Take it or leave it, there are thousands of Nigerians whose top pick in their New Year Wishlist is to travel abroad from Nigeria. If you ask them why they want to leave the country, they’ll give answers that will make you shake your head in pity.

The US Embassy report on the US visa application in Nigeria is both troubling and saddening. Over twenty thousand Nigerians lodge application for the US visa annually - the keeps number increasing. It is the same story with other developed countries in the world. This gives away the fact that nearly half of Nigeria’s population, especially the youths just want to run away from the country.

Why Is This So?

Well, everyone wants to live in a place with greener pastures - wants to travel abroad from Nigeria? We all want a good life; a better job, a booming business, to ride our dream cars, afford good houses. This is a life almost every Nigerian believes is possible or at least fast realizable in the overseas.

The Nigerian system doesn’t help matters either. The deepening unemployment, deteriorating security situation, increasing job insecurity and lowering the standard of living push a whole lot of people off the shores.

Now, the competition to get a tourist visa has become even stiffer. Nigerians do all sorts to get it. When they exhaust their efforts, they engage illegal camps making themselves vulnerable to visa agents in Nigeria. These wolf in sheep clothing reap them off and dump them in the bin. That’s the sorry story of most Nigerian visa applicants.

Hardly, you will find Nigerian visa applicants or travel-hopefuls ask these 5 all important questions.

What Am I traveling for?

Gone are the days when this sat atop the checklist of Nigerian travelers. Now, it rarely makes their list – they simply don’t have a genuine purpose for travel.

Most Nigerian visa applicants tick the “Purpose of Travel” box in the application form just to fulfill all righteousness. Over 85% of them hardly can explain what they are going to do in their destination country aside making money. Only a few can give a succinct explanation of their purpose of travel.

We see it nearly every day at TravelWahala. Visa Counselling or visa consultation sessions between our staff and some Nigerian visa applicants is always hilarious but sorry-full. We see people whose only drive is to “I just want to leave this country and make money.” Ask them what they’d be doing in the destination country, they stutter and sluggishly reply “just anything…I know there’s plenty of work outside Nigeria.”

From the first question, we would immediately access which category the client belongs to – the purposeful or purposeless.

First thing first, ask yourself what is it that I need the US visa for? Why I’m I leaving everything behind to move over to Germany. What is it that Australia has for me? There’re a whole lot of different travel purposes, including schooling, permanent, professional studies, medical, tourism, etc. which serve your interest best?

Doubt it if you like, but you can hardly achieve success overseas if you don’t have a definite purpose for your travel. If all you want is to leave Nigeria and make it, you are lost in delusion. Knowing your purpose of travel helps you prepare the right way. For instance, if what you want is to settle and work abroad you know you’d find a job. You then visit platforms like indeed where migration-hopefuls can find oversea jobs.

Where Should I travel to?

Next on the list of 5 important questions to ask before you travel abroad from Nigeria is what’s the right travel destination for my purpose of travel?

As shocking as it may sound, half of the Nigerian visa applicants know next-to-nothing about the travel destination of their choice. Each week, people visit our consultation sessions to get information about their travel destinations.  Some would ask such elementary questions like “does Canada operate the same Immigration law with the US.” And one wonders, is it that they can’t access Google?

Yes, it’s strongly advisable you seek counsel from a travel expert, especially on your first travel or when you want to migrate. However, there’re a few things you can easily do on your own – researching your travel destination is one of them.

Moreover, if you ask a young Nigerian hustler seeking to travel out where he intends to travel to, you’ll most likely get a reply that would make you shake your head in pity. You will hear a pathetic response like “just any better country.” They believe just anywhere outside Africa is better to live in until they visit the place and find themselves in the ditch.

There are a select few immigration friendly countries in the world you can consider as a Nigerian. However, your travel purpose should guide the choice of your travel destination.

Do I Meet the Requirements?

Not quite a many Nigerian travel-hopefuls ever get to ask; do I have what it takes to travel abroad from Nigeria?

To save yourself embarrassing misadventure overseas, it is strongly advised you meet the minimal requirements for traveling to that destination. It may be tempting to give in to the pressures from some visa agents in Nigeria and falsify most of your documents. If you do, better pray that luck finds you. Else, you’ll tell the “tales of Mike Ejeagha” – a tale of confusion and misery.

Nevertheless, from the time of filing your visa application to reporting at the point of entry, you need to have valid documents to present. If not for anything, it gives you peace and an opportunity to concentrate on your purpose of travel. Get your papers/documents right.

Do I need help from a Visa Agent in Nigeria?

Regardless of how you want to disregard it, this is one of the major important questions you need to ask yourself as you prepare for your visa application in Nigeria.

Granted there’re many wolfs in sheep clothing in the name of visa agents in Nigeria. Their intent is to take advantage of the gullibility of most Nigerians to defraud them during, say, the Canada visa in Nigeria application process.

Nearly every day, we get the same stories from Nigerians of how they fell victim in the hands of swindlers. Regrettably, they are defrauded on the very simple things they can do themselves, though if given the right counsel.

Yes, you certainly need your travel. Researching on your travel destination, deciding which visa type you should apply for, processing your visa, booking hotels and flights, etc. can be overwhelming. Hardly can you handle them. So, yes, you need a travel agency to help you with any or all these aspects. However, you need to be involved. Just like we do at travelwahala, a good travel agency should carry you along through the whole process. This will not only educate you, but it will also empower you to defend yourself in your travel destination.

What Type of Travel Visa in Nigeria do I apply for?

If you think this question isn’t necessary, hear this.

In February 2019, a Nigerian visa applicant approached us for help. He had traveled to Australia with a tourist visa hoping to easily get a job and settle there. He’s a medical doctor. Regrettably, he was well qualified for the Australia Skilled Job Scheme. After counseling, he proceeded to apply for the scheme as we advised. He got it, applied for the Australian work visa in Nigeria, got it. Just last December, he relocated to Australia.

You should understand that your purpose of travel determines the type of visa you apply for. Don’t waste your money applying for a visa type that will not get you anywhere. Perhaps, you’d need to seek counsel as Mr. Gabriel did.

Bonus

It’s good to travel abroad from Nigeria. However, that doesn’t mean you should run away on purpose. Save yourself the agonies many Nigerians face in overseas. It’s not always greener on the other side.

In the past nine years of offering quality travel solutions to Nigerian travelers, we’ve seen a whole of Nigerians go through hell overseas because of the wrong travel choices they made. Don’t mind those travel agents in Nigeria that tell you everything is easy when you live in the country. You don’t want to join thousands of homeless Nigerians living in the streets of Dubai, USA, Italy, and other countries. Sit back and ask yourself these important questions. And when it’s hard to find answers, reach us at travelwahala. We’re ready to help.

https://travelwahala.com/https-travelwahala-com-5-critical-questions-to-ask-before-you-travel-abroad-from-nigeria/

Lalasticlala

Wow...great write up.

But will Nigerians hear?

This should be on frontpage already.