₦airaland Forum

Okay. But did she get it in the end ?

ehiremen2002:
I am only worried, it might be difficult tosecure US visa as a visitor in Canada. The last time we tried with Mum, they ask why didnt you apply from your home country.

The interview with mom was not too stressful, because my bros was with her and help her answer most of the question.

Hi Fam,

I would like to know, how long this new PTA process takes. Has anyone applied and how long did it take to get the approval email and then collection at the bank? Please let me know.

Wow. This is taking the piss. You should have started raising hell in September. Please suffocate them with calls and emails.

[quote by author=DareFerd post=110155699]Greetings everyone;
I have applied since June for a visit visa and nothing yet. My passport is still with them. No news at all. I don Dey tire. Just halted all plans.[/quote]

There are no rules regarding when to reapply but the right thing to do is to fix all the issues they stated; amongst others. Many refusal letters state 2-3 primary reasons for denial and people fix them and reapply and still get rejected with new reasons. I would advise you post your refusal letter; (covering all your personal details) and then include some material facts about the application and the collective chimes in with ideas to put it a seamless one. If the issue was financially related, you’ll probably need 6 months to put your affairs in order and reapply.

Oma6090:
Please how soon can I reapply for a visa after a refusal? Visa refusal mail came in this week, can I reapply by 1st of march? Any rule regarding re-appliying?

This is not a problem but establish source of funds and make sure the accounts are clean with no large deposits.

I’m sure you’ve noticed the recent delay. My husband’s visa took exactly 12 weeks. Since you’re travelling in May, apply now!! You need the entire 3 months to avoid disappointment.

moyin29:
Good day, please my family and i (family of 3)are planning uk vacation for May, will it be a problem if all funds are in wife account, though more than 6 months. And when can we start the application

Sorry about this. I think black market might be better. Next time, please apply two weeks before your travel date as it sometimes takes a little longer. In the interim, raise a red flag to your bank via email and reach out to your RM for support.

[quote by author=Dinoforyou00 post=110120716]Good evening guys. I have applied for pta on tradesystem portal since Tuesday, I went to the bank the following day, I was told to hold on till I receive an approval mail before I’ll be able to do the exchange. As I’ll be traveling on Monday, and tomorrow Friday is the last working day before my travel date. I’ll be leaving my city for lagos on Saturday, please I want to ask, just as back up plan, which is adviceable, to exchange in the black market or exchange at the airport, which would be easier and besides which would have a preferable rate. Thank you guys[/quote]

Wow! This is beyond awful. So sorry about this. Thanks for sharing your experience so others can make an informed decision.

taiwolawal13:
I've been a quiet reader on this page.
Very useful information everywhere.


But I need to add this.
If you need ur visa urgently don't ever in your life opt in for couriers delivery.
If you have to travel 12hrs back to visa centre to pick up your passport please do it.

TLS (unprofessionally) doesn't handle the delivery themselves. They hand it over to DHL which is notorious for delays. DHL doesn't prioritise TLS packages, they put it with the bunch of items to be delivered all across the country. Your passport and visa is sitting in a sac beside orders from China and intimacy gadgets all on a motorbike. Your future!

Then they take 1 week to deliver just within Lagos. If it's east or north just forget it. No matter how many calls and emails you are doomed
I leaned my lesson the hard way.
I would rather Die than allow TLS to use courier for me.

1. You can complete the PLF anytime within 48 hours of your arrival in the UK.
If you fly out at 9am WAT on Wednesday and arrive on Wednesday at 3pm GMT, you can fill it anytime from Monday 3pm GMT which is 4pm WAT. You can't fill it out earlier. But you must complete it before your flight on Wednesday.

2. The COVID tests will be sent to your home address in the UK but you don't need pre departure or arrival tests from tomorrow since you are fully vac'd.

3. If you want to do the test, that's on you but it is no longer required. Make sure you take your vaccine card and even scan the QR Code to get the digital copy and take that with you as well.

Akorkor:
You are all doing a good job. Thank you all.

Please, I read that the COVID 19 rule changes from 4 am on February 11. So here is my question,

How do I fill out the locator form, the time(48hrs before flying or 24 hrs), and would the PCR test be delivered to my stated house address in the UK?
Also, I am thinking of doing the Covid test even though I am fully vaccinated because I don't want stories that touch from some overwork Nigeria immigration office. Should the test be done 24hrs or 48hrs before flying?

Thanks for being your brother's keeper. What dates can you see please?

Kween2014:
Please try to schedule your IW now. Some dates and times just opened up.

The guidance is for 24 months; this is very straight forward. Even if your visa expired in December 2019, 24 months would have been December 2021 so you definitely do not qualify. At this point in time, the earliest expiry that qualifies would be February 2020. Just keep checking as people who booked for physical interviews may be cancelling their appointments for IW appointments. All the best!

Lots of people who don't meet the criteria have still gone ahead to book IW slots and were turned back at the venue. Waste of time for them and waste of slots when other people who actually qualified could have used them. Very very unfair!!!!

Teminio:
Good day all

Please I need help on the US visiting visa.

Can a visa that expired in 2019 apply for interview waiver?
If not, what are the chances of getting renew visa before May given "no interview date" status?
How is it possible to get interview date if not qualify for drop box?

Thank you

You're most welcome. I used that rate based on my personal route. I tend to use the bus/tube and Uber.

Guidelines for kids-
Children under 11 travel free on most public transport services in London when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, or with a 5-10 Zip Oyster photocard.
Children aged 11 to 15 years old can get free or discounted travel with a Zip Oyster photocard, or a Young Visitor discount.
Sixteen and 17 year olds pay half the adult rate on Tube, DLR and London Overground journeys with a 16+ Zip Oyster photocard.

Please check out tfl . gov . uk to see what the price would come to for you.

AskGod07:
Amelia you are doing a great job on this platform keep it up sis.

I have a quick questions to ask, is travel card application for tourist ?

Is children under 10 yrs of age don't pay transportation fees in UK ? because I wanted to plan for my budget and I am traveling with my Children 2,4,6 years

How much is transportation perday for adult?

We are going for 10days tourist

Please can you help me explain how to calculate for our transportation likely food also?
I saw one off your table tabular form you created but i don't know about kids under 10 years old ?

Is feeding per day for adult also applicable for kids too

Waiting for your Swift response

Thanks sweet sis

Sorry about this. I wish you the best next time. What input do you need? The letter is very straight forward.
1. You don't earn enough to sponsor yourself on a trip to the UK.
2. The claimed budget for 2 weeks is too small and even at that, it is about 4 months of your annual income which makes it suspicious that one would want to fork out such.
3. You resorted to inflation before sending in the application.

Fix these three.
1. Since you are a student, declare this and explain you run a side business as you are entrepreneurial. You however still need a sponsor.
nobody random. Parents or older siblings preferably.
2. Get a proper budget for the trip. The ECO didn’t mention this but trust me, if you apply next time and state this same budget, they’ll raise it as unrealistic. Many times, they outline 2-3 primary reasons and people sometimes fix those only to see another rejection with more reasons. So, it is important that you accurately estimate the cost of the entire trip. Breakdown flight, accommodation, food, transport and a little bit for shopping and entertainment (not mandatory). Below is my personal budget guide which I came up with myself and is by no means prescriptive, but you can review, and tweak as needed. This will help guide to ensure your budget, length of trip and available balance are all in sync.
Flight- £564
Accommodation- £50/Day (unless you’re staying with a family member or friend)
Food- £20/day
Transport- £10-15/day
Optional
Shopping- Variable but I always advise one to include something as genuine tourists would usually do some shopping- souvenirs, clothes etc.
Entertainment- Variable but I always advise one to include something as genuine tourists would usually want to venture out to popular tourist sites like the London Eye, Madam Tussaud's, The Shard, going clubbing, etc.
3. Do not resort to inflation, sending through large deposits within the six-month period. Neither should your sponsor. Your sponsor needs to include their bank statement which needs to be clean as well as their pay slips to explain the source of funds or equivalent documentation if the sponsor is an entrepreneur.
4. You can increase your chances by going to other countries in the interim and returning- The UAE, Turkey, South Africa are other tourist destinations you can use to build your travel history.
5. Sort all of these out before reapplying as you do not want multiple rejections under your belt.

Cheers!

dirolad:
Please this is my refusal letter, i will love your input on this. I'm a student

You don't need to have booked an appointment already. The website clearly lays out the requirements. I know people who have booked their IW appointments and didn't have any prior interview scheduled.

Qualifications for the Interview Waiver (IW) at the US Consulate in Lagos

To qualify for interview waiver, visa applicants must be applying to renew a visa in the same classification as their prior nonimmigrant visa. Right now, this service is only available to applicants renewing a B1/B2, C1/D, F, M or J, H and L visa. Applicants must satisfy all the following criteria for their visa class. If applying as a group or family, all members must fulfill all criteria to qualify for interview waiver.

Applicants who qualify for interview waiver in Lagos must visit this link to schedule an appointment to drop off documents at the US Consulate. Only applicants with scheduled appointments can drop off documents at the US Consulate.

For B1/B2 or C1/D visa holders:

the applicant must possess a full-validity B1/B2 or C1/D visa that expired within the past 24 months or will expire in the next three months.
the applicant must be a citizen or resident of Nigeria.
the applicant must not have been refused a visa since the issuance of the previous visa, or had a visa revoked, or have ever required a waiver.
the applicant possesses all issued passports covering the entire period since receiving the previous visa and the passport with the most recent visa.
the applicant has never been arrested or convicted of any crime or offense in the United States, even if the applicant has later received a waiver or pardon.
the applicant has never worked without authorization or remained beyond their permitted time in the United States.
C1/D applicants must possess a letter from the employer outlining the scope, duration, and location of the anticipated work.

seir405:
Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to confirm if the IW is for those that already have an appointment February 1 and October 2022.

Several people have stated on the forum that this is only for those individuals who have a scheduled appointment between February 1 and October 2022 that can apply for the IW.

can someone please confirm if this is true?

I would advise that you still explain the nature of her business so it doesn’t seem like one is trying to play a smart one.

1. Explain her petty trade business and why the funds come in treacles. She’s retired but does the petty business to keep busy. Include invoices, receipts, whatever else. May be a good idea to register the business and open an account.
2. Include your ILR or equivalent, payslips, confirmation of employment and statement of account. Ensure that your balance is enough to cover your monthly expenses and her cost of trip. £5k seems okay but please don’t express too long a stay.
3. She should include a budget break down. Flights, food, transport and shopping. Accommodation is free, I suppose but these other items for two weeks including flights should come up to about £900. Calculate it properly and indicate the amount for sponsorship.

Cheers!

Oma6090:
Please I really need help as regards my mum's visa refusal.... I am planning to reapply by march but this time around I will be sponsoring her. I will use my UK statement of account. I hope it wouldn't cause an uproar? She can't sponsor herself again because we can't prove that the funds in her account actually belongs to her. She is just a trader, although with put business in her refused application. Is there anything I should be worried of? Also, for properties as tie back home, what document should be uploaded, receipt of land or the survey? I will attach the refusal letter again.
Also is 5thousand pounds convincing enough to apply with?
Do I need to attach all payment slips to prove the source of funds. Do I need any other documents from the UK here to support her application.
I just put to birth hence I am inviting her.

Loooool, Giselle! That was quite hilarious. I've honestly been wondering who these friends and good Samaritans are and why the friends can't do the research on their own. I remember someone who came back to give a testimony saying when he enquired for his "friend", he didn't get encouraging feedback but went ahead anyway and he's here to confirm he got the visa and there was really no friend. The platform is already faceless so I wonder why the need to weave these intricate stories. To each, his own.

giselle237:
You just got a job. There is no friend. The advice is for you and there is nothing wrong with that.
that out of the way… You dnt need a backdated certificate. Moslems get visa approved with nikkai certificate. It is accepted. As long as you are married, it is not only marriage certificate embassy is lookong for. You need to prove that the marriage is genuine and subsisting and therefore need evidence to cover this, church certificate is just one factor.. you need to tick other boxes. There is absolutely nothin wrong with chirch certificate pls scrap the idea of forging certificate out of your mind. Scrap it totally. You are married.

Alright, I wish you all the best but this sounds extremely fishy. What mum or family wants their first year student engaged in marriage at such a young age. Why is their focus in moving you over there to be with her? What is your purpose to them? Have you met her physically? How did you meet? I think you need to ask yourself these important questions. In England, 99% of sixthformers finish off at age 18. Most freshers are 18 and turn 19. Why is a family's focus for an 18/19 year old to ship a man from Nigeria to be close to her so soon. This doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Is she physically challenged and they need a care taker for her? Why is their focus not on her excelling at Uni, getting internships, holiday jobs, planning for her Post Grad etc. I appreciate your honesty and transparency unlike those who keep claiming "my friend, my friend" but please analyze this carefully. If you are still convinced, why not try the visiting visa route for now and/or the student route since the spousal route isn't feasible.

Deehemjay:
Okay thanks sis
This was her idea though cos she was like she wants me there so soon.. I was like we could even find easy ways aside the marriage stuffs
N she said one of her sisters said the marriage would be the easiest n fastest
Even her mom is a British/Nigerian and she also wants me to be there so just like we need any easy ways to be there
I thought they can give an invite or any other thing or is it not possible?

My husband use the 6 month statement but a friend of mine who works at a multinational and so does her husband only used the reference letters along with their payslips. They were both approved but I'm not sure this approach will work for a business owner. So, you can apply with both to be on the safe side.

mulannoire:
@Leef is a bank reference necessary or my bank statement (downloaded via email) sufficient?

You can go with dollars if you can't access pounds but make sure you change at the post office and not the airport Bureau de change as their rates are ridiculous.

Ayodele112:
Good evening everyone. To travel to uk with cash, is it okay to go with us dollars, or must be pounds. Thank you

Okay, great. I think you’ll be fine. Just take proof of your zero balance and breakdown of the bill. [quote author=MrsHappy post=109956632][/quote]

Nigerian banks issue credit cards. I have one @gentlesoul, I have a standard Chartered credit card.

You only need to be earn in excess of N15m salary annually or have a business with revenue of a certain threshold (not sure) as I’m a salary earner and then you open a fixed deposit account and lock the equivalent credit limit with them. Easy peasy!!

O

Donbaba123:
They didn't issue credit card here in Nigeria except Debit card/dollar card, even most of Nigeria debit card doesn't work outside the country while some are limited to $100 in a month.

Hello,

I’m British/Nigerian while my husband is Nigerian (we haven’t done this though). I have lots of friends like me who married Nigerians and when they applied for the spousal visa were refused the first time due to insufficient proof. I’m talking about people who were together for four years.

Your case seems dodgy.
1. You only met in December 2021: 2 months ago.
2. She’s a first year student
3. She doesn’t earn up to the £18k
4. She doesn’t live on her own

You’ll need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the marriage is genuine and she’s financially independent which I don’t think can happen until she graduates.

I advise she focuses on her education, you focus on your career and start traveling to meet each other in countries like the UAE, Turkey etc to build your travel history and show relationship legitimacy and then you can apply for a visitor visa to the UK. When she graduates, you can get married and apply for the spousal visa…..If you’re still together. But I believe if you applied right now, it would be an automatic rejection as it seems like a young lady is being taken advantage of.

Good luck!

Deehemjay:
Yeah I know but she’s a student
More reason why I just wanna throw out Questions so I won’t make a mistake
If there’s any other way that’s gonna be cool aside the marriage also we’ll both be cool with that + she’s a Nigerian but with British passport (was born n raised there)

Why so low though? It’s almost unheard of. Be ready to justify. I hope you didn’t access any public funds or concessions.

MrsHappy:
Hello all, it’s been a long time. Good to be back here.
I got my first US visa in 2015 with my hubby and we went on vacation 2017.
Then in 2018 and 2019 respectively, I had my 2 kids on a renewed visa. ( I sent an email to Lagos embassy to inform them of my pregnancy plans and they replied that it’s up to the Officer at point of entry) . At point of entry all my documents were looked at after I told them I was pregnant and I was allowed in.
Now my question is none of my hospital bills was more than $5000. I am going for this new waiver program with my husband. Do you think the amount I spent will affect my renewal?
NOTE: I’m not pregnant, dnt plan to have any more kids. Just need to go on vacation

You are most welcome. Since you are going the route of self service, why don't you get it from the online banking platform so that it's already in one document and is of high resolution. It'll save you all that stress.

Loyaltysoul:
I always appreciate your Swift response Amelia, I wanted to do self service so I will merge all the pages of the statement and put it in one file with care and check over and over to see that all pages is uploaded

Thanks

I've not heard about this but I know some Nigerian tourists in Seychelles experienced similar treatment but not heard this about England and would be shocked they would do that. Unless they're trying to verify that the available funds you said you would spend are truly available to you but I doubt they would ever do this.

Ayodele112:
Hello everyone. I just heard now that at the point of entry they are asking visitors to present minimum of 2,000pounds in cash or equivalent in other currencies. Is this true?

You can either:
1. Take the PDF downloaded from online banking and upload as one document yourself.
2. Print at the bank and use the upload service at TLS and they'll scan into one PDF document and upload as one document.
3. Print at the bank and scan yourself into one PDF document and upload as one document.

My husband chose option 2 and had no issues. I would advise you do option 1 or 2. But option 3 may be more prone to errors while scanning leading to an incomplete document or inconsistencies.

Cheers!

Loyaltysoul:
Pls all gurus I the house # Giselle, #Amelia, # Nchabuomo and others

After printed bank statement from online banking that came with PDF format, can I print it out pages or can I upload it directly with PDF format?

What if I collect from inside bank can I scan it and merger it into one folder ?

Please urgently

My husband actually applied with both his business and personal account and then our joint savings account. Business account was just to show legitimacy and strength of his business and personal account to show income available to him.

However, the ECOs have said many times that the money in business account will not be assumed as available for your personal use as it is for the operating expenditure of the business. Especially if you are paid a salary; the balance in the business account will not be summed up with your personal balance to calculate your available networth. So, all the funds must be domiciled in the personal account unless you choose to submit the business as well to just show them the legitimacy.

2.1m is overly healthy for a trip for one person; you can reduce this amount so your personal balance and budget ratio are still healthy. Don't apply for more than 10 days and if you use my formula even with hotel, entertainment and shopping - Budget is about 977k. Please see file below. Even if you intend to spend 2.1m; it's better to be conservative. A friend was denied because she had equivalent of 7k GBP and claimed she was gonna spend 6k and they said the balance in her account would be too insignificant to take care of her needs upon return. Better safe than sorry! All the best!

Ruby105:
Thank you @AmeliaT , to be clear you said I should have times 2 of the amount I will be using on my trip , if I am supporting it with my business account do I need to still have times two of the money for my trip on my savings account , for example if am having 3 million naira on my savings and my trip will cost me 2.1 million naira but on my business account account I have for example 4million naira there and I am applying with both accounts , is it cool this way or I still need to have double amount of the cost of my trip on my savings account.

One account with the direct income source would have been better but he may need to submit both statements to clear all reasonable doubt. Don't forget your marriage certificate.

When my husband applied, he included our marriage certificate along with my British passport data page.

AskGod07:
Thanks sis,

In adding to this my husband as already transferred the sum of 700k already to my account to sponsor me, but he used his saving account to transferred the funds to me.

I hope there's no problem by using his saving account to transferred the funds to me , although he will submit his salary account, payslip, employment letter.

My my main concern now is that hope there's no qualm by using his saving account to transferred the sponsorship fund ?

Include your own statement to show your own situation.
While he includes a letter, bank statements showing his regular income and expenditure in addition to his pay slips etc. to establish his source of funds. I believe this should be sufficient as long as you've crossed all the other Ts and dotted the Is. Cheers!

AskGod07:
Good evening Amelia, I am silent reader on this great forum..

I have some questions to ask before I submit my application, my husband is the one wanted to sponsor my trip to UK for 12 days tourist visa.

Can he use his saving account to send the sponsorship fund into my account and submit his saving acct along with salary acct payslip etc?

Does it mean if he use his saving acct to sponsor my trip?

He's using the saving account for paying bills, receiving non business related payment, inshort is using it for saving and expenditure for general payment

1 Pay yourself a salary into your personal account every month and that should be the primary income there. Obviously, the salary should be a logical amount that's healthy and not eroding your business revenue/profit.
2 You Should present the personal and business account but make sure your business account is active on CAC.
3 Do not resort to inflation, sending through large deposits within the six-month period.
4 Spend as you normally would in your personal account, leaving some each month so that is accumulated to a healthy balance.
5 Review the statement first before you indicate your income, expenditure, and budget. Make sure the annual income matches the statement income. Annual income should ideally be X2 of your 6month statement. The expenditure should also follow the same principles.
6 Budget for the trip should ideally not exceed 2 months’ income. There is no hard and fast rule about this, but people have been rejected for a budget that was X4 their income.
7 However, ensure this budget covers your entire trip. Breakdown flight, accommodation, food, transport and a little bit for shopping and entertainment (not mandatory). Below is my personal budget guide which I came up with myself and is by no means prescriptive, but you can review, and tweak as needed. This will help guide to ensure your budget, length of trip and available balance are all in sync.
Flight- £564
Accommodation- £50/Day (unless you’re staying with a friend)
Food- £20/day
Transport- £10-15/day
Optional
Shopping- Variable
Entertainment- Variable
8 I personally advise that you try to ensure that the available balance in your account is 2X the budget for the trip. Because they expect that you have funds to go back to when you get back home. So, you can use your available balance to work backwards to see the budget you have available for the trip and therefore the number of days you can afford to stay. Others have gotten their visa with a 500k balance but it’s better safe than sorry.

These are my thoughts and of course there have been exceptions to the rules, both positive and negative. All the best!

Ruby105:
Good evening house … please I am very very confused about something and I will be so glad if anyone can help me out with the best information I need , Am a business owner and my business is registered and I’d like to apply for uk tourist 6 month visa for myself and my child , I have a personal account and a business account, is it advisable I pay myself salary for 6 months or should I just use my business account or I use both account .. please help me with the best information, and If I don’t need to pay myself salary on my personal account do I just save money there randomly I am really confused and don’t know what to do …

I believe you can get a Google card or barter card in minutes. You can apply for a USD dom and USD card and get them this week.

You can use a naira mastercard on booking.com to secure the stay and possibly pay cash when you get there or by then, sort out your alternative card options and pay with that at the hotel. All the best!

Dinoforyou00:
Yeah yeah you’re right. Thank you for that. But I don’t have access to any of these.

Is paying with naira mastercard reliable on booking.com. I heard naira mastercard doesn’t go through. Please is this right

I believe the opportunity is open to even those who don't have appointments as long as they meet the criteria of same visa class and expiry within the last 24 months or within the next 3 months of their intended appointment. Please check out the website. Look at the file and photo I attached.

UmmZayd:
Yes you can, IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE
Best of luck

Hello, I'll be honest. It'll be difficult to get anyone here to agree to this. Please ask a friend or family member. If something is damaged within the home, the card will be charged. If anything happens, an extra night or anything else of that nature, that card will still be charged so I don't think anyone who doesn't know you personally would be willing to do this.

You can ask a friend.
You can use a dollar card to make the payment.
You can get a barter card/flutterwave for this.
You can use a Google card.

Dinoforyou00:
Can anyone please help me with this