₦airaland Forum

People are learning here, so don't use style and huff here. If I hadn't shared my experience, we wouldn't know it is totally unacceptable. Be wise and learn too. Tell the next person to do the right thing next time as I have been told.

OnlineWell:
Common sense is not common

Unquote all my messages as regarding it then

Stevenssen:
Very strange assumption to make.

In order to protect others I will delete.

Stevenssen:
This is why this visa stuff is getting hard for Nigerians, while other countries are having it easy. Very soon schools will want to start verifying bank statements from Nigerian.
You used a 'doctored' statement, not only that, you are here on a public forum (which the US consulate is well aware of) and proudly stating it.

They hear this many times and it pisses them off, There are many other points why you should choose a school over other school.

Yhukay00:
Please, is talking about the class size of a school when asked why a particular school was chosen by a VO cool? P.S it's an undergrad degree

Oh, what am trying to say is on the I-20 we have earliest admission date, start of class date. You can start coming to the USA when the earliest admission date reaches.

LagosismyHome:
The way you worded this is can be confusing and misinterpreted . .....if you first enter after your i20 start date it is not fine and you can be denied entry .

I dont want anyone resuming late and having issues at POE . While your comment is earliest date it can be confused for i20 date

You I-20 contains your earliest date of entry, if you enter after that time at any airport it is fine. Inform your admission officer about your travel plans and if he/she is fine it's okay. My school is in Mississippi but I am stopping at Dallas. My admission officer is okay with it.

JTDeus:
Hey, F1 Nairalanders! You guys rock! You guys tutored me wella on these insightful and generous pages.

I've been waiting for my visa delivery so that I'd have complete peace of mind while posting the transcript. Interview was Thursday, July 11th, in Abuja, 9am (that's 2 weeks already).

V.O. gave me white paper but mentioned that my visa would be put on hold so as to verify my submitted SOA. I've been tracking my status via both email, website, appointment page as well as call option too. They're all saying visa still with the embassy/consulate.

My story long o. But it's just a full testimony of God's favour and grace at work. I'm a first class student, with Bachelor's degrees in Philosophy (2009) and Theology (2014) respectively, PGDE from NTI (2015) and COMPTIA A+ from NIIT (2015). I'm 32 and I've been teaching since 2014, plus other engagements like NECO SSCE Supervisor, education board volunteer, ICT manager in an establishment, charity organisation experience, etc.

I applied for Licentiate in Sacred Theology from 2 Jesuit Schools in the US - Santa Clara University, California, and Boston College, Massachusetts.

Both schools offered scholarships. SCU replied first with 50% tuition scholarship, and I processed everything with them (i20, SEVIS fee, and nonrefundable enrolment deposit of $500). I even paid visa application fee and was about applying for visa when BC miraculously showed up last month. I didn't hear from them after application, and because I applied later than their deadline, I presumed they didn't take me. They just appeared last month with admission and 75% tuition scholarship, which I appealed and they increased to 100%. Bingo! �

I immediately applied to DHS for SEVIS fee transfer request from SCU to BC, which they did immediately and hitch free too. I went for visa interview with BC full tuition cover, while my uncle (same surname) takes care of other expenses. I used 2 SOA (dollar and naira respectively) from him issued in May for my admissions and i20 processing. He gave me sponsorship letter, together with another SOA printed July 10, a day to my interview.

VISA INTERVIEW:
Abuja, July 11th, 9am, window 6 or so, elderly white man who was very calm and gentle with me. Arrived consulate around 7:50am, got interviewed after the series of queues and processes around 10:35am or so.

My situation: No GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS or other standardised tests, and no external transcripts evaluations (none required); totally Virgin passport (but I've been to Benin and Ghana, and I filled them in my DS160); Single and childless; sponsored by uncle. Big mistake in my visa appointment form which I never discovered as I did all my stuff and printed myself, until the guys checking at the front desk pointed it out to me - I put my email address in place of my first name so the appointment page bears only my surname and email address, no first names. I almost fainted! Good enough, my email is a twist of my first names, so the identity connection won't be hard. They passed me on to the next screening stage though.

TRANSCRIPT:
(I'm not good at quoting verbatim, please, but you'll get the whole gist as much as I can).

We greeted and I passed my passport and i20.

VO: Are you in Orders? (meaning, are you a priest?)

Me: No

VO: I'm seeing Theology

Me: I've been in the seminary all my life but I didn't continue to the priesthood. I want to advance in Theology so I can lecture in the senior seminary or Catholic University when I return.

VO: Do you have a place to teach when you return?

Me: Yes (I dash him the letter I'm holding)

VO: What level of students are you teaching now?

Me: Secondary students, but I want to advance so I can teach in the higher institution.

VO: (goes into typing mode, so gentle all the way like he really wants to grant the visa but remembered he hadn't really asked me anything) Let me ask you just one question, a quick one. (I say, sure). Can you tell me the only doctrine the Pope has pronounced as infallible?

Me: (I never expected that. I was confused whether he meant the current Pope or past popes. He saw my confusion and said since Vatican. So I answered) We have the Immaculate Conception, we have the... (I wanted to continue but VO cuts in...)

VO: There you go! You did your Theology well! Did you obtain any bachelors during your seminary studies?

Me: Yes.

VO: What subjects?

Me: Philosophy and Theology

VO: (looking at my i20...) I see you have generous funding from the school. (I no talk. He moves down to my uncle.) Your uncle is taking care of the rest. Can I see...

Me: (I didn't let him finish. I dash am my sponsorship letter plus 3 different SOA for same uncle, two naira and one dollar account, all three legit. He looks at the SOAs and exclaims)

VO: These accounts are loaded. Your uncle must be well off. What does he do?

Me: (I tell him uncle's job and professional level.)

VO: I'll put your visa on hold while we verify these accounts against fraud. If you're guilty of fraud, you won't be allowed to enter the United States for...

Me: (I cut him off) Sure, I know. With all pleasure, please, you can confirm.

VO: (sticks a small white piece of paper behind my passport, gives me white A4 paper saying) This is for your visa (white paper showing visa approved and collection info).

(Gives me another cut white paper saying) This is specifically for your F1 visa (contains F1 travel guidelines).

(Keeps my passport. Hands back my i20 saying something like) Keep it on you while travelling, not in your bag (and so on... But I wasn't listening. The only thing in my head was... Run � � �)

VO was still giving final remarks but I was already towards the door in excitement and also fear of being called back for another thing again.

Me: (Already turned to run away �) bye bye, bye bye... God bless you, Sir!



Na so I take waka. I wasn't asked most of the usually expected questions. The only documents I presented were passport, i20, letter of employment confirmation and financial documents (letter of sponsorship and 3 SOA from uncle).

First, it's God. Then, truth is key. Also, struggle for good grades, you have less worry afterwards in academic adventures or application processes. Study the scope of the interview well and know what they're looking for. Try have documents to back up answers, and present the document to backup your claims as you're voicing oral answer too, because you may not be asked. Don't talk too much. Stay on the question. Let the VO lead the conversation. Don't answer the next question VO hasn't asked.

Pray my dear. Fast. Abstain from sin for that period. Make God a project as you make the visa a project and also make your documentation a project, and all will rhyme in that small cubicle. Pray to also meet a gentle VO. A guy immediately after me who came with the same school I got in California (SCU), with same 50% tuition scholarship I had with them, was not successful at the visa interview and he said the VO wasn't letting him talk (I got their i20 and paid SEVIS fee with them but switched to Boston that gave me 100% tuition scholarship, transfered my SEVIS record and went for visa interview with Boston College.)

Another thing, I feel they check social media profile, else they wouldn't ask you for it. Have a mature consistent social media profile that would make a potential employer take you if they were to look at your social media; a social media profile that can tell who you are, and also match what you filled in your DS160. I was expecting to feel tensed as I approached interview, but only remembered after the interview that I felt no tension at all. My VO made me at ease. It wasn't really a grilling interview, but more of a coffee chat. He was an angel!

However, I've still not been contacted for my visa collection and tracking is saying still at embassy. I filled PH as my pick-up location. The white paper said 4 working days if using pick-up. It's 2 whole weeks now, that's 10 or 11 working days. What's your take guys about my situation?

Also, what's take about landing at a POE different from your school airport? I want to land in Los Angeles for some days before moving to Boston? Any concerns about immigration wahala if I do so?

My empathy to all those not yet successful, and best wishes to those going soonest. One love, Nairaland! ✌

I concur to what this bros said, collect bank statement directly from back so it contains the stamp and signature of some officials of the bank.

TheNoble007:
Embassy can never find out. The only thing they can do is to ask indirectly if the account and the amount is legit. They can only send this through mail. That's why on a legit bank statement, you will see the banks contact email. Even at this, the bank will never reveal the account balance at that moment to the embassy. The embassy itself has no right to demand that. The only answer the bank will give, is either a YES or NO.

Another thing again is that it is advisable to go to the bank and generate a bank statement directly from them. This generated statement will bear the stamp of bank, and where it is situated. Online generation of bank statement, are not easily approved and confirmed by the bank when embassy seeks to know the legitimacy of the statement. So this is why some legit statements are under AP for a long time. How fast your status changes from AP to approved, depends on how fast your bank responds to the query of the embassy.

Yes after two months you can pick the regular option but no difference between regular and refused in the sense that if you can defend your new interview well. Tell your wife to contact her admissions officer if it is necessary.

Megagens:
Thanks bro.
What if I wait for about 2months after the first interview, will I be able to pick the “regular “option

Do I need an invitation letter from my wife’s school before going for the interview?

You can apply now and check for available dates, and when applying choose previously refused as if you choose regular they would surely know and it would be a minus for you.Those that have been refused usually get a date with a month interval prior to their previous interview.

Megagens:
Hi nairalanders.my wife got her visa approved in June at the Abuja consulate but me and our baby were denied. Below are the excerpts of the transcription:

Deficit: feeding and accommodation for dependants: about 6m.

Vo: good morning
Wife: good morning
Vo: hand over your i20
Wife: hands them over
Vo: why would you like to travel to the us?
Wife:for a masters degree programme.
Vo: which school?
Wife:southern Illinois university.
Vo: how many schools did you apply to?
Wife: one actually but applied to other schools outside us.
Vo: ok.how did you come about this school?
Wife: I did some online research and after i was given a scholarship I decided to pick the school.
Vo: did you write any exams.
Wife: no. Ielts was however required.
Vo3 what do you do?
Wife: I am first class graduate and a lecturer at bleep and would be returning after the completion of my programme.
Vo:do you have any documents to support this?
Wife: hands her a letter from the school.all the while she typed after every answer.
Vo: is that your husband and your kid?
Wife: yes, (she passed ouri20 and passport to her)
Vo:he is following you to help with the baby?
Wife:yes
Vo: what do you do?
Me: steps forward: Iam a doctor.
Vo: who is sponsoring you?
Wife:my father.
Vo: pass me the bank documents
Goes through for some time. Returns a current account statement.
Vo: I won’t take that because it’s not up to a million.
Types away for only God knows how long.
Vo: I will be issuing you a visa ( hands over a white paper to my wife) but I won’t issue you guns and and baby.hands over a purple paper.
Vo: your bank statement will be verified within a couple of days. You can come back for your passport in 3 days time.


. My wife is leaving on the 9th of August.

Pls how soon can I and my baby 13months old re apply.i cant take care of this baby oooooo.can I apply for a date in sept or oct?

2)should I pick previously denied option?

It just says novellex sent you an email, if I check it I don't see more than that. Delete their own post before you type your mail bro.

Novellex:
I just sent you an other

Yes do Sat and TOEFL and apply to the school, simple as ABC. I have a company that helps in applying to schools in the US also helps in achieving sure scholarship �

ARCHEMEDESME:
Is possible for someone less than 18 from Nigeria to study in the US and how would it work

Why where you denied, discrepancies in your bank statement. Figure out that reason first

Adtek:
I was denied June 26 and got another appointment for July 27, please can I still go with the same statement of account?

You can discuss with your international admissions officer of your school if it is school you are going for, they would be ready to assist. Tell them about your travel plans first.

Senatorbee:
Please which bus can I book online that can take me from Newark airport New Jersey to Connecticut, my arrival time Is at night 7:15 pm
In new Jersey. Night bus from new jersey to connecticut,
I need to make all plans ready before departure .
Please help me

Lol, I think students have better chances of scholarship in fall section, but do your vast research yourself on your school, I can't say

juliouze:
Idleness till fall is no joke bro, I may just end up impregnating someone's daughter. Lol

What is your decision for not taking fall

juliouze:
Please what are my chances of getting funding if I apply for spring 2020? I saw most schools saying funding is usually limited if even available during spring. Please somebody should say something ejor.

Those that have done their interview and have been given visa did majorly two things
-Said or channeled their main points in first question
- Read wide.
For example I was asked what exam I need to write to get into medical school in the US, if he didn't read wide, I won't know, so please know about your school and courses e.t.c.

Welldone bro

kallowdean:
Hi Guys,
First of all, am sorry.
I know a lot has happened while I was absent from here... I can see it from the thread closed

Well, the good news is that am back. and this time am back as a Graduate in Electrical Engineering (MSEE).

In the name of giving back to my root irrespective of the status of anyone, I will be paying application fees for 5 different students only.
I will release the criteria for the selection soon. This is for the students targetting Fall of 2020.

In addition, am presently planning to complete a short project in Asheville North Carolina, So I want the Nigerian students there to connect with me if possible. I need to discuss with any Nigerian Student presently living in Asheville North Carolina. (URGENT).

Peace out and one love, I will be in touch with the application fee update soon.

Novellex:
thanks chuks but can I reach out to you? I have already sent you a mail

i didn't see any mail bro.

Novellex:
The current available date in Lagos us consulate is August 29, is it advisable to reapply as i was denied earlier today and how can I get it to reschedule; the first time I applied I wasn't given the option of the calendar untill I pulled a call through to the embassy and i was asked to login in again and the calendar showed and I was allowed to pick the earliest available date of which I had already used the expedited appointment which was denied.

And how does expedited appointment work, does it require extra payment?

You can be lucky for the date to change to an earlier one if you login again or be unlucky and it is a farther one, what I did was chose the one I saw, case I heard it the slot could be filled up, I think they give refusals one month later to apply again, Just pick that date, prepare vigorously as you have time to know reason for your previous rejections, then work on it.They feel your status might not change under a week, so they give a longer date.

What are the reasons of your previous rejection

Valentinejeco:
Hi good evening nairalanders , I was denied student visa 3 good times ,one last year October another one on November and the last this year January.please guys I really want to apply again ,what’s my chances of getting it this time again since I have been denied visa 3 times .thanks

You could have said although am not bothered by not getting a scholarship since I actually delayed in my application to the school, my dad is finally capable to sponsor my education, so there is no issue as regards funding, He might then ask for your bank statement.

spaccleinc:
Hello guys.

Visa denied last week Friday at Lagos Consulate. Please, kindly help review the interview transcript and advise if it's still worth it to apply with this same admission offer / any other advice or tip that comes to mind. Thank you.


...........................................................................................


VISA DENIED. Lagos Consulate.

Interview by a middle-aged man, probably late 40s or 50s (Indian origin) on Counter 1.



University of South Florida 

MS in Mechanical Engineering 

No funding/assistantship received 

35K deficit 




Transcript:


VO: Pass me your passport and I20

Me: *passed him my docs


VO typing and looking at his screen for almost 45seconds. Finally asks questions but was staring at his screen for most of the time


VO: When did you finish High School? 

Me: 2010


VO: Bachelor's? 

Me: 2016


VO: What course? 

Me: Mechanical Engineering 


VO: What have you been doing since then? 

Me: I went for my mandatory national youth service at Co**... (VO cuts in) 


VO: Oh... That's just one year 

Me: Yes... After that, I secured a job as a project engineer at **** Engineering Limited, and I've been there since then. 


VO: As a project engineer? 

Me: Yes


VO: And you're still working there? 

Me: Yes, currently working 


VO: You don't have any assistantship. Did you take the GRE? (Now looks at me) 

Me: Yes


VO: What did you score? 

Me: 318


VO: TOEFL? 

Me: Yes, 106.


VO: So, how come no assistantship? (VO said this looking very disturbed)


VO: How many universities did you apply to? 

Me: 4


VO: How many admits? 

Me: 2


VO: So why no assistantship?

Me: Well, I was also surprised that I didn't receive any assistantship or funding, so I contacted the schools about this and I was told that assistantships and scholarships are usually awarded on a first come first serve basis


***All this while was always typing and looking at his screen,then stares back at me .. He was still disturbed even after I told him the reply I received from the school ***


VO: Ok. So, why a Masters in Mechanical Engineering? 

Me: Well, I have career interests in Energy sys.... (VO cuts in) 


VO: Ok. Who will be sponsoring your education?

Me: My father will be paying for my education 


VO: Ok. (says this while still typing) 


VO: (Types for about 15 seconds, then brings out the pink slip). I cannot approve your visa. 

Me: Ok sir. 


He didn't ask to see any supporting documents throughout the interview

Apply same way as you applied for first visa interview, just choose previously refused when applying, also indicate this in your ds-160

Novellex:
Please who know the next available date both in Lagos an abuja, and is he any way to update your document if there is new one you have as result of being denied before?

Apply from here bro, there is nothing like conversion to a study visa.

Smile4mee01:
Guys
I recently got a USA Visit VISA for the 2nd time. Is there q chance I could convert it to a study Visa when I get to the USA? Is it worth the risk.?

Or do I apply for a study Visa from here?

Kindly advice.

If you need help in the visa interview, These are the following I can render
1. Don't base your own interview on other past experience, by craming their answers as different interviewer, different question. My advice is have a broad knowledge of their question, but don't copy answers
2. Take charge of the interview, don't leave salient points for later. Put out your positives like type of scholarship you have, friends that introduce you there. Interviewers dislike you saying the school you are going to offers this course well, and the student to teacher ratio talk. You can say you chose the school because of your friend that is there and the positive remark of the school he told you about that is if you don't have a scholarship at all, or you can say the tution is cheapest amongst the school you applied to and still offers quality education at the same time.
4. Slow down your interview, don't rush your answers. If he is rushing, you can tell him to give you a second and definitely he will do. That is if he notices you are not fidgeting.
5. Interact with people at the interview center at this reduces tension, clear it out immediately, keep speaking to your self when you are tensed especially when you are close to your interviewer, think of something that will take your mind away, Mine was just telling myself peace be still and it worked like magic.
6. Confidence confidence, confidence. Be bold. Immediately the interviewer asks you a question like twice, and you can see it in his/her face that you are messing up, change your answer immediately, as that could be your second and last chance to put things aright. If you correct or answer well, they move immediately to next question.

Finally, Put God first.
Talking from second visa interview experience, which I got the visa.
3.

Davidkking:
Do you have someone in Mississippi?

Have you been given visa.

Pocophone 6gb/64gb for sale with accessories complete 89,000

ib4real95:
how much are you selling?