₦airaland Forum

Greenman2020:
Friday I think is the next appointment date. Expect several transcripts including mine. Cheers!

I'm waiting for the Good news.

Pls, i want to know if the US embassy is on strike.

Where are all the transcripts?

Beegirl1:
Yes please

Check Tulane University

Pls, People of God, who's done with his/her interview?

Share some transcripts let me rejoice with you abeg.

Asguard:
Please i need schools that'll waive application fee.

For graduate studies?

tobypills:
ABUJA CONSULATE 16TH NOV VISA APPROVAL
VO. Good morning how are you doing
Me: *responds*
VO: Passport and i-20 please
*I hand them over*
VO proceeds to ask me to scan my fingerprints
VO: *looks at my i-20* what school are you going to?
Me: Tennessee State Uni
VO: What will you be studying?
I ask him to repeat cos I didn’t hear him
Me: I’ll be studying food safety and my research will be on Multi-drug resistant bacteria in diverse bla x3. I am a researcher in my school here in Nigeria and I need to have this degree to compliment my training/qualification as a Phyto-pathologist
VO: ok *types* I can see you will be working on campus while studying
Me: Yes, I was offered assistantship
VO: Ok. who’s covering the balance (balance is just 3400 was surprised he even asked)
Me: I’m getting the money from my family account
VO: Ok. Your family is here in Nigeria?
Me: Yes
VO: How many are they?
Me: My parents are late, I have six siblings
VO: Oh Wow, they’re into research as well?
Me: No, 4 are in finance, 1 medical, 1 is a trader
VO: Ok, have you traveled outside the country before?
Me: No
VO: Married
Me: No
VO: Any relatives in the US
Me: NO
VO: Any plans of working after schooling?
Me: I already have a job here (refers him to my initial statement when I was talking about what I’m studying). This degree will aid my promotion and upskill me
VO: *starts rustling white paper for passport pickup and reciprocity fee payment, then glances at system* Oh what are your qualifications again?
Me: I have a BSc in Crop Science and MSc in Plant Pathology
VO: Ok, hands me my stuff back
All under 2.5mins with minimal shalaye...

I proceed to pay my reciprocity fee and return home before 11:30 am

God be praised!!!

CONGRATS.
I TAP CURRENT..

We're still waiting for others to post their transcript, abi they're still overwhelmed with Joy.

MOgunleye:
Tulane offers application fee waiver for a couple of their programs especially PhD... It is nothing to worry about.

Okay. That's good

Lildairo:
Hello house, when filling the DS-160, is it proper to write just the course of study only, or I should write my concentration in bracket?

Thanks.

Just write it the way the VO would understand

Airpeace is even better. Arik is a useless airline

simpul:
Good morning house,please I can't find any date on CGI website again. Does this mean no one can schedule a date again?

Lagos?

NoTimeZone:
I submitted my DS-160 today and I've paid my Visa application fee on Monday this week.

And between the GT bank brown teller and the white paper I was given, which one contains my receipt number for booking an appointment?

White.

Sugarxx:
Hi guys, I had my interview scheduled for November ending. However I received an email today saying that my interview was rescheduled to the day before my prior appointment.

Please what could be the reason for this?

It happens. Just make sure you check the new time and confirm it's correct.

Neeta02:
Visa interview transcript
Profile

School: Western Illinois University
Program: Ms Computer Science
Scholarship: 2k
Deficit: 21,770
Sponsor: Uncle
Gpa: 3.4/4.0
Status: Approved
Lagos consulate, Nov 13 2020

My interview lasted about 3-4mins at window 11. My appt was for 8am but it got to my turn around 8:20am

So my interview proper...

Vo: good morning
Me: hi, good morning

Vo: please place your 4 left fingers on the scanner (or whatever he said, can’t remember) & pass me your documents
Me: Ok

Vo: so tell me how you took the decision to go to this school
Me: sorry, (in my mind I wasn’t expecting this question now, & not in this pattern na. What happened to where are you going to & why this school?)

Vo: Repeats question
Me: So after I decided I was going to get a master’s degree, I carried out my research online using some academic websites. I saw over 10 schools that I met their requirements & applied to Western & 6 others. I chose Western because of my interest in an ongoing research by Prof D. on software quality models for the evaluation of software products. I’m highly interested in this research because it aligns with my career goal of becoming a software developer. As a software developer, I need to ensure that the overall functionality & features of a software product I’ll build for my clients meet their expectations, so this research seeks to measure the various software quality models that would best fit any software I want to build in order to get a perfect quality software void of bugs. (I said all these kinda fast sha & a bit shaky cos his whole concentration was on me & I didn’t want him to cut me short)

Vo: so who’s going to pay your $21,700 deficit?
Me: my uncle, Mr K is my sponsor

Vo: what does he do?
Me: He’s the chief accountant & head of e-payment unit at the hq of INEC Abuja. ( I wasn’t clear at all here cos he was gazing into my soul)

Vo: How many children does your sponsor have?
Me: 4 kids ( he didn’t hear me clearly so he asked me to repeat)

Vo: Are they older or younger than you?
Me: they are younger

Vo: How many siblings do you have?
Me: 1. I have an elder sister

Vo: what does she do?
Me: she’s a US citizen & a student

Vo: where is she?
Me: Toledo, Ohio

Vo: oh Ohio! (with his sweet accent) How did she become a US citizen?
Me: she got married to a US citizen here in Nigeria in 2012.

Vo: uhhh that’s a long time! What does her husband do?
Me: yeah! He’s an engineer ( forgot the company he works with, thank God the Vo didn’t ask)

Vo: what did you say your parents do again?
Me: my dad is a clergy & my mom is currently not working because she’s ill ( I mentioned the illness).

Vo: oh sorry
Me thank you

Vo: what does your sister do again?
Me: she’s a student at University of Toledo

Vo: can you please repeat what your sponsor does?
Me: he’s the chief accountant & head of e-payment department at the hq of INEC Abuja.

Types for a long while (the hour of decision) & reaches for the white paper. In my mind I was like are my eyes deceiving me like this? is that a white paper or blue?
Then he said the golden words... please have your passport & i20.... & proceed to window 22 to pay your reciprocity fee.
I was just saying thank you upandan until I left there.

God came through for me today. No docs were asked, the odds were against me but He did His wonders. I won’t stop thanking Him.

Fairheart number 1 of NL, lol. Thank you for the encouragement & assurance that I would be granted this visa even without funding & the mock too, I’m short of words. May God bless you.
I won’t fail to thank Texrem. It was just 1 mock I had with him that he told me to change my response to why this school, he even gave me a pattern to follow & asked that I get back to him immediately, lol. The kinda things he said to me that day ehn I nearly cried. He is too real & blunt, but guess what, it paid off today. I won’t stop thanking you oh Texrem. God bless you as you continue to help others.
To every other person who contributed in one way or the other by posting transcripts & all y’all are too much. God bless.

Congrats

NoTimeZone:
Good evening bosses.

I submitted my DS-160 today and my question is can I go ahead and book an appointment or is there a number of days one should wait before he/she books?

You submitted or paid?

Henrryng:
Hello guys,
Please how good are my chances as an undergraduate student without any funding. I'm asking because most testimonies are of msc and phd.

Just get your documents ready, get prepared, pray and go for your interview and be hopeful.

Having Funding is not even an automatic gateway. Get what you have. Have you been surfing the net to know if you can see any? It's kind of difficult to see for an undergraduate program.

sonofakin:
I don't know if you are joking but even the Secretary of States does not have the rights to reverse a Visa officer's decision. If you really believe that then the jokes is on you

Not everything looks natural.

Pjomo:
You don’t have fundings? How do you intend to pay your tuition?. I hope your uncle can foot the bill of over $30+K a year for tuition abi you just wan use yankee japa as usual?. Abeg no fall out of status o

Also, keep applying for some on-campus jobs, check your school library website, the department or any other depts, talk to anyone you could talk to, check your school International office aswell if there is any position. Ohboy yankee hustle real o and e fit affect your schooling. Don’t go and end up being out of status and flip burger at McDonalds na that one go worst. Do plenty research on on-campus job before you enter that flight. Congratulations by the way!!

"No Funding" here means No financial aid from the School. I think that's what she means.

Friedpotato:
you guys actually believe him?

It's possible.
I've heard of someone trying to fight the security officials there(after denial) and at the course of that fight, the Consular General was just arriving and accidentally, he saw what was going on, immediately, he instructed the VO to issue the man visa o

Lifeisforliving:
Dhl

Thank you.

quasarJose:
University of Tulane is absolutely free. I inquired from one of their graduate coordinators. Don't worry...

Oh, that's good. That means, there's nothing to worry about.

Hello People,

Pls, between DHL, FedEx and UPS, which is more reliable and faster?
How long does it take to deliver?

degxyflexy:
I was about submitting my application with Tulane University for Fall 2021. Its showing that I should pay the $50 application fee but they sent me an email that my application has been successfully submitted. I don't understand because it's still showing awaiting payment on my application portal.

Yeah, it happens.
They may still send in another mail telling you to complete your registration.
But to be on a safe side, send them a mail asap and clarify with them

Pjomo:
Appointment was 7am

Me: Goodmorning
VO: why USA
Me: Answered
VO: Why NCAT
Me: Answered
VO: what research
Me: Answered But seems she wasn’t impressed, (VO cuts in)
VO: Are you married
Me: Answered
VO: I’m sorry you are not qualified bla bla bla, and she gave me a white paper

As I was going out of the building past the security men, the CGI guy came to call me back
CGI: (running fast) Mr Pjomo Mr Pjomo, the VO is calling you
Me: calling me?. She just denied me. I replied
CGI: yeah she told me to call you back
Me: Look, I’m not here to beg for visa, if US doesn’t grant me, another country will
CGI: we are sorry sir, just obey her call
Me: Okay. (I obliged)

Back to the main building
Same VO: I was only joking with you , I just wanna see your reaction
Me: I thought as much as my answers were amazing and I spoke audibly
VO: (utter the sweet words) I will be approving your visa. Pick it up on bla bla and proceed to pay the reciprocity fee.

It can only be God. Thanks to fairheart, julsbaby, slimmy2005, lagosismyhome, imperiouxxx., walspring, justwise, holuwadarey ftos. You guys are the best! I owe you alot

Anytime you wake up, always shout at the top of your voice, "The devil is a bastard"

Congrats. But, kindly give us the full gist or the answer you provided. This "answer" you wrote here is not enough.

CONGRATS once more

babydudu13:
Hello everyone. Please is it possible for your appointment to be rescheduled without you initiating it? I just got an email saying my appointment has been pushed forward by a day.

Yes, it happens.
Always check your mail.

Some people actually make the mistake of not switching on their email sync, thereby missing out some information.

Hollyholy:
My appointment for November 23rd just got rescheduled (not my doing) to 24th.

If your scheduled for 23rd, please check your email.

Same time?

vc1177:
Transcript Title: I Escaped Window 7 By Divine Favour

School: University of Idaho
Course: PhD Physics
Undergraduate: BSc Physics and Astronomy 2014
GRE: None
TOEFL/IELTS: None
Funding: GTA (Full ride)
Appointment: 9:00am
Arrived Consulate: ~5:00am
In Time: ~7:40am
Interview: ~5minutes
Out Time:~8:24am
Status: Approved
Window: 6

I was directed to a lady’s window, vertically opposite window 6(window 13, I think). She checked my documents and made sure they were well arranged before I was directed to window 6. I greeted her twice, before submitting my documents, and when she answered the second time, I liked her voice(like seriously). She was like, “I answered you the second time.” I almost fell in love with her voice. She was cool and helpful. In my mind, I was like, “Is she my VO? It will be nice oh.” But unfortunately, she was meant to check documents before the proper interview. E pain me oh. But I composed my self and moved on.

Interview With Main VO:
ME: Good morning Sir (With smiles/happiness, yet somewhat tensed)
VO: Good morning

VO: Pass me the documents
ME: Okay Sir. Passes the documents (With somewhat shaky hands)
VO: Relax
ME: Thank you Sir (With smiles)
VO: Why are you going to the US?
ME: I am going to the UI for my PhD in Physics (The next line to fire escaped my mind. The pre-interview stage was somewhat stressful, emotionally)
VO: What area?
ME: Nuclear Physics
VO: Have you done Nuclear Physics before? (looked at me with this suspicious side-eye, to know whether I’m sure of what it is I am about to do)
ME: Yes (Sir) (Although, I didn’t do a full research in Nuclear Physics, but I offered an extensive course work in this area, and was the best in the course, during my final year)
VO: What is Nuclear Physics?
ME: Tries to explain in a simple way…VO cuts in…
VO: What equipment will you be using for your research? (This might not be the original question, but it looks very much like it)
ME: Equipments like LHC(Large Hadron Collider)
VO: …in Nigeria? (Something of this nature)
ME: No Sir (Felt the urge to say that Nigeria does not have it, and that is the reason for going to the US…but VO cuts in…[I liked the way he cut in regularly. He helped me keep my answers very short and to the point(Smiles)])

VO: Have you traveled out of Nigeria before?
ME:No Sir
VO: Married?
ME:No Sir
VO: …have kids?
ME: No Sir
VO: Okay (…cuts in…the tells me to place my right four fingers on the biometric gadget…I did that…but I felt something had changed at this juncture)
VO: …open your mask a bit
ME: ( Quickly remembers the instruction to always smile…quickly activated “smiling face” mode before opening face mask)
ME: At this point, I sighted white papers on his table, and was seriously believing God for one of these papers to be given to me, while the VO was busy looking at his “judgement-day” screen
VO: (Rearranges document on his desk and says the long awaited words…) So I am going to be approving your visa…do have…something something…window 22. He gave me a white paper and a yellow slip placed placed in between my passport.
ME: (I could not believe what just happened to me. In my mind, “so these are the famous white and yellow papers I have been seeing on transcripts.” I didn’t know when I started saying, “Thank You Holy Spirit/ Thank You Jesus,” in the hall. It was a dream come true! I lost my job during COVID19 lockdown, and things became “very easy” for me. When embassy gave news that they were about to resume, I almost cried because I didn’t see any physical means of pursuing the visa applications. It was the only full ride I had, after getting series of scholarship rejections from UK, Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand . I never wanted to go to US at first.

After paying the reciprocity fee, I quickly zoomed off, carried my bags and went out to board a vehicle home. The junks and military lifestyle I tasted the previous day almost changed my system. I was just praying that my stomach should not upset me. Las las, I enjoyed the adventure. By His Grace, I have a story to tell about my experience.

Side-Notes/Observations:
1.It is all by the Mercy and Grace of God. God is not dead. I got this frequent advice from approved transcripts here. So I will pass it down to upcoming approved applicants that, “God still does miraculous works.”
2.I prayed to God that I didn’t want to encounter any VO that will not be nice to me. He answered.
3.Once anyone started talking about rejection, I avoided that person on the queue. It helped me maintain positive vibes/energy.
4.Please confess positive things to your application materials. It works. I told my reciprocity fee and passport that, I was never going to return home with them. God had mercy on me. Tell yourself, “your visa has been approved,” and believe it.
5.Out of curiosity and in the spirit of verification, I visited the consulate twice, 6th and 12th of November, 2020. I had heard a lot about VOs and the consulate, and I wanted to verify whether these people had horns or two heads. Funnily enough they were/are just humans like you and me. This helped me feel at rest, to a large extent.
6.Please know what works best for you. I had only two mocks, and saw series of videos about US F1 visa interviews. I also did self-presentations even on the road. Some people mistook me for a mad man.
7.Please know some stuffs about your field, especially your research focus. These guys are smart. They are informed.
8.Honestly, my appointment was largely influenced by Divine Favour. I would call my appointment an informal chat. No document requested, except the basic documents. VO was the one encouraging me to relax. The man is well-informed, for him to have been conversant with events in my field. At a point, I never liked how I responded to the VO, because I thought I was giving the wrong answers each time he cut in. But I had to readjust to his leads.
9.There was this little girl I met on the queue for 9:00am applicants. Her name was Aisha. She was friendly and helped me feel relaxed the more. God bless you Aisha.
10.You see that idea of dressing in a simple, smart and convenient way, it works very well.
11.Million thanks to this family: everyone who posted questions and transcripts; everyone who responded to questions; everyone who gave suggestions. We shall continue to grow in Grace. Amen!

PS:
All Glory to God; All errors are mine.

GLORY TO GOD.
YOU STARTED WELL AND YOU ENDED YOUR STATEMENT WELL.

CONGRATS to everyone.
If your interview is scheduled to hold next week, Congrats in advance too.

Beautifulbee:
Visa Approved on Nov 6, 2020

Interview was for 10am but got to the embassy around 7:30, didn’t get interviewed until around 11

Transcript:
Me: Please can I lean on this(was already so tired)

Vo: yes, you can
Vo: Hold on for a min . Please place your four right hand on the scanner

Me: I did

Vo: Please place your left 4 fingers on the scanner

Me: I did

Vo: Now place your 2 thumbs together

Me: I did

Vo: So where are you going to?

Me: I’m going to Michigan Tech University at Houghton, Michigan

Vo: Oh houghton?!

Me: Yes (nodding my head)

Vo: What are you going to do at Michigan?

Me: I’m going to pursue a doctorate degree in chemical engineering with a research focus in renewable energy

Vo: Why did you pick Michigan Tech?

Me: Asides being fully funded by the department of chemical engineering at Michigan Tech, many of their faculty members are conducting research on renewable energy with an emphasis on biofuels. This is my area of research interest and experience. Furthermore, they have many labs dedicated towards this research area.

Vo: (nods like he was satisfied with my answer). What is entropy?

Me: (saying to myself that my village people had finally gotten me; question was unexpected) Entropy is the energy related to movement of matter or particles but I’m not really sure

Vo: Between this table you’re leaning on and air, which has more entropy?

Me: Air has more entropy but I’m not really sure

Vo: You have full funding right?

Me: (In my mind, I thought he meant so with your full funding, you can’t define entropy �) Yes, I do (sluggishly)

Vo: Travelled outside Nigeria before?

Me:No

Vo: Are you married?

Me: No

Vo: Kids?

Me: No

Vo: (Brings out a pink slip)

Me: (me thinking it was the popular
pink slip) Please you can ask me another...

Vo: I intend approving your visa bla bla bla

Me: Thank you so much.....

Congrats. You found Favour and Grace.

chrisadigwe:
Please the statement of account I used is registered to a business name. What do you think I should do

Have you submitted your DS 160?

Ykxcels:
I wish everyone going for interview tomorrow an open door of favor, a door no man can shut!

I appreciate everyone who has shared their transcript both approval and denial, and everyone who is always here to attend to questions in different shades and manner. All those efforts really help many people. Many who will not even come here to share. So I see it as a debt if I failed to share and contribute my own quota.

I started following this trend properly in May when I got admitted with fully funding for fall, and I had to follow through those arguments of embassy opening before August and all. I didn't defer my admission in faith of the embassy opening until my GPC mailed me to do so. I eventually have no option but to defer to Spring as he told me even if as got a visa mid of August it is going to be late already.

Fast Forward...
Amidst of a lot of heartache and headache, I got a date through the email method

Visa Approved
6th November 2020
Lagos Consulate
9AM batch

Profile:
GRE 311
Duolingo 110
First Class
ELect/Elect
Going for Master fully funded.

Got there around 6:20am, so it was a long wait but I keep confessing scriptures Rev 3:8 and Ps 102:13. I had little or no tension.
After the initial Biometrics...getting to the VO

VO: Put you first 4 right fingers there...Me: I did, and greeted, Good morning sir VO: Good morning just a moment take off you nose mask, just a moment...I did

VO: Where are you going?
Me: I am going to Norfolk State University for my masters in Electronics Engineering at Norfolk, Virginia. (I stopped for like a second, then I remember I have not finished my script play, I continued ) with my research focus on Bioinstrumentation and Control Systems.

VO: Which state is that?(May he thought I will say Norfolk State)
Me: Virginia

VOSound impressed) Virginia...!! Do you have an undergraduate degree?
Me: Yes, I studied Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University

VO: Electronic and Electrical Engineering, why you want to continue
Me: (blanked headed, I said ) I am passionate

VO: Passionate!!! When did you graduate?
Me: August 2017

VO: What have you been doing?
Me: I graduate August 2017, I was mobilized for youth service in 2018, finished in 2019 and I have been working as a researcher at Covenant University, researching in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

VO: Who is sponsoring you?
Me: I got a graduate assistanship which covers my tuition and living expenses, I will be working with Prof. XYZ on a research titled Nobel Labelfree Optical Imaging Approaches for Early Breast Cancer Detection

At this point I realized, I got the visa, he is already marking the yellow slip and picking the white paper

VO: Are you married?
Me: No

VO: Do you have children?
Me: No sir

VO: I will be approving you visa, go to window... Me(cut) Thank you VO: (Saw my excitement) continued...!

I was already taking off my nose mask before I remembered I am still in the consulate I had to compose myself to go pay my reciprocity fee, I was greeting my others as they come behind me to pay too, like 3 girls we had waited together outside for hours. There a many approvals like 80% than denial.

Thanks to Schrodinger for mock interview. Please take more mock interview than reading or self practicing. Also do mock interview for others.

Goodluck to everyone, I hope I will come here occasionally to answer question like many have been doing, I hope this will not be my last time here

CONGRATS

goldbergg:
I dont understand what they mean by tuition per credit hour? I am seeing 890 and you are required to have 30 credits

Per semester, right?

GiftyDiamond:
Please explain your take on using a business account.
So if one has a flourishing business with such amount, it can't be used or must it be from a personal account only?

Personal account shows that it's personal and the money there is unconnected to your business dealings.
In other words, it's assumed that personal accounts are real accounts. It shows that the money truly belongs to you and always shows your capacity to fund your education. Yes, a business account can have millions of naira, but it doesn't show your genuineness because it's also assumed that since statement of account is a required doc, anybody can easily get a business statement of account(because it has the record of all income and expenditures in millions), hence the name "business account".