I am trying to buy an item of $450 dollars on AliExpress and unfortunately, I can't seem to get any bank card to work. The seller seems to accept paypal. Can someone kindly advice me on what my options are to pay for this?

@OP,
I was in your exact situation 12 years ago. Applied for Computer Science at FUTA, and was offered statistics instead. I told myself I wouldn't take the course and do JAMB again, but my father convinced me to take up the course. Looking back, studying stats is one of the best decision I ever took. I managed to graduate top of my class (had a high 2.1, not first class) and learnt how to program in R right about the time big data and data science started becoming popular. After I graduated, I got a scholarship to AIMS-Cameroon (nexteinstein.org) through the Next Einstein Initiative where I did a taught master in Cameroon for 11 months all for free. I graduated with a distinction and wrote GRE and TOEFL with the free monthly stipend money we were given at Cameroon. After returning to Nigeria, didn't bother to look for a job, I jumped on Upwork and Fiverr and started working as a freelance data analyst with my R programming skills. I made around $6k within a period of 1 - 2 years, even bought my own inverter and battery to avoid naija's power problem. During this time, naira to dollar was quite high so the exchange rate favoured me. Didn't even feel the economic meltdown Nigeria was going through during this period. Meanwhile, I was simultaneously applying for a PhD position on the side. After many attempts, I got a funding in Spain. Took 10 months to get the visa but finally, after a lot of outrageous and incredible paper work (see this thread for details: https://www.nairaland.com/2261523/spanish-student-visas/19#66897678), I escaped from naija April of 2018. Been two years I arrived in Madrid now, still working hard on the PhD..but looking back, I can't help but thank God I studied stats instead of computer science. My father passed away when I was in 300 level at FUTA but I am grateful that God used him to encourage me to take up stats.

I am not sure how strong Ahamadu Bello University is Statistics but I will advice you take up the course. You have a better chance of being trained well in stats over there than in Computer Science. Most public universities in Nigeria do not have adequate Computer Science training anyways. If you ever pick up stats, just do your best, study hard, be the best you can be, learn all the data science programming aspect on your own (python, R, julia etc..whatever rocks your boat). If you do well, and you really know your stuff, trust me...you will be a hot cake.

All the best!

Studied statistics. Did a masters in maths after that. Now working as a research assistant (while doing a PhD in stats).

Quincy07:
So I just submitted my documents for legalization at the Spanish Embassy. Just for an update and benefit of those you are processing their student visas now...

It’s virtually the same requirements as we all have been talking about.

It still cost N3,000 per page.

Make sure your school sends your official transcripts, copy of certificate and a reference letter to avoid being investigated.

I used my NPC birth certificate and she only asked for my age and said she doesn’t need to investigate it. By the way I was born 1991. Just stamp it at Min of Foreign Affairs or you can get a CTC stamp from NPC Abuja and legalize that same copy in MFA.

WAEC Certificate doesn’t need legalization if your going for masters.

Make sure all your documents have the stamp of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to avoid being sent back.

Also they don’t like it when you laminate your documents so if you have them laminated, you can try to peel off the back only before you get there.

I will post further updates when necessary. And I’ve been asked to pick up my documents in two days time. Start on time and be organized, you won’t have issues.

Good luck everyone

Thanks for the update Quincy07.

Djdimeji:
......As the norm here which is helping each other, would also like to add my vote of thanks to this honorable platform. Everyone here is simply amazing, cant possibly thank you guys enough.

In essence, landed safely here in Spain.........

Congratulations! Felicitaciones Enhorabuena!

dexxy213:
Hello Guys, Please i have a question, i have read through thr thread but yet to get a direct answer to the simple question bugging me, im jsut starting my documentation process ,i want to certify my documents at ministry of foreign affairs Abuja...and i will like to know IF IT'S MY ORIGINAL BSc DEGREE CERTIFICATE THAT WILL BE STAMPED with the ministry's seal OR it's a photocopy i will send and be stamped because i read through the thread and i saw " all documents for legalization at the Spanish consular in Lagos must bear the ministry of foreign affairs seal"....pls does this apply to the ORIGINAL CERTIFICATE my university issued to me when i graduated Thanks alot. I will also appreciate if all the docs i will require for Legalization ALONE are highlighted. THANKS once more!

Simple answer to your question:

If you want to legalise your original BSC certificate, the original will be stamped. If it is the photocopy, the photocopy will be stamped. Bear in mind however that if you want to legalise a copy of your certificate, you must first take the copy to your university for a certified true copy (CTC) stamp. When you get to the consulate and they see that you want to legalise the photocopy of your certificate, the following stamps must be present (or else it will be rejected): CTC from your university, Ministry of Education, Foreign Affairs.

To God be the glory, I arrived in Madrid on Thursday, April 19. Before I get busy with work, let me keep my promise of updating the thread about the process I went through in getting my work permit.

Background: I had a bachelor's degree in statistics at a Nigerian university (second class upper) after which I got a scholarship from African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) for a master's degree in mathematical sciences at one of their centres, located in Cameroon. After that I started seeking a PhD position and I came across a research institute in Madrid who employs PhD students (as research assistants) and pays them while they register and do their PhD in a partner university close by. One of the profs (who is now my supervisor) posted an opening which I found on one of the scholarship websites while hunting for scholarships. Long story short, I applied, was interviewed 2 times and was given the position in July last year.

Process: Since the position is an employment, I needed a work/residence visa for research. First thing I had to do was legalise my bachelor's degree certificate and my master's degree certificate. Since my master's degree certificate was issued by a Cameroonian institution, I had to do the legalisation of my master's degree in Cameroon by first taking it to Cameroonian ministry of higher education for authentication, then Cameroonian ministry of foreign affairs, translate documents to Spanish and then legalise at the Spanish consulate in Yaounde. I had to tell someone to help with all of this process in Cameroon as I could not travel to Cameroon myself (this legalisation process in Cameroon cost me a lot of money transferred through Western Union, documents sent and received via DHL uncountable time etc. at a point, I became a regular customer at the DHL office in my neighborhood). While all that was going on, I faced the legalisation process of my bachelor's degree in Nigeria.

First I was told at the Spanish consulate that I must do investigation which I refused. Fortunately, I met a guy the first time I visited the consulate and he gave an inside info of what I should have done to avoid investigation. I should have gone to my university and requested that my official transcripts, signed copy of my certificate, and a letter of attestation stating that I am a graduate of the university be sent directly to the consulate from my university's registrar or any other office of appropriate jurisdiction. So I refused the investigation the first day, went back to my university and asked that all the stated documents be sent to the consulate. I waited like 2 weeks after which I sent the consulate an email asking if they've received them. I received a confirmation the next day that they've been received. I booked another appointment again and found my way to the consulate in Lagos. This time, my certificate and transcript were accepted for legalisation without investigation.

After legalising my certificates, I sent them (the legalised originals) to my research institute which they used in applying for a work permit for me. The work permit essentially consist of my labour contract with the institute and a document called favorable resolution. The favorable resolution states the number of years of the work permit and is also the proof that the Government of Madrid have approved your work permit. It took a bit more than 2 months from the time I sent my legalised certificates (to my institute) till the time the work permit application was successful. I was then sent the favorable resolution and labor contract which I used in applying for the visa at the Spanish consulate in Lagos.

The tricky part however, is that the favorable resolution expires in exactly 30 days and must be used within this period to apply for the visa. Sending the favourable resolution and labour contract from Madrid to me by courier took away approximately 6-7 days which left me about 23 days to use it. Within this 23 day period, I had to get the following documents to apply for the visa (in addition to the favorable resolution and the labour contract sent to me).

1. a police report in Nigeria, authenticated at foreign affairs in Abuja and legalised at the consulate.

2. A medical certificate/report stating that I am free from diseases according to 200....something health regulations. (This document does not need to be legalised). Thanks to obamd for helping out with this. I appreciate.

3. since I stayed like 11 months in Cameroon during my master's study, I also needed a police report from Cameroon. Thankfully, I knew of this earlier and it was part of the documents that was legalised for me Cameroon while I was legalising my Nigerian certificates here. My school in Cameroon helped me get a police report, I went to my local DHL office to go bring it from Cameroon for me so I can put my fingerprint on it, I sent it back through DHL so that it can be authenticated at the foreign affairs after which it was translated to Spanish and submitted at the consulate in Yaounde on my behalf. After it was legalised, the consulate did not release the legalised police report to my contact in Yaounde who submitted it for me. They asked him to go bring a power of attorney from me, and the power of attorney must be authenticated by the police in Nigeria. I had to do a power of attorney here with a notary public, I then wrote a letter to the commissioner of police in my state to authenticate it for me. I submitted both at the commissioner's office myself and was told to come back for it few days later. I went back after some few days, the commissioner had minuted on it and referred it to the police legal department where they put a stamp on it. So I sent the power of attorney to my contact in Cameroon which he used in collecting the legalised police report for me. I then requested my local DHL office to go bring it for me. Thankfully, I did all this process while I was legalising my Cameroonian certificates and it went on till during the time my institute was processing the work permit. So the legalised police report together with its translations were ready by the time the favourable resolution arrived as I couldn't have achieved all these within the 23 days window.

4. translation of my Nigerian police report and medical certificate. My institute handled this for me and sent them to me via UPS within the 23 days period. I scanned it to them and they sent me via email the translations after which they sent the original translations by courier. Since the original translations didn't arrive on time, I printed in colour the translations sent to me via email and used it for the visa app. Surprisingly, they were not rejected.

In summary, I applied for the visa exactly 1 day before the favourable resolution expired and I was called to come pick it up exactly 2 weeks after. I got my offer letter early July (first or send of July) and I got the visa March ending making the process almost 9 months worth of rigorous "paper work".

Phewwww that is the long process I had to pass through. Anyways, I hope someone will find this helpful.

Thanks again for the contributions on this thread, the process would have been much harder. Regards.

After a lengthy, tedious and involving process of almost 8 months, I finally got my visa today from the consulate. What made mine so lengthy is because I was a processing a work visa. I can't thank everybody that has contributed on this thread enough. Without the info here, process would have been much more difficult. Thanks to @obamd for the help with the medical. I appreciate you sir.

At a later time, I'll write in details about the process I went through, as a contribution to this thread. Perhaps, someone will find it useful later.

Thanks

Please I am in an urgent need of a medical certificate. Preferably, I need it tomorrow to be able to meet my deadline. I want to use it for spanish visa so I think it must be a doctor's report or statement and it must contain the statement "the patient has been examined and found free of any contagious diseases according to the International Health Regulation 2005".

Please can anybody recommend to me where I can get this. Can I use a private hospital? This is very urgent and I'll appreciate your instant reply.

guchi120:

@Ladylco can you share your experience about application submission , interview booking , and interview attendance . Is it possible one submit the form on thesame day he will sit for the interview? If so , how do you book ? must it be by the individual applying at the consulate? Please throw light on this areas , thanks in advance[color=#006600][/color]

To apply for German business visa, go online to German Embassy website, book an appointment for interview. On the website, you'll see a checklist of required documents for the visa interview. Since you have to book an appointment before you appear for interview, it's unlikely you'll be able to book appointment and appear for interview same day. Yeah the individual must appear at the consulate for interview except for some few exceptions stated on the Embassy website. I'll advice you read through this thread and the German Embassy website also for more details

Lateralmaths:

Pls could you tell me how you got the sponsorship

The conference is called opencon. Someone told me they offer sponsorship for some selected few applicants to attend. I applied and I got selected. That's how.

Here are updates that I think people should know.

1. Legalisation per page at the Spanish consulate is now 3100 per page. Remember to hold the exact amount of money as no change will be given and they won't keep the change. Asking them to keep the change is an easy way to get sent out of the consulate.

2. To avoid investigation for your transcripts and degree certificates, please go to your university and request that official transcripts, copy of your certificate and an attestation letter (confirming that you're a graduate of that school) be sent to the consulate directly from your school's registrar or other office with appropriate jurisdiction. Wait till you're sure they've gotten it at the consulate (confirm by sending them a mail, asking if they've received it, they should reply) before booking appointment and making an appearance. When you get there, tell them your school has sent in official transcripts. Hopefully, they should waive it for you.

That's all I have for now.

Lateralmaths:
ok. Are you presenting a paper?

No I am not.

Lateralmaths:


Pls how did you get the conference sponsorship?

I just applied to the conference and I was given a travel and accommodation grant. I later found out the conference would hold in Germany.

So I got a reply from the consulate this morning and I've been given an appointment date. The appointment email contains important information that I feel will be useful to others later. I list them below:

1. Legalization fee as written in email is #2,400. Please note that fees are subject to change withough prior notice.
2. Education documents (degree certificates/trancripts) will undergo an investigation by lawyers and their fees is from #65,000 to #100,000.
3. Documents that require investigation will take 2 months.
4. It is not required to translate the documents for the legalization process.


I hope the above info will be useful for someone.

sethmelia002:
Hi everyone please I need some advise,I booked for Legalization of my documents and the Consulate has not responded yet. What do I do nowI am confused. I sent a mail on the 7th /09/2017 to cog.lagos.leg@maec.es. Even sent a complaint to the embassy email cog.lagos@maec.es. I have called the consulate numbers but no one is responding who else is experiencing this

Hello sethmelia,
Have you been able secure an appointment for legalisation at the consulate? Have they replied you with an appointment date?

I see this thread is getting dry by the day. Well, let me make my own contribution by describing my adventures with the Spanish consulate here. Hopefully, it will be of help to others and probably resuscitate this thread
I recently got a position in Madrid and I was joyful I finally got a much covete position until I discovered the rigorous process involved in obtaining a visa. My school requires that I legalise my bachelor's degree certificate and transcripts. They said I will have to send that to them first before they'll send documents to me that I will use to apply for the visa. So I actually plan to legalise my certificate and transcript first before I'll now later get the remaining documents (PCC, NPC birth cert, and medicals) and legalize them for the visa application.

I just sent them a mail this night using the email address posted on earlier pages of this thread and I hope I get an appointment soon.

Wish me luck..

Hello Everybody,
I am Oluwasegun and I just got a scholarship to attend a science conference in Germany. The conference is fully sponsored. On reading through this thread and the Visa information page of the German mission, I know I have to do the following (please correct me if I'm wrong ):

1. Fill the Shengen Visa short stay application form and print it out.
2. Add the print out above to some other required documents for the business visa and gather the docs, also get the cash equivalent of the visa fee.
3. Book an appointment for Visa interview online at the consulate.
4. Go for the interview where I will submit all documents and pay for the visa in cash
5. Hope for the best result

However, I am a bit confused about the required docs due to my profile. I just came back to Nigeria last year (from Cameroon where I did my masters) and since then, I have been freelancing online basically on Fiverr and on Upwork. Consequently, I do not have all the following documents required for travellers attending a conference :

1 Certificate of Incorporation/Registration of the company in Nigeria
2 Memorandum and Articles of Association / Company and Allied Matters Act
3 Federal Inland Revenue Service Income Tax Clearance Certificate/Company Income Tax Clearance Certificate of the past year
4 Company´s bank statements of the last three months (only stamped and signed bank statements accepted)
5 Letter of introduction from employer
6 Employment contract and pay slips of the last three months
7 Evidence of business in Nigeria and also of former and current transactions in Nigeria and/or abroad (e. g. bills of lading, receipts, contracts)


I am thinking I should just be silent about my freelancing all together and tell them I am unemployed and that I am a prospective student (I have a PhD) admission already (but I am yet to start) in order not to complicate issues for myself. So that I will only have to provide doc 3 (the FIRS revenue Income Tax Clearance) and my Personal bank statements. However, will not providing docs 1, 2,4,5,6,7 above affect my chances? Also, do I really need FIRS revenue Income Tax Clearance (doc 3) since I am not working yet?

I will be looking forward to your comments and answers to the issues raised above. I will also like to have your comment regarding whether I should include being a freelancer or not as I think this will complicate issues for me. Finally, targeted arrival date is Nov 10, when is the best time to book an appointment?

Hello Everybody,
I am Oluwasegun and I just got a scholarship to attend a science conference in Germany. The conference is fully sponsored. On reading through this thread and the Visa information page of the German mission, I know I have to do the following (please correct me if I'm wrong ):

1. Fill the Shengen Visa short stay application form and print it out.
2. Add the print out above to some other required documents for the business visa and gather the docs, also get the cash equivalent of the visa fee.
3. Book an appointment for Visa interview online at the consulate.
4. Go for the interview where I will submit all documents and pay for the visa in cash
5. Hope for the best result

However, I am a bit confused about the required docs due to my profile. I just came back to Nigeria last year (from Cameroon where I did my masters) and since then, I have been freelancing online basically on Fiverr and on Upwork. Consequently, I do not have all the following documents required for travellers attending a conference :

1 Certificate of Incorporation/Registration of the company in Nigeria
2 Memorandum and Articles of Association / Company and Allied Matters Act
3 Federal Inland Revenue Service Income Tax Clearance Certificate/Company Income Tax Clearance Certificate of the past year
4 Company´s bank statements of the last three months (only stamped and signed bank statements accepted)
5 Letter of introduction from employer
6 Employment contract and pay slips of the last three months
7 Evidence of business in Nigeria and also of former and current transactions in Nigeria and/or abroad (e. g. bills of lading, receipts, contracts)


I am thinking I should just be silent about my freelancing all together and tell them I am unemployed and that I am a prospective student (I have a PhD) admission already (but I am yet to start) in order not to complicate issues for myself. So that I will only have to provide doc 3 (the FIRS revenue Income Tax Clearance) and my Personal bank statements. However, will not providing docs 1, 2,4,5,6,7 above affect my chances? Also, do I really need FIRS revenue Income Tax Clearance (doc 3) since I am not working yet?

I will be looking forward to your comments and answers to the issues raised above. I will also like to have your comment regarding whether I should include being a freelancer or not as I think this will complicate issues for me. Finally, targeted arrival date is Nov 10, when is the best time to book an appointment?

helpfulposts:

Congrats bro

Thanks man. How's it going?

tolajay:
Congrats! What's your niche?

Data analytics. Yours?

Finally, after 8 months, my profile gets slammed with the much coveted top rated status. Thanks to God and to Victor the creator of this thread for opening my eyes to the wonderful opportunities that abound in Upwork. To the newbies, success is yours if you don't give up.

helpfulposts:

I sent you an email, pls reply

Hello helpfulposts, please can I send you an email, I want to make an inquiry from you.

cc: helpfulposts

Osemigho:


Yes. But it seems my cal department make decision early cos other schools never reply.

Hearty congratulations bro. Still haven't heard from any of the schools I applied to in Canada including Calgary. Which program are you pursuing at Calgary? Mine is MSc Stats.
Can I PM you so we could link up?

Osemigho:




We wey get admission was told to relax and enjoy it till when information will be available to us.

He be like say Na chilling mode dem dey do for that side. No gragra things and you can not "gra gra" dem.

It is well. It shall end with praises.

Hello Osemigho, have you been granted admission for your MSc application in Calgary? I'm asking because I'm yet to hear anything from my own Calgary app for MSc in stats (and the other apps I made in other schools). Thanks

Osemigho:
You aren't alone.

Thanks for taking time out to provide a kind response. I really appreciate

Osemigho:
If required, Hope you were able to get supervisor in those schools.

I only spoke to a potential supervisor in Calgary and he seems willing to accept me after going through my papers. He asked to mention him in my application which I did. I don t have a potential supervisor in the remaining ones because most of the stats department make it clear on their information page that its not required and that supervisors will be assigned at the discretion of committee. Maybe this is due to the nature of Statistics as a field, not sure.

Osemigho:
If yes, 6 schools! twale! You be oga.

My boss, na desperation ooo

Best wishes bro and thanks a lot.

Hello everybody,

I just discovered this thread and I have already started reading from page 1. While I read however, I feel like asking some question that I believe people in the house could weigh in on. I have a BSc Statistics (4.33) and a (taught) Masters degree in mathematics (from AIMS in Cameroon, Distinction). I have done TOEFL (108/120) and I have applied to 6 Canadian universities (between Dec and now, still awaiting outcomes) as listed below

1. UVictoria (MSc thesis, Statistics)
2. UCalgary (Msc thesis, Statistics)
3. UToronto (PhD, Statistics)
4. UWaterloo (PhD, Statistics)
5. McMaster (Masters thesis, Stat)
6. YorkU (MA, Statistics)

I really hope I get selected in at least one of them, and my questions are to require guidance about funding and VISA processing when results are out.

1. Funding: Most of the departments promised funding but it is not clear (in most cases) how much this funding will be. So I want to ask anyone presently undergoing a thesis masters (or anybody with an idea) whether the funding(maybe through Teaching Assistantships) will usually be enough to cover tuition and basic living expenses.

2. For the Visa processing, are there things I can start doing in advance to aid the processing in case I am selected, What is the general chances of being granted a VISA say I was selected for a thesis masters ?

3. Also, from the previous posts I have read so far, I am really concerned about the issue of sponsorship documents as I am from a humble background and I'm hoping to get a depending funding from any one of the apps that is successful. Do I have to look for a sponsor with huge account balance for my visa to be processed? Like how much should be in the account? In the previous posts I read, I saw documents of landed property of sponsor submitted as part of the application process. What is the use of this?

I will really appreciate if someone could shed more light on these (especially on the issue of sponsor documents).

Happy Sunday

Questions for the gurus in the house:
Can you open more than one payoneer account with the same name and same id verification (when requested)?
Can you have more than 1 card attached to a single payoneer account? (Can you order for another card while the one you have is still working)

Please bear your insights

3RNEST:

or betterstill ask your pastor, i guess he's not heartless.

LOL, I just love this thread. This thread should be among those nominated for thread of the year if there's anything like that.
Let me share another testimony maybe it will gear up those hesitating. I read stat in school and I decided to take it to upwork after reading this thread. Guess what?, got a college student that employed me for the whole semester to help out with his assignments. He pays per assignment. So please try and take action if you're reading this. God bless the creator of this thread and more $$$ to our accounts.

sunboy:


Yes you definitely will get a refund. It's a dispense error.
Login to your payoneer, go to account activity, there you will see pending transactions, it will be there.
Give it 2 working days to clear, once it's cleared from the pending transaction a reversal will be done.

Big thanks to everybody that responded to my enquiry. They were quite helpful. I got refunded this afternoon.
Best Regards.

I used my payoneer card yesterday at an atm machine. However, the funds were deducted but the machine didn't dispense. The next person after me experienced same thing but the money was restored almost immediately to his account since he is using a local card/account.
I want to ask if anybody has experienced this and if the funds will be restored. Anyone in the house with insight on this? Thanks

Exoticstan:
And they fed you some extra connects right?

Yeah. It was the extra connect that made me notice that I've been given the badge.