Hello to all Nairalanders.

I have been a passive member of this forum for a while, and i've to commend all the great efforts of active members on this forum.

I will appreciate any advice i receive on here.

I was removed from the UK in 2004, during my fourth visit to the UK. I was on a two-year visitor's visa, was working with a bank in lagos, and had not violated any UK immigration rules at the time. I'd been travelling to the UK since 2000. I was in the first week of my visit to the UK, when UK immigration officers carried out a raid at a friends house i was visiting, and i was interviewed, and searched, and i gave them all the details about my stay in the UK. Two weeks later, the officers turned up at my cousin's(host) address and said they'd come to arrest me for obtaining a visa through deceptive means. This was about three days to my return to Nigeria.

They said they weren't convinced i was going to return to Nigeria, despite the fact i showed them my return-tickets to Nigeria, and my train tickets from my coz's house to heathrow. Unknown to me, they'd seen a BPP brochure, and some ACCA registration form in my laptop bag- and they jumped to the conclusion i wasn't going to return. I was writing ACCA in Nigeria at the time, using BPP's home-study kits. I told them i wanted to go to Nigeria as my resumption date at work was fast approaching, i didn't bother getting a solicitor- cos i wanted to go anyway, and they held me for three days in a detention camp beyond my booked return ticket. I was finally removed back to lagos, on my passport, but the visa was not cancelled. I'd since completed my ACCA exams. I've visited Schengen countries since then, and then re-applied to the UK in April for a student visa, disclosing all relevant facts about my visa history, i was refused and informed of a retro-active ten year ban(2004-2014).

I really do want to do my MBA, and i'm now looking at one of top schools in US or Canada. Now my question: what are my chances of getting a student visa considering this 10 year UK ban? Most have advised me to change my dob, whilst others said i should keep mute about the UK removal, and subsequent ban. But i am not inclined to change my dob, some of my credentials and docs all bear my dob. I have my family in Nigeria, and sponsored my wife and kids on a visit to canada last year.

Londoncool et al, your advice will be appreciated on this thread.

I really dont know but I think it might have an effect on you but with GOD, all things are possible. Be optimistic