECOGNIZED IN NAIJA OR WHAT?

Probably because universities in UK are very recognized and compared to schools in North America, its much more cheaper

what YOU dont know is that while UK citizen pays about £2500, you, Nigerian students are fund their education by paying about £6000.

Thats why all the UK school coming to Nigeria to get students to fund their research, education etc.

Classical ways of how Africans still developing Europe by under-developing their own country.

tboy1:

Probably because universities in UK are very recognized and compared to schools in North America, its much more cheaper

Are you sure about that?

TOH:

Are you sure about that?

Yes, very sure. You can go online and see the difference

what's the average per year for graduate school in the UK?

Home students pay around 3grand and overseas pay around 6-8 grand depending on the school
MBA in some schools collect 10-12 grand

How much is it there, put in consideration that we're taking about some of the best schools ere in UK, so you need to give me prices for the some of the best schools in N.America

lol 3000 pounds for masters? Liar!

Im talking full price jare, not what is remaining after loans and scholarship and all that crap

TOH:

lol 3000 pounds for masters? Liar!

I'm talking full price jare, not what is remaining after loans and scholarship and all that crap

lol. . . sorry that was for under graduate. . .Msc should be around 4-6 grand homestudents and 9-10grand for overseas. . . how much is it there, in still waiting o?

It is cheaper than U.S and their visa is relatively easier

tboy1:

Probably because universities in UK are very recognized and compared to schools in North America, its much more cheaper

Not entirely true!

so how much is the fee for international students in north America then?

_{students in UK also have the opportunity of working part-time whilst studying}

Dis Guy:

_{students in UK also have the opportunity of working part-time whilst studying}

so do the ones here and not just for 5 bloody pounds/hr like you guys either.

TOH:

so do the ones here and not just for 5 bloody pounds/hr like you guys either.

What u talking about? how much is the minimum wage there and here?
BTW i'm still waiting for the list of fees for MSc in N.America

UK students are able to stay back legally in the UK to work after graduation (without any restrictions) for 1 full year and most likely increased to 2 this year. Not to sound ignorant but is there such a scheme for international students graduating in US universities. I am really interested to know.

If you are a married student. UK allows your spouse to work full time during your period of studies. To my knowledge, this is not the case for US.  That to me is a big plus.

minimum here is 8.75 which of course is less than 5 pounds HOWEVER approx $9/hr here streches way further than 5 pounds/hr there. We both know this is true unless someone is in denial.

I don't buy the story that grad school is 4000 pounds. Here it depends on the school and course. masters in science 'courses' are more expensive obviously. For state univeristies it\s cheaper, about $20,000 and such,  Ivy leagues or private universities can get up to 40,000 however.

paribus:

UK students are able to stay back legally in the UK to work after graduation (without any restrictions) for 1 full year and most likely increased to 2 this year. Not to sound ignorant but is there such a scheme for international students graduating in US universities. I am really interested to know.

Yea after that you end up having to get your job to sponsor you with a H-1(I think that's the name)and most employers do.

A good friend is being sponsered now cos her husband was covered at work and the spouse gets it automatically.

TOH:

minimum here is 8.75 which of course is less than 5 pounds HOWEVER approx $9/hr here streches way further than 5 pounds/hr there. We both know this is true unless someone is in denial.

I don't buy the story that grad school is 4000 pounds. Here it depends on the school and course. masters in science 'courses' are more expensive obviously. For state univeristies it\s cheaper, about $20,000 and such, Ivy leagues or private universities can get up to 40,000 however.

Quick question- do you accept that your private universities there is equivalent to our best universities here?

Why would I accept what I dont know?

You could THINK the best unis in Uk are just as good as private universities here, doesnt make it fact unless you can give substantial proof of course.

TOH:

Yea after that you end up having to get your job to sponsor you with a H-1(I think that's the name)and most employers do.

A good friend is being sponsered now because her husband was covered at work and the spouse gets it automatically.

If you are referring to H1-B visas - I don't think that's really meant for graduate students, it is meant for professionals in certain fields with years of experience and for which you'll need a company to sponsor you. It's the equivalent of a UK work permit here. Also this ties you down to that employer. Definitely not as flexible as IGS or PSW that UK graduates have here.

For me personally, having put that significant amount into studying overseas, I would prefer a scheme such as IGS or PSW that would allow me to seek for employment - at least get some international exposure before heading back to Nigeria. I wouldn't really want to go through the hassles of looking for an employer to sponsor work permit et al. It's really a chicken and egg situation. How can you as a recently graduated student could possibly have amassed enough experience to motivate a company to file work permit for you bearing in mind that there would be numerous citizens from the country with similar qualifications. What is ideal is what UK is doing. Giving you the leave to remain and work, it is now up to you to find suitable employment within that period.

I had really wanted to do a postgrad in the US but that was one of the factors I had to strongly consider before deciding on the UK. I don't want to base my ability to remain in the US on some probalistic scenarios like getting an employer to file work permit - or the other 'you-know-what-routes'. I was more comfortable with a clear and well defined scheme targetted at graduate students to give them free reign to look for work after graduation without any pressure - well at least within that period. This for me is where studying in the UK really shines.

Dis Guy:

so how much is the fee for international students in north America then?

_{students in UK also have the opportunity of working part-time whilst studying}

Same in N.America and Canada where I reside. They are allowed to work full time during holidays (summer and Christmas)

paribus:

UK students are able to stay back legally in the UK to work after graduation (without any restrictions) for 1 full year and most likely increased to 2 this year. Not to sound ignorant but is there such a scheme for international students graduating in US universities. I am really interested to know.

If you are a married student. UK allows your spouse to work full time during your period of studies. To my knowledge, this is not the case for US.  That to me is a big plus.

Same in Canada. . .Infact, you are given a 3yr OPEN work permit after graduation (which means you can work anywhere and for anyone for 3yrs). The spousal thing is also allowed.

Like I mentioned earlier, tuition & other living expenses are less expensive in N.America compared to the UK. . .that u can take to the bank and put ur mortgage on it!

paribus:


If you are referring to H1-B visas - I don't think that's really meant for graduate students, it is meant for professionals in certain fields with years of experience and for which you'll need a company to sponsor you. It's the equivalent of a UK work permit here. Also this ties you down to that employer. Definitely not as flexible as IGS or PSW that UK graduates have here.

For me personally, having put that significant amount into studying overseas, I would prefer a scheme such as IGS or PSW that would allow me to seek for employment - at least get some international exposure before heading back to Nigeria. I wouldn't really want to go through the hassles of looking for an employer to sponsor work permit et al. It's really a chicken and egg situation. How can you as a recently graduated student could possibly have amassed enough experience to motivate a company to file work permit for you bearing in mind that there would be numerous citizens from the country with similar qualifications. What is ideal is what UK is doing. Giving you the leave to remain and work, it is now up to you to find suitable employment within that period.

That's not true. The US has a post graduate program. . .geez, all these info is online. If you are misinformed, that's one thing. . .but I dont understand the point in spreading falsehood. Pal, google is your friend. There are thousands of students that take advantage of these schemes on a yearly basis. The only downside (in my opinion) to this scheme is the yearly quota. There are a few hundred thousand students that apply for the work visas when they graduate but some are unable to get it cos there's a pre-determined number of visas they allocate yearly.

@Delta007

That's great that you get 3 years in Canada after studies. I might have considered there as well if I'd knew before heading to the UK. But good to know anyway.

paribus:

@Delta007

That's great that you get 3 years in Canada after studies. I might have considered there as well if I'd knew before heading to the UK. But good to know anyway.

Actually, the 3yr thing just started this year. It used to be 2yrs. However, I doubt most pple wud need it cos it's relatively easy to get the Permanent Residency status especially after you get a full 1yr work experience. . .that's if ur papers are straight. By the 2nd yr, most pple get their PR status and the work permit becomes redundant. 2-3 yrs afterwards, you become a Canadian.

Delta007:

That's not true. The US has a post graduate program. . .geez, all these info is online. If you are misinformed, that's one thing. . .but I don't understand the point in spreading falsehood. Pal, google is your friend. There are thousands of students that take advantage of these schemes on a yearly basis. The only downside (in my opinion) to this scheme is the yearly quota. There are a few hundred thousand students that apply for the work visas when they graduate but some are unable to get it because there's a pre-determined number of visas they allocate yearly.

Nothing about spreading falsehood here mate. The H1-B visa I've mentioned because I've applied for that with IBM some years back as an IT profesisonal so I knew what it involves. It is not for graduate students, it requires a sponsoring employer and it has a quota. If you are aware of the US scheme for graduate students, you could have done well to mention it than assume I'm being misinformed. First hand knowledge is often better most times, otherwise if it were for google, nobody would be asking any questions here.

We come on this forum to get valuable first hand knowledge. Doesn't mean we expect to be spoon fed.

For students going to UK to study for instance. I can advise in a definitive manner that after your studies, you can apply for International Graduate Scheme (to work for 1 year) and later this year for Post Study Work (to work for 2 years) to work in the UK after graduation without the need to have an employer to sponsor you. This permit to remain has no quota (so you won't be refused because the quota has been filled) and you are sure to get this (save for extremely exceptional cases) as long as you can prove that you have graduated, intend to work in the UK and able to sustain yourself during this period without recourse to public funds.

This is a first hand information that can help direct your google search for more information.

Better still, you can visit www.bia.homeoffice.gov.uk for official information from the UK govt on this.

It would be ideal if fellas studying in the US could provide such similar information with regards to working in the US after studying. So at least prospective students know their options.

Regards

TOH:

so do the ones here and not just for 5 bloody pounds/hr like you guys either.

oh thanks, thought (international) students were not allowed to work

Same in N.America and Canada where I reside. They are allowed to work full time during holidays (summer and Christmas)

Never the one to take lightly some mediocre challenge, I did a quick research on any scheme available to allow international students graduating from U.S universities to stay behind and work in the US. Here is a summary of what I found out.

A scheme called OPT (Optional Practical Training):

Pros (my opinion):
Allows you to work full time after graduation for up to a period of 12 months.
No need to have an employer before being able to apply.
Can change into H1-B after completion (however getting an employer to sponsor H1B is not exactly easy and no guarantees whatsover).

Cons (my opinion):
Can only work in a field related to your course of study.
Cannot be self employed.
The spouse or children of a student on OPT may not accept employment.
Must report any change of employment (beginning new employer, ending employment, moving from one site to another with same employer) including employer’s name and address and employment dates.
Working over 40 hours a week must be authorised.


While it is still an option for graduating students, to me the scheme is not as flexible as what obtained in the UK based on the 'cons' i've outlined above.

http://www.ips.mtu.edu/Forms/Immigration/opt_checklist.pdf
http://www.graduatingengineer.com/articles/20010814/Don't-Pack-Your-Bags
http://www.insidehighered.com/layout/set/print/views/2008/03/14/pandiyan

Also do note that my perspective does not take into consideration other routes to get a leave to remain such as 'marriage, winning the dv lottery, seeking asylum etc' but strictly routes attainable on the basis of your educational qualifications or professional experience.

This is not intended to be a knock on US education for foreign students. Individuals have their own different opinions with regards to benefits between studying in the US against UK. However, information such as these might be helpful in guiding your decision.

For people always rushing to say 'why don't you google it'. I take it that you know that Google do not author majority of those information they give referrals for. So if people don't post information how would google find it. I still maintain that the essence of public forums like this is the first hand information we get from fellow members. If it was a forum to teach Google 101 - that would have been a different case. Is it surprising that OPT has never been mentioned on this travel forum despite all the prospective students wishing to study in the US or am I taking it for granted that every one know about it or that out of all the Nigerians going to study in the US, no one really cares to stay back to work? 

Guys studying  in the US or that have studied in the US and now working there. I am still very much interested in the schemes you followed to regularise your stay there after studies. Purely for informative purposes and not to knock anyone. Regards

Canadian Education is the cheapest compared to UK AND US,
@Delta, Its 2 years after graduate not 3 years and it is in rare occurance would you get PR immdiately though their Immigration policy now have a lot of room for it for International Students that studied here. And its excately 3 years after your PR that you become a citizen

Ezinwannem:

Canadian Education is the cheapest compared to UK AND US,
@Delta, Its 2 years after graduate not 3 years and it is in rare occurance would you get PR immdiately though their Immigration policy now have a lot of room for it for International Students that students here. And its excately 3 years after your PR that you become a citizen

It's now a 3yr post graduate program without restrictions. It came into effect in April, this year. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/releases/2008/2008-04-21.asp

Also, it's not necessarily 3yrs after your PR to become a citizen. Technically, it's 3yrs. . .but if you have resided in Canada 2yrs prior to the date you became a permanent resident, that counts as 1yr (since they count the days as half days); which means that after 2yrs of becoming a PR, u are eligible to be a citizen. . .hence my statement "2-3 years". Check the CIC website to validate my comments.

Lastly, u need to keep abreast the immigration policies. There's a new law coming out this summer that will make it alot easier for new graduates (international students) to get their PR status. It's an accelerated application process since they'd give the program top priority after the provincial programs. Nevertheless, the skilled worker program which majority people use is still valid and it takes between 12-18mths to go through the process depending on how complex your case is.

paribus:

Never the one to take lightly some mediocre challenge, I did a quick research on any scheme available to allow international students graduating from US universities to stay behind and work in the US. Here is a summary of what I found out.

A scheme called OPT (Optional Practical Training):

I'm glad you took up the challenge . . .hopefully, you learnt something! 

Kool@Delta