₦airaland Forum

To me it doesn't sound well that you have a company yet somebody else is going to sponsor your trip to Britain for visit at the age u have stated,u are not a kid anymore bro..

I'd suggest u take things easy and allow ur company some time to grow maybe for few months more..within that period you could also improve ur financial status and have a good statement of account..that lump sum of 1m won't help ya..ur bank statement shud have a lot of transactions.(Withdrawals and deposits)

If u really want d visa issued to u so bad and don't want a refusal,u shud provide d right documents to support ur application even if it takes u a year to put d documents together

LazzyH: LoL, as regards the username thing!
I need your advice. My dad is sponsoring me and I do not want to use my company status cos the company is just 1-2 months old. So I can't use my company's statement of account. Should I use My personal account? Since my parent are sponsoring me, I guess i will have to use my dads statement of account in applying.

As I do not have a job and my company is still very young and does not have the financial strenght to back me up and my account has a lump sum of N1m. I do not know if that would pass but I want to believe that my dad being the sponsor, I won't have much trouble with my account.

Correct and advice me @vicjustice @justwise and @ worry359 @ Chrizizon

LazzyH: I would like to visit my brother and my cousin @ southampton & cambridge and i am not working at the moment but have a small company(Business) that I manage. Please educate me on how to go about getting a visitors visa or the best way to go about applying. I intend visiting for a week or 2 and how much do I need to have on my account + I just registered my company August. Do I use my company accnt or my personal account. I do not want to be addressed as a business owner. What doc would I ask for from any of my brothers can both of them invite me? And my staying der for 2weeks will give me enough time to do a 4days crash course on offshore drilling as that use to be my old profession. There are some other info I can not expose here and I will very much like to share these info so it would better help you to give me the best advice... Thank you very much... I am wondering how I am going to know wen you reply on naira land. It took me days to figure out how to write you here... May God bless yoou. Thanks...[color=#006600][/color][b][/b]

I was in similar situation as u when I applied for family visit to d UK. I addressed myself as a business man because I hv a business name registered, my business name was registered April this year and I applied around August this same year.
Here are lists of documents below I attached with my application:

1.completed and duly signed uk visa application form
2.my e passport
3.original and copy of cert. Of registration of my business name
4. Original print out n copy of individual tax registration (U Can also get this if u dont already have a tax registration number at the nearest firs office..it's free and takes less than 5 mins to generate if they have network in their pc )
5.my personal savings bank statement covering a period of 6 months
6.2 photos showing me and my sister who invited me
7 . Transcripts of past msgs exchanged tru email n facebook to sister n my nephew to support family relationship n communication claim
8. P60 end of year certificate for my sister in uk
9 . Copies of utility bills.(electricity, gas, water) of inviter
10. Copy of national insurance card of inviter
11. Copy of driving licence of inviter
12. Copy of data page of int'l passport of inviter
13. Copy of age declaration doc of inviter
14. Invitation letter
15. Receipts and invoices for past transactsions of my business

I had to explain to em why I am using my savings acct as my business acct as I dont hv a business acct ..I also stated briefly about my business operations, nature of business n how payments are made to me for most transactions

I hope it works out for u too as it did for me.

honeyoluwatoyin: the first one i dint, the second application i did

Can u post the cover letter u sent to d Eco in ur 2nd application for review n analysis here?

honeyoluwatoyin: hi guys, am directing my iss to @justwise and @visjustice and all other gurus.... firstly lemme tell you little about me so you dont get confused. am a trader i visit dubai quarterly, a mother but not married and also presently serving my country...my cousin invited me for her graduation ceremony lastyear nov so I used my dad as my sponsor cos i got all the document a week after i got back from dubai and i didnt have much in my personal account and i had to submit the application before i enter nysc camp in nov lastyear. i submitted.
MY COUSIN BRITISH PASSPORT PAGE
INVITATION LETTER FROM THE SCHOOL ADDRESSED TO MY NAME
INVITATION LETTER FROM MY COUSIN TO ME
2WEEKS HOTEL RESERVATION
MY DADs COMPANY REGISTRATION DOCUMENT which am one of his directors
SPONSORSHIP LETTER FROM MY DAD
MY DADs BANK STATEMENT



REFERENCE LETTER FROM MY DADs BANK
MY STATEMENT OF ACCOUNT to show frequent inflow and outflow
MY CHILD BIRTH CERTIFICATE WIT PICTURES
i stated in the application am an entrepreneurer

IN-SHORT, the ECO refused me saying...... the other directors of my dads company dint give authorization of me using the company's account and that how come i have little or no money in my account as at the time i applied...i felt bad cos it was my first time and my d excuses was so silly..
i dint get my business registered until may this year due to some unknown reasons btw diamond bank and CAC, recently i applied again, made hotel reservation cos i intend going during winter for sales,got a support from my dad duely signed by my sisters cos its a family business.attached my nysc document, i countered reasons for bin refused lastyr. i explained the reason i dint have enough money in my account then and i backed it up wit all invoices since i started travelling til date..... too bad i recieved my packet back yesterday and was refused again on some things i really dont understand.

the ECO SAID
I STATED THAT MY MOTHER WOULD PAY HALF OF THE COST OF THE TRIP AND HAVE PROVIDED HER COMPANY;S ACCOUNT, SAYING THE ACCOUNT REPRESENT BUSINESS FUNDS WHICH SHOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR NOTHING OTHER THAN RUNNING A BUSINESS, THAT HES NOT SATISFY THE FUND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ME ,AND THAT I SUBMITTED MY PERSONAL AND COMPANY STATEMENT AS EVIDENCE OF MY FUNDS,THAT I STATED I REGISTERED MY BUSINESS MAY 2014, THAT HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANY EVIDENCE OF THE BUSINESS AND HOW MY INCOME IS GENERATED OTHER THAN THE COMPANY REGISTRATION DOCUMENT AND LASTLY THAT I STATED I WISH TO VISIT MY COUSIN BUT HAVE NOT PROVIDED THEIR STATUS, HE SAID HE NOTICED I WAS REFUSED LAST YEAR,THAT I DIDNT MENTION THAT I HAVE FRIEND OF FAMILY IN THE UK AND THAT THIS TIME STATED I WILL VISIT MY COUSIN AND HAVE PROVIDED NO EVIDENCE OF THEM.my right of appeal is limited to the grounds referred to in section 84 (1) (c)

When i saw the refusal note, i was dumbfounded cos i dont know what to say. firstly the 'MOTHER' got me confused, 2ndly i never include in my application this time around am going to see my cousin cos i submitted my hotel reservation to them, her name only reflected under the question if i have friend of family in the uk, and besides all her information was attached to my first application they refused., thirdly,all invoices that bears my name was attached to my business document,
immigration lawyer is already helping me on administrative review.....pls advice

Sometimes when they don't understand ur English those Eco might think u don't know what you are up to & feel people like u shudn't be in the uk and decide 2 refuse u str8....

Did u include a cover letter in ur application?

Vicjustice: Are you serious?
Everything is wrong with your application and the circumstances surrounding it: observe the highlights, they are awful blunders.
Please, there is no need to ask how to correct them because, i can't see that possible at the moment as you don't seem to have any serious reason to want to travel to the UK except that you want to "jand" that's to "check-out from Naija"

U dey vex,,why u dey do this guy like this na @Vicjustice??

worry359: We have answered you before and given you information but you will not listen.
Your case is hopeless!
You are young boy saying that you will stay with someone who is not a relative and you have never met!
You will not get a visa with this tale!
You are should stop wasting your time and concentrate on making your life in Nigeria.

'

He could as well go too Benin republic if he so want to leave 9ja, he would still get enough experience there

spikesC: You know it's not quite ethical to use the bring-a-competition-down method to get customers. I would advice you focus on your marketing, branding and customer satisfaction. Get your ads on everyone's eyes, and you would be competing with wakanow.

If you require the services of a marketing and brand promotion company, give me a call

U didn't put a #

esosa4real: Hey Nairalanders,i got an email embassy on Thursday, went to VAC @ Ikeja on friday and yippie I got my VISA! (Took 7 days).....didnt even wait 4 text notification!

I wanna holla 3 GBOZAS for @Justwise @3sha4lyf, and d baba ijebu himself @VICjustice. You guyz are da bomb! You have no idea what u guys did for me!
Forget say doctor levels, with your guidance n answers I did the right thing!

Thanks to oda nairalanders @peace @chirizon n co....Jahbless, I would come back to give some key points n comments.
For now I conclude by quoting @3sha4lyf, Every application is uniquely treated in its own way......Lastly, f**k agents, u can do it all, jux do the right thing, all info is here!
One Love

Congrats to u...

Bros if everyone could come here for visa related issues..all those visa agents would become conductors he he

khadeb: I book for an appointment 2day and was booked for the 29th of august, is d appointment date also d interview day and am I submitting my application on d appointment date?

No interview is conducted..only ur biometric (photo and finger prints) will be taken at the VAC when u submit ur application..documents submitted by u to support ur application will help the VO decide whether to issue a visa to u or not..and yes, u are to submit ur application on d date u were booked for

honeyoluwatoyin: sure everyone is good!... am new on here and wud be glad if y'all can be nice wit your response... how long does it take to process uk tourist visa.. i once applied lastyear oct and was refused on a flimsy excuses...i just reapplied lastweek wednesday and i got a mail that my 'processed visa application is ready for collection.. so scared right now cos everything seems too fast... cos an agent told me reapply application after refusal takes more time than first timer...... cud it be.................? *CONFUSED*

I got similar mail after 7 days..It could be successful. .u cannot tell..no one can tell u either whether it will be.. I applied recently for d first time n in just 7 days after including weekend my application was done n it was successful..contrary to what they told me at vfs abuja when I submitted my application that I shud be expecting feedback after 15 days as a 1st timer..they were wrong..it was out only after 7 days. I am sure visa application processing time has to do with d number of applications received by BHC n some other factors I don't know..more applications takes more time to process n vice versa. .I dont know for sure though ..just my tots

TeamclicksAir: yup...i think its cos there system doesnt sync fast with the airline so while the price must have gone up they werent updated.

Tanx a lot .. I hv sorted everything out

You are very correct ..I didn't add no tax clearance cert too because I didn't have one ..what I gave them was all I got..instead I gave them print out of my tax identification number as that was my status when I applied..I actually wanted to get a tax clearance cert but when I went to firs office here in abuja those rottweilers who work there asked me to bring N90k for tax clearance for a biz registered not even upto 5 months..they were like ..is it not traveling u want to use it for.. I left n didn't go back there again

3sha4lyf: Yes you are very correct. I can't stress it enough, every application is treated in its own merits. And people,should understand that everyone history and background is different and can contribute to the outcome of visa decision. For example, people say Tax clearance certificate or what's it called, is a prerequisite for s/employed or businessmen, yet I know someone who's gotten his visa (I SAW HIS APPLICATION DOCS, I SAW HIS APPROVED VISA, AND I SAW HIM VIST AS WELL) without a tax clearance cert. my friend will say "No two pregnancies are the same". .

Congrats once more

3sha4lyf: Wow. Congratulations. I'm happy for you. Glad you weren't deterred at all by people's comments and all. Stay cool

Believe me 3sha4lyf I was almost discouraged especially when 1 other guy added that I have got no strong tie to my country as I am still single with no kids..no properties. .just registered business name not up to even 6 months. At the end I just decided to give d application a try after going tru different threads here plus d advice from u guys too..basically from d outcome of my application I think every application is handled according to genuine information supplied on one's circumstances

3sha4lyf: I would book directly with an airline. Personally, I don't like travel agency cos, except you are firm on your travel dates, you may have difficulties if you decide to change ur tickets as most times it can only be done by your travel agency. Now, imagine if you are in transit already, or if you are in a country with bout 7hrs time difference, how do u get to reach ur travel agency when they have not yet opened, and of course you don't have a personal travel agent in the agency that you can reach out to to sort it even after working hours?

In short, Travel agencies are not my favourites except I have to travel next day and can't hold a ticket online.

Before you go ahead with wakanow.com, question you should be asking [them] is for example "if I miss my flight, what does it take to get on the next available flight"

HTH

Indeed I really shud av tot of all that..thanks again for ur wonderful advice 3sha4lyf..u are such an amazing person

Oh really?

TeamclicksAir: the site is legit but they are not reliable as you might be asked to pay more after the supposed booking.

Greetings to this honorable house, please i want to know if www.wakanow.com is a reliable site to purchase int'l flight ticket from? Thanks and waiting

U guys are too much here, much Thanks again bro

justwise: Congratulations!, happy that your application was successful

I want to say a very big thanks to you guys here in NL for the great job u are doing here, especially 3sha4lyf and Justwise, I want to tell ya all that my application for family visit to the UK was successful, it was my first time of applying, i submitted my application on the 08/08/2014 at VFS Abuja and got an alert on my phone for pick up on the 15/08/2014 just a week after submission, the visa was actually issued on the 13/08/2014, I really appreciate ur advices, thank u so much 3sha4lyf for that wonderful Letter to the ECO, it gave me clue to everything i included in the application, even though some guys discouraged me from applying, saying my self employed status wouldn't help me because i registered my business name barely 5 months ago, with ur advice here i was able to fix the right docs into the application, above all i guess God answered my Prayer Very Thankful here

3sha4lyf: IMO, your letter is rather tooooo detailed; right thing done at the wrong time/for the wrong purpose.
One thing you have to accept is that these ppl (ECO) are really very busy fellows who have limited time to only skim through letters and other docs. You need not write like you're talking to them face to face. But if you summarise ur letter without stating how "the trip means a lot to you", or better still, in more straightforward and official way, I'm sure that would be nicer.

I don't mean any harm, I'm #JustSaying. I'm sure you understand because I've read thru ur previous posts and u have an idea of how skoin skoin operates in these ppls heads.

Something of this sort will be ideal, brief, yet without missing the main info. Feel free to use it, modify it, or just ignore/disregard it.

Dear Sir,
RE: Letter of Intent for uk visa application
I, MR Surname, Chrizizon, Passport No A1234567 (Nigerian) Date of Birth 1st October 1960, hereby certify that I am the (CEO and/or Sole Proprietor) of my coy, (name of company), Nigeria. (Coy name) is a bla bla bla coy providing (summarise your business activities) services for well over (write the duration) and registered with CAC in (Month, Year) and our clientele include (mention about two or three coys you trade with). My monthly net earnings is approximately NGN1,000 -2,000 (uncapped).

I wish to apply for a visit visa to visit my sister, (Sister's Full Name) at (State, county) from 15th November 2014 - 30th November, 2014. During this period, I will attend her son's (Nephew's name) graduation ceremony at (Name of Uni) on the 25th November, 2014. Please refer to invitation letter from (Sister's name) and (Nephew's name). (Sister's name) will provide my accomodation and feeding at her residence (Sister's Address) for the duration of my trip, and I have included her consent letter. I will be responsible for my travel expenses and any other costs. These costs will be funded from my savings account with (Name of bank, account name and Account No), which is also used for my business transactions with clients. Please refer to attached account statement(s).

I have also provided the following documents to support my application:-
1. A duly signed UK Visa App Form
2. International Travel documents No:A1234567
3. Invitation letter from my sister, (Sister's name).
4. Invitation letter to attend MR (nephew's name) graduation ceremony.
5. Detailed travel itinerary
6. Certificate of Incorporation (or equivalent) for (Coy name)
7. Certificate of Registration of business name (or equivalent) for (Coy name)
8. Memorandum of Association (or equivalent) for (Coy name)
9. Copy of Individual taxpayer registration details from FIRS Garki tax office, Abuja
10. (No. of) Originals and copies of receipts for shipment of goods from India to Nigeria from India postal service (post office) as trade proof.***You might wanna include receipts of transactions as well if you put this***
11. (No. of) Pictures of my Sister (sister's name), My nephew (nephew's name), and I, to support family relationship claim.
12. Transcript of past messages exchanged through emails to sister and my nephew to support family relationship and communication claims)
13. My personal Account statement with (Name of bank, account number) covering a period of 6months. (0/02/2014 to 31/07/2014) to show both business transactions and personal financial standings.
14. A reference letter from my (Name of bank) bank manager ***not sure why you need this! except it tells that you use the said account for both business and personal savings activities***

I will be very grateful if my application is granted. You are welcome to contact me for more inquiries.

Yours faithfully,

(Surname), Chrizizon
(Your position in your coy)
(your contact no)


Then in the separate letter from your sister, who is your host, it should be somewhat like this

The ECO
BH Address

Dear Sir,
RE: MR (Your name, date of birth, nationality and passport no.)

I write to confirm that (your name) is my brother and I am inviting him to visit me in (State, county) from (arrival date) to (departure date) for a short holiday. He will also attend my son's (son's name) - his nephew- graduation ceremony at (name of uni) on (date of grad).

I am a (occupation, full time or part time) at (employer's name and address). I confirm that (your name) will be staying at my residence (address) during this visit -(arrival date to departure date) and I will cater to his feeding for the duration of his stay.

Please find attached the following supporting documents:-
1. A copy of my travel document (Travel doc no) showing my migration status (if applicable)
2. My official ID card (if applicable)
3. Tenancy agreement or Mortgage docs (whichever is applicable) for my residence at (address)
4. Copies of utility bills
5. My current payslips from (start date to end date) as proof of employment
6. My financial statements from (Name of bank) for the period of (3 or 6 months, which ever is applicable)

*** I have also attached a copy of invitation letter to attend my son's- (son's name) graduation ceremony on (date of grad).*** (you may want to put this in a separate letter from your nephew as he may also need to show his immigration status in the UK)

Please contact me if you need further information.

Thank you.

(Closing)
(Your sister's name and Contact no.)
Sign.


Ps: I'm guessing you're applying for a family visit visa.
Remember, you can use this, modify this, or just disregard it... It's no bulletproof blueprint but it gives an idea of what your letter should look like.

HTH

Greetings to the house, I want to know if Mexican visa still allows one to enter Turkey?

Greetings to the entire house especially to the gurus justwise...vicjustice n co

Once again I need your candid advice..I'm about to submit an application for uk visa. The thing is that in my previous passport which has been 'cancelled without prejudice' there are lots of expired visas of different countries n residence permit..However there are also some entry & exit stamps with questionable authenticity on it, I hope u understand me. I want to know if it will be risky to attach such previous P To the new one which is clean with an expired and a valid visa as I am thinking those x-ray eyed ECO could detect things from the previous P..cos really I dey fear 10 years ban oh..I really need ur advice on this..should I declare that P stolen or lost or attach the Previous P to boost my application. Please only advice needed here n no criticisms or blames. thanks

Greetings to the entire house especially to the gurus justwise...vicjustice n co

Once again I need your candid advice..I'm about to submit an application for uk visa. The thing is that in my previous passport which has been 'cancelled without prejudice' there are lots of expired visas of different countries n residence permit..However there are also some stamps with questionable authenticity on it, I hope u understand me. I want to know if it will be risky to attach such previous P To the new one which is clean with an expired and a valid visa as I am thinking those x-ray eyed ECO could detect things from the previous P..cos really I dey fear 10 years ban oh..I really need ur advice on this..should I declare that P stolen or lost or attach the Previous P to boost my application. Please only advice needed here n no criticisms or blames. thanks

Thats true, thanks a lot bro

justwise: No worries.

Let me also mention that your letter is detailed enough, there is nothing wrong with it, better to give detailed info than summary because you will not be there to answer more question. Your letter will do all that in your absent.

Thanks man for taking ur time to check things for me..i really appreciate

3sha4lyf: No probs, I'm thinking "DETAILED" isn't the right word I was looking for when I wrote "your letter was toooooo detailed " but at least you got the message.

Remember, feel free to use it, modify it or diss it. If you decide to do either of the first two, think seriously about if your nephew will like to give you another letter PLUS the main invitation grad letter from the university. So that means one letter from your sis, and the other letter from ur nephew becos if you r attending his grad, it's up to him to invite u for that, not exactly ur sis, If you see what I mean.

Remember to briefly explain any irregularities in your financial account so it's not taken for money lodgement. In the additional info section of the form, be sure to minute a little about why you're using your savings account for business purpose.
All the best.

3sha4lyf: IMO, your letter is rather tooooo detailed; right thing done at the wrong time/for the wrong purpose.
One thing you have to accept is that these ppl (ECO) are really very busy fellows who have limited time to only skim through letters and other docs. You need not write like you're talking to them face to face. But if you summarise ur letter without stating how "the trip means a lot to you", or better still, in more straightforward and official way, I'm sure that would be nicer.

I don't mean any harm, I'm #JustSaying. I'm sure you understand because I've read thru ur previous posts and u have an idea of how skoin skoin operates in these ppls heads.

Something of this sort will be ideal, brief, yet without missing the main info. Feel free to use it, modify it, or just ignore/disregard it.

Dear Sir,
RE: Letter of Intent for uk visa application
I, MR Surname, Chrizizon, Passport No A1234567 (Nigerian) Date of Birth 1st October 1960, hereby certify that I am the (CEO and/or Sole Proprietor) of my coy, (name of company), Nigeria. (Coy name) is a bla bla bla coy providing (summarise your business activities) services for well over (write the duration) and registered with CAC in (Month, Year) and our clientele include (mention about two or three coys you trade with). My monthly net earnings is approximately NGN1,000 -2,000 (uncapped).

I wish to apply for a visit visa to visit my sister, (Sister's Full Name) at (State, county) from 15th November 2014 - 30th November, 2014. During this period, I will attend her son's (Nephew's name) graduation ceremony at (Name of Uni) on the 25th November, 2014. Please refer to invitation letter from (Sister's name) and (Nephew's name). (Sister's name) will provide my accomodation and feeding at her residence (Sister's Address) for the duration of my trip, and I have included her consent letter. I will be responsible for my travel expenses and any other costs. These costs will be funded from my savings account with (Name of bank, account name and Account No), which is also used for my business transactions with clients. Please refer to attached account statement(s).

I have also provided the following documents to support my application:-
1. A duly signed UK Visa App Form
2. International Travel documents No:A1234567
3. Invitation letter from my sister, (Sister's name).
4. Invitation letter to attend MR (nephew's name) graduation ceremony.
5. Detailed travel itinerary
6. Certificate of Incorporation (or equivalent) for (Coy name)
7. Certificate of Registration of business name (or equivalent) for (Coy name)
8. Memorandum of Association (or equivalent) for (Coy name)
9. Copy of Individual taxpayer registration details from FIRS Garki tax office, Abuja
10. (No. of) Originals and copies of receipts for shipment of goods from India to Nigeria from India postal service (post office) as trade proof.***You might wanna include receipts of transactions as well if you put this***
11. (No. of) Pictures of my Sister (sister's name), My nephew (nephew's name), and I, to support family relationship claim.
12. Transcript of past messages exchanged through emails to sister and my nephew to support family relationship and communication claims)
13. My personal Account statement with (Name of bank, account number) covering a period of 6months. (0/02/2014 to 31/07/2014) to show both business transactions and personal financial standings.
14. A reference letter from my (Name of bank) bank manager ***not sure why you need this! except it tells that you use the said account for both business and personal savings activities***

I will be very grateful if my application is granted. You are welcome to contact me for more inquiries.

Yours faithfully,

(Surname), Chrizizon
(Your position in your coy)
(your contact no)


Then in the separate letter from your sister, who is your host, it should be somewhat like this

The ECO
BH Address

Dear Sir,
RE: MR (Your name, date of birth, nationality and passport no.)

I write to confirm that (your name) is my brother and I am inviting him to visit me in (State, county) from (arrival date) to (departure date) for a short holiday. He will also attend my son's (son's name) - his nephew- graduation ceremony at (name of uni) on (date of grad).

I am a (occupation, full time or part time) at (employer's name and address). I confirm that (your name) will be staying at my residence (address) during this visit -(arrival date to departure date) and I will cater to his feeding for the duration of his stay.

Please find attached the following supporting documents:-
1. A copy of my travel document (Travel doc no) showing my migration status (if applicable)
2. My official ID card (if applicable)
3. Tenancy agreement or Mortgage docs (whichever is applicable) for my residence at (address)
4. Copies of utility bills
5. My current payslips from (start date to end date) as proof of employment
6. My financial statements from (Name of bank) for the period of (3 or 6 months, which ever is applicable)

*** I have also attached a copy of invitation letter to attend my son's- (son's name) graduation ceremony on (date of grad).*** (you may want to put this in a separate letter from your nephew as he may also need to show his immigration status in the UK)

Please contact me if you need further information.

Thank you.

(Closing)
(Your sister's name and Contact no.)
Sign.


Ps: I'm guessing you're applying for a family visit visa.
Remember, you can use this, modify this, or just disregard it... It's no bulletproof blueprint but it gives an idea of what your letter should look like.

HTH

Thank u, thank u and thank u very much @3sha4lyf, you have made everything easy and look rather cool. U are too much GOD BLESS U BRO

supaeagles: Well if he is operating a business there then he must be a United States citizen and that is how Anderson 360 should report it (and not refer to him as a Nigerian)..... because we all know if the story is different, example that he found the cure to AIDS, then the same CNN will be calling him ... you guessed right.... a proud citizen of the United States

Nor mind dem jor

FSU: Using false identity to travel abroad
By Kunle Adeyemi
Published: Friday, 1 Feb 2008
The craze to travel abroad by all means arguably became a noticeable fad in Nigeria about 20 years ago, when unemployed graduates, prostitutes and school drop-outs began to explore every crooked method of finding their way into western countries. Methods common to these sets of desperate youngsters include the most dehumanising stowing away system. By this, young Nigerians hide themselves in cargo compartment of ships so that they could be ferried out of the country without the knowledge of the owners of the ship. Another harrowing method of running out of the country is crossing the border on foot and escaping into any of the North African countries, especially Libya, from where they cross to Spain. Many have lost their lives in the process.


Perhaps, the most criminally-inclined method of travelling abroad is the use of another individual‘s passport in which the new, albeit fake owner of the passport bears the data identity of the original owner of the passport. In a few cases, such fraudulent people had been lucky to beat the screening machinery at foreign embassies’ entry borders and had triumphantly entered the foreign country of their choice. But most often, many others have not been so lucky. The fortunate ones among them were simply refused visas, while the unfortunate ones were arrested at the embassies and handed over to the police.

In the last one year, detectives at the Criminal Investigation Department, Lagos State Police Command, and the Special Fraud Unit, Nigeria Police, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, have prosecuted over 30 suspects for passport-related offences. An investigation by our correspondent showed that 17 of the suspects pleaded guilty and were summarily tried and convicted. However, the sentences seem not to be a sufficient deterrent for the convicts. The sentences ranged between six and 18 months imprisonment, and in most cases, with an option of fine.

The investigation further showed that sometime in 2005, a gang of armed robbers raided the Lagos home of a media executive. The executive (names withheld), who was still at work at about 8pm when the robbers struck, had his passport stolen among other valuables. The passport, seen as hot cake, had expired visas of many foreign countries. The case was reported at all the embassies concerned. Over two years after the robbery, precisely in December 2007, a 31-year-old man, Segun Amure, was arrested with the stolen passport at the British Embassy. He was processing a UK visa when he was arrested. Amure was not alone. After adopting the name, date of birth, state of origin, marital status et al, of the original owner of the passport, he was joined in a phoney marriage with a lady, Joy Alarape, so that the lady could obtain a British visa as the wife of a ‘frequent traveller.’ The lady was also arrested.

Since the stolen passport had only expired visas, the culprits needed to apply for a visa renewal before the passport could be used. However, since the case had been reported to both the police and the High Commission, it was easy to invite the culprits for an interview and arrest.

During interrogation, Amure, who is in the custody of the SFU and will soon appear in court, told our correspondent that he had been making futile attempts to emigrate since 1998. He said a passport racketeer, identified as Fola Arogundade, offered him the stolen passport and promised him a visa for a fee of N300,000. ”I never met Joy before, it was Fola who arranged everything and told me that both of us would appear at the embassy as husband and wife. After we had been given our passports, Fola gave me Joy‘s number so that I could call her. Some days before the Ileya festival, I received a call that we were to appear at the embassy for interview on January 3. I met Joy there. A security man first sent us away, but I met another man who promised to assist us. The man collected our papers and went inside. He came out about 20 minutes later and asked us to follow him in. We were asked to sit down and we waited for about four hours before a white man opened the door and asked if we were the couple intending to travel. I said yes and he just beckoned to a man standing by the door and pointed at us. The man, who we later discovered is a policeman, took us away from the embassy and that was how we found ourselves here,” Amure said.

However, after his arrest, detectives at the SFU, who were bent on getting to the root of the matter, had a Herculian task tracing the whereabouts of Arogundade, the man behind the sale of the stolen passport. At a point, the suspect was said to have travelled to London. He was also said to have been deported. After about two weeks of search, the detectives traced him to a house in Ikorodu, Lagos, where he was arrested.

Arogundade himself admitted that he had been preparing fake passports and other travel documents for desperate travellers for many years for a fee. “I do most of the paper work at Oluwole (Lagos Island‘s now demolished notorious spot for forging and counterfeiting documents). All I do is to buy an original but stolen passport, I will then take it to Oluwole where they will remove the original passport photograph and fix the fake owner‘s passport photograph. It costs me N20,000 to do that,” Arogundade said.

The suspect claimed to have bought the passport he used for Amure from one Alberto, who he said was in London and a kingpin in passport racketeering. He further linked the passport to another suspect, Abiodun Adewunmi, who is also in the SFU net. Alberto allegedly sent a telephone number to Adewunmi and asked him to call the line. The owner of the line was the one who reportedly delivered the passport to Adewunmi and the latter then handed it over to Arogundade.

Arogundade, 35, who confessed that he had no stable job, said some of the people he had procured fake travel documents for had successfully used them to travel out of the country, usually by bribing departure point officials and then pleading for assylum in Europe; while a few others had not been so lucky. Although all the suspects are still in SFU’s custody, the commissioner in charge of the police formation, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, told our correspondent that the suspects would have been charged to court two weeks ago but for some legal and administrative bottlenecks.


http://www.punchontheweb.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2008013111145018

Such kind of report does little to help this nation...instead it tarnishes our nations image abroad further..Do you people realize this is the web? and information here can be seen worldwide?

justwise: No, no need for those. national insurance card doesn't show how much one earn, P60 is just end of year paper that shows your national insurance and tax contributions.

Just Checked what that P60 means: If you are an employer, you must provide a form P60 to each employee who is working for you at the end of the tax year and for whom you have completed P11. The P60 confirms an employee's final tax code and shows their total pension and/or earnings for the year, as well as the year's total tax deductions and National Insurance contributions. If you're an employee, keep form P60 as a record for self-assessment purposes.

You are right, but it also shows end of year earnings which also proves ones financial stand. Have to do my home work very well..Thanks a lot @justwise

Thanks a lot @justwise i forgot to mention, there is this P60 End of year certificate doc my sister added among other docs & national insurance numbercard copy,,,would that help for evidence of her financial status..Thanks again

Wow never thought of that,u too much @Justwise, she could provide those docs too. Do u think i will need anything else? Thanks a lot bro.

Thanks a lot @Justwise . My letter to VO and list of docs to submit below, kindly check and see if i am towing the right line. Thanks again Bro



Reference Letter for Visa officer:
Please Note I am a business man and sole proprietor of (name and address of my company). I am applying for a visiting visa to enter the UK for the first time so i can be able to visit my sister who is inviting me and attend sister's son university graduation ceremony which comes up on the 25/11/2014 at (name of school).

I intend to stay in the UK for a period of 2 weeks (15/11/2014 to 30/11/2014). However i will be staying in my sister's house in London (sisters house address in UK) throughout my visit as she would be responsible for my feeding and accommodation. Please refer to invitation letter.
While in London, I also plan to see places like Buckingham palace, London eye, National gallery London, London underground and do some shopping at Oxford street in London. My sister and nephew have promised to take me around to see above mentioned places in London. This trip means a lot for me as my mother and some other family members too will be attending the University graduation ceremony for my nephew .

Nature of my business: Import goods and sell in Nigeria, goods are mainly clothing items, computer wares and other goods usually brought in from India, also I export Nigerian food stuffs to India on a medium scale.
Please note that my savings account is also used for my business transactions, mostly for funds transfer purposes since i have debit MasterCard that allows me to withdraw money abroad for transaction purposes. Usually funds are paid into my saving account by clients or handed to me by hand; you could refer to my bank statement for funds paid in lump sums at various dates.
My personal income yearly is between N700,000 to N1,100,000 as annual profits from trading activities. I will be paying for my trip (Flight tickets, small shopping) for which I have budgeted N250,000 and finally I plan to return back to India for a period of time for some businesses after UK trip.



Items submitted alongside my visa application form.

1. Travel documents (1 international passport)
2. Letter of invitation from my elder sister (Inviter).
3. Pictures of me and Sister and My nephew (sister’s son) to show relationship claim.
4. Utility bills from Inviter.
5. Copies of my sister's identification documents, passport data page, UK naturalization documents.
6. Originals and copies of receipts for shipment of goods from India to Nigeria from India postal service (post office) as trade proof.
7. Registration of business name document (CAC certificate and other registration documents).
8. Past messages sent and also received through emails to sister and my nephew (Document to support relationship claims)
9. Print out for Individual taxpayer registration details from FIRS Garki tax office, Abuja. (Evidence of Current Tax status)
10. Bank statement covering a period of 6months. (01/02/2014 to 31/07/2014): Evidence of Financial Ability to Fund my trip
11. A reference letter from my bank manager to the British Embassy

I must thank u guys for your great work here, unlike b4 i now have enough knowledge for Uk visa application, i will be dropping my application soon.

@Justwise i need your help, could you send me ur email, i want to forward a message to you regarding list of documents i have prepared to submit along my application and also a reference letter backing my application, just for your advice if there is anything more i could add to boost things up for my visitor visa application. Thanks