₦airaland Forum

@guddylover, well, if you're being sponsored your ties to Nigeria will definitely be your sponsor in this situation. Certainly anything that will prove that your sponsor is well grounded in Nigeria - such as the aforementioned documents should be able to help your situation. Plus where you are a recent High school graduate coming over for undergrad studies it will be more credible that you're indeed coming to study in Canada,

@slamdunk99, well, for a starter, I do not live in BC and I never attended BC so, that could be a good reason for not mentioning it here on the forum. I live here in Nova Scotia which is on the East Coast of Canada and BC is on the West Coast (a time difference of 4 hours for a starter, and also about 7 hours of flying between the two provinces). So, as you can see Canada is such a humongous country! Nevertheless, Unversity of BC is still an awesome university, considered to be one of the top universities here in Canada.

Now about providing the proof of your ties to Nigeria, first of all, the main reason for this is to ensure that you are going to RETURN to Nigeria after your studies. So if you're unable to convince the immigration officer that you will be returning to Nigeria, it doesn't matter if you have been given an admission, they can still very much deny your visa application. So, in this situation, if you are married, and may be married with children, that could be a valid reason for you to return to Nigeria upon the completion of your program. If you are employed and coming to study in Canada on a leave of absence and if your employer are in support of the program you're intending to study, it is also a proof that you have strong ties to Nigeria and you will be returning to your job once you've completed your studies. So, I'm sure you get the picture. Anything that will solidify the fact that you're not planning to stay in Canada will suffice.

@ Bankijey, well, it all depends. Generally Tuition in Canada tends to increase on an annual basis unless where a freeze has been put in place. However, the good news is that we are talking about an increase of hundreds of dollars (not thousand). You may be interested in reading this report provided by Statistics Canada with respect to Tuition rates in Canada - http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/091020/dq091020b-eng.htm

Moreover, one other way to go in order to save cost will be to live off campus, that way you can rent an apartment (may be a room or even find those who are looking for student for room and board (a situation where your rent includes feeding and accommodation - the only problem may be not liking the food they provide). You may actually be glad to know based on the referenced report above that Manitoba was one of the provinces that froze tuition in 2009. Hope that helps. Feel free to ask any question you may have

@ Lilema, Carleton generally requires an average of B to be considered for a graduate studies. However, you'll have to remember that you're competing with other students who may have scores above the average. So, I would say the only way to find out is to try and go through the admission process first. Nevertheless you should also bear in mind that graduate studies take into consideration other aspects of your life not just academic, I wish you all the best, hope to see you in Canada soon.

@ All, I have taken my time to answer most of the questions here on this post but each time I've tried, I've ended being blocked because the system claims I'm spamming. Not sure how else to help if I cannot, at least, provide detailed and useful information. Not sure how else I can be able to else if everytime I post I end up being banned

@ Bankijey, when you say everything, are you talking annually? As an International student, you're probably looking at spending close to that amount just for your first year. There are certainly many options open for you here. You can check out the associaiton of Universities and Colleges in Canada which will give you a good overview of different schools and the progams offered www.aucc.ca

@judenum. 2.2 is a tough GPA when you want to be competitive. Even with MUN, that is probably the bear minimum and you're probably competiting with other students with higher GPA. You can check out the website that I stated above to see if there are other schools apart from MUN that would accept 2.2 for an MSc.

@olatiler, based on the information you have provided, you can certainly qualify to immigrate to Canada under the skilled Worker Catergory. I believe your skill category will be Skill Worker B. Review the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website and you will get detailed information on there. Feel free to contact me if you require my assistance.

@Laajman, most universities here in Canada will require a GMAT for MBA, but having said that, most are also flexible in their admission process as they tend to look at other factors. I will recommend checking out the website that I had stated above to see if there is a match for your request.

@aocelle, there are many univerisities that will offer this program - Carleton in Ottawa, Athabasca in Alberta, I will advise you to review the website of the Asscoation of Univesities and Colleges in Canada and you should be able to find more institution. Here is a link for you to check http://oraweb.aucc.ca/dcu_e.html

I have tried to post this response again after being banned for spamming. This response will be very helpful to those who have posted questions on this thread. Let's hope this message goes through this time around.

@goldenval, thanks for posting that article. I hope everyone can learn from that and do things the right way.

@aocecelle – there are many institutions offering the programs you have posted here. I’ve done a search of the database of the Association of Canadian Universities and Colleges (www.aucc.ca). The database website search link is http://oraweb.aucc.ca/pls/dcu/dcu_e2?REF_ID=79945203&SORT_BY=1

You will probably be looking at the following institutions based on the result:
Athabasca University – MSc, Information Systems
Concordia University – Master of Information Systems Security and Management
Carleton University – Master of Infrastructure protection and International Security, Master of Information and Systems Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology – Master of Information Technology Security

So, basically if you go through that database link it should provide you with all of the information you require per the programs and the institutions.  Should you require further assistance, feel free to contact me directly at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

@olatiler – You will certainly qualify to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency under the Skills Worker program. Based on the information you have provided, you will be eligible under Skill Level B. Now, having said that, all other requirements will have to be fulfilled. Feel free to contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca if you require further assistance and advise on how to proceed with the skill worker application process. In the meantime, you can go through this link http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/tool/tool_01h.asp


@Laajman – GMAT are usually required by most institutions for MBA programs especially for International Students. Having said that, each application are accessed individually but I will advise you to have a GMAT as this will make your application more competitive. Per GRE, not sure if it is a general requirement across board, however, you can consult the schools about this. I’ve included this link for you, which is the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada, this will give you a database of all the institutions that will offer the programs in questions (MBA and MSc Business/Finance) - http://oraweb.aucc.ca/dcu_e.html . Should you require further assistance and information, e-mail me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

@babsharon – Secondary School transcripts can be sent directly to the schools if you can obtain an official transcripts from WAEC (only official transcripts, no photocopies, no un-official results). Preferable, you may want WAEC to send it directly to them but knowing the inefficiency in our country, you may want to get the official results and send it directly (in a sealed envelope) to the college you are applying to. Contact me directly if you require further assistance (canadaforum@hotmail.ca)

@marvis32 – since this is a short term course, per Canadian Immigration requirements, you may not actually need a student visa to take the course. You will have to check the IATA website to see schedule of upcoming courses. Most of the trainings in Canada are held in Montreal. Here is a link to the IATA website. http://www.iata.org/training/pages/calendar.aspx . You may want to look at all of the courses  that will take place in Montreal and based on that you can be able to obtain a visiting visa, however, it is generally recommended to try and obtain a study permit, in case your study period goes beyond the anticipated time. So, to answer your question, it may be advantageous to apply for a study permit once you’ve determine which courses you are going to apply for. Read more about study visa in Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-who.asp. Feel free to contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca if you require further assistance

@ all, I have decided to answer everyone that has posted some questions on this page, and hopefully this will be of great assistance for you all.

@goldenval, thanks for posting that article. I hope everyone can learn from that and do things the right way.

@aocecelle – there are many institutions offering the programs you have posted here. I’ve done a search of the database of the Association of Canadian Universities and Colleges (www.aucc.ca). The database website search link is http://oraweb.aucc.ca/pls/dcu/dcu_e2?REF_ID=79945203&SORT_BY=1

You will probably be looking at the following institutions based on the result:
Athabasca University – MSc, Information Systems
Concordia University – Master of Information Systems Security and Management
Carleton University – Master of Infrastructure protection and International Security, Master of Information and Systems Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology – Master of Information Technology Security

So, basically if you go through that database link it should provide you with all of the information you require per the programs and the institutions. Should you require further assistance, feel free to contact me directly at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

@olatiler – You will certainly qualify to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency under the Skills Worker program. Based on the information you have provided, you will be eligible under Skill Level B. Now, having said that, all other requirements will have to be fulfilled. Feel free to contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca if you require further assistance and advise on how to proceed with the skill worker application process. In the meantime, you can go through this link http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/tool/tool_01h.asp


@Laajman – GMAT are usually required by most institutions for MBA programs especially for International Students. Having said that, each application are accessed individually but I will advise you to have a GMAT as this will make your application more competitive. Per GRE, not sure if it is a general requirement across board, however, you can consult the schools about this. I’ve included this link for you, which is the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada, this will give you a database of all the institutions that will offer the programs in questions (MBA and MSc Business/Finance) - http://oraweb.aucc.ca/dcu_e.html . Should you require further assistance and information, e-mail me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

@babsharon – Secondary School transcripts can be sent directly to the schools if you can obtain an official transcripts from WAEC (only official transcripts, no photocopies, no un-official results). Preferable, you may want WAEC to send it directly to them but knowing the inefficiency in our country, you may want to get the official results and send it directly (in a sealed envelope) to the college you are applying to. Contact me directly if you require further assistance (canadaforum@hotmail.ca)

@marvis32 – since this is a short term course, per Canadian Immigration requirements, you may not actually need a student visa to take the course. You will have to check the IATA website to see schedule of upcoming courses. Most of the trainings in Canada are held in Montreal. Here is a link to the IATA website. http://www.iata.org/training/pages/calendar.aspx . You may want to look at all of the courses that will take place in Montreal and based on that you can be able to obtain a visiting visa, however, it is generally recommended to try and obtain a study permit, in case your study period goes beyond the anticipated time. So, to answer your question, it may be advantageous to apply for a study permit once you’ve determine which courses you are going to apply for. Read more about study visa in Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-who.asp. Feel free to contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca if you require further assistance

@ all, I have decided to answer everyone that has posted some questions on this page, and hopefully this will be of great assistance for you all.

@goldenval, thanks for posting that article. I hope everyone can learn from that and do things the right way.

@aocecelle – there are many institutions offering the programs you have posted here. I’ve done a search of the database of the Association of Canadian Universities and Colleges (www.aucc.ca). The database website search link is http://oraweb.aucc.ca/pls/dcu/dcu_e2?REF_ID=79945203&SORT_BY=1

You will probably be looking at the following institutions based on the result:
Athabasca University – MSc, Information Systems
Concordia University – Master of Information Systems Security and Management
Carleton University – Master of Infrastructure protection and International Security, Master of Information and Systems Science
University of Ontario Institute of Technology – Master of Information Technology Security

So, basically if you go through that database link it should provide you with all of the information you require per the programs and the institutions.  Should you require further assistance, feel free to contact me directly at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

@olatiler – You will certainly qualify to apply for Canadian Permanent Residency under the Skills Worker program. Based on the information you have provided, you will be eligible under Skill Level B. Now, having said that, all other requirements will have to be fulfilled. Feel free to contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca if you require further assistance and advise on how to proceed with the skill worker application process. In the meantime, you can go through this link http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/tool/tool_01h.asp


@Laajman – GMAT are usually required by most institutions for MBA programs especially for International Students. Having said that, each application are accessed individually but I will advise you to have a GMAT as this will make your application more competitive. Per GRE, not sure if it is a general requirement across board, however, you can consult the schools about this. I’ve included this link for you, which is the Association of Universities and Colleges in Canada, this will give you a database of all the institutions that will offer the programs in questions (MBA and MSc Business/Finance) - http://oraweb.aucc.ca/dcu_e.html . Should you require further assistance and information, e-mail me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca

@babsharon – Secondary School transcripts can be sent directly to the schools if you can obtain an official transcripts from WAEC (only official transcripts, no photocopies, no un-official results). Preferable, you may want WAEC to send it directly to them but knowing the inefficiency in our country, you may want to get the official results and send it directly (in a sealed envelope) to the college you are applying to. Contact me directly if you require further assistance (canadaforum@hotmail.ca)

@marvis32 – since this is a short term course, per Canadian Immigration requirements, you may not actually need a student visa to take the course. You will have to check the IATA website to see schedule of upcoming courses. Most of the trainings in Canada are held in Montreal. Here is a link to the IATA website. http://www.iata.org/training/pages/calendar.aspx . You may want to look at all of the courses  that will take place in Montreal and based on that you can be able to obtain a visiting visa, however, it is generally recommended to try and obtain a study permit, in case your study period goes beyond the anticipated time. So, to answer your question, it may be advantageous to apply for a study permit once you’ve determine which courses you are going to apply for. Read more about study visa in Canada http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/study/study-who.asp. Feel free to contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca if you require further assistance.

@aocecelle. When you say Information Technology you've got to be more specific. Moreover, at what level are you considering this degree - undergrad, grad, post-grad. IT is a very diverse vocation.

As listed in my previous post, if you're looking on the East Coast of Canada, I believe you may want to check out Dalhousie University as they offer a few IT based program both at the undergrad and graduate level. And I believe almost all of the other university will offer some form of Information Technology program. Again, it all depends on what you mean by "Information Technology"

@ Olamilec, there are many other universities across Canada that you can explore. The problem is that most people tend to gravitate towards Ontario and part of western Canada. The reality of the matter is if you try Eastern Canada, Nova Scotia in particular, the are are many great institution of learning that are world class in comparison. However, the reality of the matter is if you're not a permanent resident or a Canadian, tuition will almost always be expensive no matter where you go as a result of what is known as differential payment. You can offset part of the cost (at least for your living expenses) by working off campus (international students are now allowed to work off campus in some occupations).

Some of the universities out here in the east that you can explore included but not limited to:
Dalhousie Unviveristy - www.dal.ca (one of the best universities in Canada - arts, sciences, medicine, engineering etc)
St Mary's University - www. smu.ca (great for business programs - MBA especially)
St Francis Xavier - www.stfx.ca
Mount Saint Vincent University - www.msvu.ca (a great place to go for Education programs)
Acadia University - www.acadiau.ca
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design - www.nscad.ca
Cape Breton University - www.cbu.ca
Nova Scotia Agricultural College - www.nsac.ca

These are the main publicly funded universities in Nova Scotia.

If you're also contemplating Diploma Programs, you can check out the Nova Scotia Community College - www.nscc.ca

The key thing is knowing exactly what it is you want to do, that way  the choice of institution will be made easier. I should also mention that cost of leaving on the East Coast is not as outrageous as it is in Ontario especially Toronto.

For those that are interested in coming to the East Coast, talk to me, and I can be able to guide you appropriately - canadaforum@hotmail.ca

The reality is that every profession has its degree of difficulty. I still stand on my point that trying to compare the degree of difficulty in one profession to another is systemic route to saying one is essentially better than the other. I can still remember back in High School when science students had the notion that we were better than those in the arts (commerce students were even seen as losers) and this was based solely on one assumption - sciences are more tedious than the arts.

I'm sure many of us here are aware of how the line between medicine and Information Technology has become blurred to the point that both industries depend on each other to thrive. Many doctors today (I'm probably talking about societies where things work the way they should) cannot perform their duties without the full support of innovations within the IT sector. Likewise, the driving force within IT to come up with many technologically aided medical innovations has a lot to do with the knowledgeable and hardworking medical practitioners who continue to deal with intricate medical issues that are ultimately brought to the attention of the IT sector for simple but effecient technological solutions. Thus, this drives home the point that these two professions, as far as co-dependency is concerned, cannot exist in isolation.

@ blackweaver - I know our people, the moment we start measuring the degree of difficulty, we are getting into the realm of "which is more superior" and trust me, we've been indoctrinated into that ideology within our culture.

Going back to my previous post, I dare anyone to tell me that a doctor has it more difficult than a bricklayer (but if we were to apply our Nigerian upbringing, we all know what the unanimous answer will be). Every profession is unique in it's own way and trying to go on an expediction to discover which is "harder" will only amount to the denegration of one at the expense of the other.

It is high time we buried the mentality that one profession is essentially "more difficult" than the other. Believe me, progressive societies are where they are because they learned to abandon that mindset a long ago and have come to realize that every profession, no matter how "unskilled" it may seem, needs to be celebrated.

@ steve 101, you can contact me at canadaforum@hotmail.ca (notice it's .ca not .com). And by the way anyone wishing to contact me can likewise use this e-mail address.

Are you planning to visit Canada? Do you hope to someday study in Canada? Or are you considering becoming a Canadian Permanent Resident? Then, do not be scammed out of desperation. For a start, if you have access to the internet, please visit this link for a quick review: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp

Moreover, as a Nigerian who has been a Canadian resident for almost two decades, it is very painful to see many of our people falling into the hands of fraudster. The process of coming to Canada is very straightforward if proper procedures are followed.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada has everything clearly spelt out on their website. Over the past two years I have decided that I should be educating people about the danger of giving your money to someone in the name of wanting to come to Canada. Be careful you don't want to be a victim. If you require assistance with the process or if you need someone to guide you through, I am available as a resource. So feel feel to contact me.

Certainly this type of comparison can only happen in Nigeria where certain professions are considered superior over another. The reality is that every profession, no matter how unsophisticated it may seem, will have it's own unique attributes which only those within the profession can fully understand. Are you telling me that being a Medical Doctor makes is more difficult than being a Carpenterl? Or do you want to tell me that someone who is in IT has a much more difficult (or should I say intricate job) than a cleaner?

The reality is that each profession is unique in it's own way and comparing one to the other is essentially (especially from our cultural point of view) putting a stamp of approval on one over the other. We have to realize that an IT specialist cannot become a Doctor unless he trains to be one likewise a Doctor cannot become and IT specialist unless he gets all the necessary IT skills. So, let's celebrate both professions and give due respect to men and women who have chosen them as career paths.

I have been reading this thread for a while and thought it would be ideal to register my voice on this issue. First of all, the poster of this topic hasn't fully understood the sole purpose of courtship. A good starting point is to ask what courtship is all about. In 2 Cor 6:14-15 the Bible clearly states that we should not be equally yoke with unbeliever. Since the ultimate goal of courtship (or if you want to call it dating) is to find a  life partner, there is the need to invest some of your precious time to find out if the other person is living a transformed life. You need to be certain that you are equally yoke otherwise you may be heading down an unredemable path.

While the world may have a different interpretation of courtship, as Christians we ought to be the light of the world and let the world see what courtship is within the context of the word of God. Romans 12:21 encourages us to overcome evil with Good. So if the world's perception of courtship is skewed, it is our duty as Christians to set it right. So, if my guess is right, the poster's psyche has been deeply influenced by what the "world" sees as courtship rather than what a Christian should do in courtship. While it is through that the "word" courtship is not in the bible, the ideals and demonstration of courtship can be seen in various biblical characters and some of them have been mentioned in previous replies. So, if I can say to the poster: "take your mind away from what the world thinks and feels about dating" and start setting a standard for the world so they can see what dating is really like.

1 Cor 10:31 says: "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" - and I'm sure courtship is no exception.

Merry Christmas to everyone

I think asking this question presents some ignorance on the part of the poster. You will have to understand that when it comes to naming your children, there is the complete freedom and autonomy in the process and therefore whatever others think about it is actually irrelevant.

Having said that, a Yoruba proverb says "Ile l'a n wo k'ato s'omo l'oruko". So, naming your child is a combination of so many factors which only you (the parents) can understand. Moreover, it is also a fact that majority of us are connected to one or more of the Abrahamic religions, and therefore reflect this in the naming of our children.

In response to one responder's post regarding the translation of these Biblical or Qur'anic names to indigenous languages, I will tell you that it doesn't really do justice to the name. It's like changing my Yoruba name from Ayodeji to Doublejoy. Strength is often lost in translation. So, just as you wouldn't want to diminish the strength of our indigenous names by translating them into other languages, I believe the same is applicable to translating names in other languages to ours. If I gave a Yoruba name to a non Yoruba person who requests for name suggestion, I would certainly expect them to use the name exactly as it is given and written rather than using a translated version. Again, it's the same principle with biblical names.

Have you checked the bible to see how Hebrew names have been translated to our local languages? In Yoruba, Moses=Mose, David=Dafidi, Adam=Adamu, Jeremiah=Jeremaya (I guess I've made my point). A good example is the name of my son, Micaiah (an Hebrew name which translates "Who is like Jehovah), would you imagine me naming the poor child "T'alodabiolorun" or "Obabiolorun O si". Can you just imagine how that sounds more like "inagije or orukoapeja" (nick name) rather than a real name.

There is the need to continue to remember that parents have very special and good reasons for naming their children what they name them and no one, absolutely no one can be the judge of that as it is a very personal (and if only you can take time to find out), and justifiable reason.

It is very simple, just follow the simple scriptural recommendation - "Be sober, and be viligant for the devil your adversary is roaring about looking for whom to devour". Remember the Yoruba saying that you do not go to bed with fire raging over your roof, God will grant you the discernment to deal with these folks. Believe me, when dealing with "these Nigerians", wisdom is essential. As you can see in some of the response - keeping your distance, you can be seeing as being an elitist, if you're too friendly, people will say "na wetin be in own", so, as you can see, it's a no win situation, hence, the need for wisdom.