₦airaland Forum

tegipraise:
Thank you Nairaland Family for inspiring me greatly with your knowledge and experiences. I am a silent reader and I studied this thread like a bible with a jotter and pen from Part 13. I enjoyed both the life transforming knowledge and all the quarrels and arguments

Visa Approved on the 24th Oct and Passport collected 28th Oct 2019

Graduated with a degree in Microbiology, 2015
Refused study visa 3 times in Canada and the last refusal was March 2019.
This was my first application to the US, University of New Haven. Masters in chemistry for winter 2020
No Gre
No TOEFL
No IELTS
Sponsor: Uncle with different surname
Interview time: 6:45am. Lagos,

I got to the embassy around 5:25am, I saw lot of people already, some even dressed like they just woke up from sleep and some looked like they were just going to greet the VO who is their relative hahahahaha, NOTE: please you must dress well and look smart, imagine you are going for an interview in a bank, how will you dress? not necessarily suit which looks too formal and common. I wore a well starched collarless coffee brown long-sleeves tucked in my light brown chinos trouser with a suede brown shoe. Please don't cut your hair a day to interview, do it like 3 days to, the looks is different. I even did facial massage, use cucumber to remove eye bags and i will drinking lots of water to have white eyes and hydrated skin. I prepared all round sha. I went in well equiped.

After I did all the bio metrics stuff, I finally entered the interview hall, I was consciously looking for the black american ladies people talked about here but I didnt see them. All VOs were white male. I was interviewed by a young VO in window 1, the window by the entrance door and he approved 4 persons before me but questioned them alot.

VO: Good morning
Me: Hi Good morning, good to see you (cheerfully)
VO; Good to see you too ( with a surprise look)
VO; passport and i20
Me: sure (gave him). He typed for few mins
VO: Where are you going to
me: I am going for a research masters degree in chemistry with conc. in drug discovery chemistry at the UNH, Connecticut.
VO: why this schoool
Me: A lot of reasons made me choose UNH but for the purpose of this interview I’ll enumerate just 4;
Firstly, I am very keen and interested in research; and I have a passion for cancer treatment, the chemistry department is currently conducting a research in collaboration with Yale University Scientist and cancer center. This research is focused on laboratory synthesis of natural product and their analogues, polyoxygenated and heterocyclic compounds for the design of drug molecules like antibacterial and anticancer chemotherapeutic agent. The motivation is to discover and develop new approaches, new vaccines and new drug delivery systems and integrating them with experiment into chemical materials like green catalyst and cancer drug to improve survival rate of adult diagnosed with leukemia. (cut in)

VO: How many university did you apply to
ME: Western Illinois University, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada.

VO: who is you sponsor
ME: my uncle
VO: what does he do
ME: He is a renowned financial economist and the chief financial officer and partner of the bleep and treasurer of the bleep bleep.
VO: do you have your reciprocacy fee here?
VO: yes i do
the rest was history

I noticed the VO kept reading my D120 form in his system, NOTE: what you fill in your D120 form is very important and it determines your approval or refusal already, the interview seems to, just come and confirm perhaps with evidence what is on your D120 form. Please fill your form online yourself like i did and screen shot or write important information like dates and figures on a paper so you wont forget after you had submitted your form.

Mehn I fasted and prayed oh, even took 14 days to my interview off work. Miracles are real, if not for anything it boosted my confidence and i was alert. I knew who ever will interview me will approve me.
Dont talk too fast or too slow, demonstrate with your hands and use a passionate expression on your face like I did for study of cancer, because its killing our people everyday

Prepare your transcript and act it like home video. I felt like an actor rehearsing for a shot.

God is the ultimate joor, nobody can tell me otherwise. Its my experience.

REMEMBER: Pray it into existence and work it into existence. God bless you all.

ubunja:
you are included Kayo.

Drenimarcus:
MN this morning

tegipraise:
My people. If you are trying to book your flight for winter 2020, you can consider Emirate Airways. Its a great flight with good review and they are currently doing a promo for students. instead of me to pay 324k, I paid 294k cos of the promo code they gave me at their office. Any1 traveling to New york in January?? Lets hook up

Uriel12:
Good evening guys, I've got a quick question. I applied for a Canadian visa around early September, but I was denied.
I recently started applying to the US, and I know Canada and US share the same database.
Hope the first denial won't cause any blocks?

tosin18:
VISA APPROVED

Dear NL. I am a silent follower of this platform. I was scheduled for interview at the Lagos Embassy this morning at 6:45am and got my visa approved. I am thankful to God for His favor and mercies. I was one of the very very.. few that got visa approval this morning. The rejection rate was massive and its not an exaggeration to say less than 5% of all applicants were issued visas. The Vos were just denying visa applicants for both visiting and student categories. A family had just been denied at the next window to me...
now fast forward to my transcript.

My VO is a young man possibly in his early 40s or close to 40. I was praying quietly as I knew it would take God's grace to answer confidently.

VO: Pass me your i20 and passport please.
Me: I did smiling and said good morning to him
VO: Why are you going to the US?
Me: I am going to study for an MBA in Enterprise Resource Planning at Bleep University. (I forgot to mention the location of my school)
VO: Where do you work?
Me: I work at Bleep plc.
VO: How much is your salary?
Me: (he looked at his screen waiting for my response.
VO: You have a good job, why are you going for an MBA.
Me: I work in a financial services company but my background is technical and I need a business degree that would give me a competitive edge and acquire business skills for my short term and long term career goals.
VO: What are your long term career goals
Me: the school will be assisting me with the endorsements and certification I require to become a business consultant in this market and this will lead me to starting my own business.
VO: Did you apply to other schools?
Me: Yes I applied to 2 other schools and I named them.
VO: Have you ever traveled out of Nigeria?
Me: I was on honey moon with my wife to Gambia and Senegal, I have been to Ghana to attend some courses and I have traveled on some occasions to South Africa on business meetings. I have also visited the US on four different occasions.
VO: When was the last time you visited the US?
Me: I mistakenly answered 2017 and also mentioned that i was in the US in 2018.Told him I took time off work on vacation and tried to write the GRE exam while in the US but unfortunately there were system issues so I had to come back to write it in the country. (the VO kept looking at the system and typing as if verifying my answers)
VO: Are you planning to apply for F2 visas for your family?
Me: My wife is an entrepreneur and she is busy with her business. My kids are in school and i am hoping they would be able to visit me in the US during my wife's off peak business period and when my kids are off school.
VO: How do you want to fund your studies?
Me: ( I had 27k on my i20. I passed my acct statements, fixed deposit certificates and letters from work stating my salary/position/designation, payslip, letter of recommendation from my boss and every document that can give a positive impression of me. He started looking at the documents page by page and occasionally took his eyes black to the computer screen.
VO: (Then he picked up one of my acct statements which is very busy with transactions but with no serious money.. Lols)
Me: That is my salary acct. I fund the other acts from there.
VO: Tell me about the location of your school. Tell me about it.
Me: (I started stammering cos I wasn't expecting such question. I said a few words mentioning the cities around the location and the flooding in that area. I felt unsatisfied with my response and asked the VO if I could ask him a question. I did this just to cover up in case he wasn't satisfied) Please can I ask you a question?
VO: Sure, go ahead
Me: I am wondering why you asked for the location of my school. Is there something happening there that am not aware of.
VO: Nothing really. At times we ask such questions to be sure students know where they are going.
Me: Ok
VO: I have made up my mind to issue your visa. (He handed over my documents and advised on instructions at the port of entry. He directed me to where I would pay the reciprocity fees.
Me: (I was no more listening. I picked up my documents, said thank you and walked away)

N2B2:
Good morning house

Please, forgive my ignorant questions:

What type of passport photo do I need for the Ds-160?

Also, do I need my SEVIS fee receipt for the DS-160 or just for the visa interview?

4gunners:
No. I think it's about 120days before the start of ones program.

rasheedtobi:
Hello, please when is the earliest possible time to apply for visa for Fall 2020 resumption?

effyzzy:
Visa Approved || Passport collected
Venue: Abuja

Very calm place... Didn't have the usual Lagos rush.
Did the usual checks and biometrics.
I was asked to go retake a passport though... they needed something within the last 6 months. (2k just went like that)

Fast forward to my interview.
A woman in her late 40s. Very calm and friendly.

VO: So you're going to the University of New Mexico
ME: Yes, in Albuquerque
VO: How did you find out about the school?
ME: I did an online research using USnews and Princeton Review on schools offering Electrical Engineering with Communications as a Research area and a faculty with a strong Focus in my area of research interest which is 'Cognitive Radios'
VO: Cog what??
ME: Cognitive Radios
VO: what's that? I've never heard of it (laughing)
ME: Explains what 'cognitive radio' is
VO: Your school is expensive
ME: Yes ma, but I got a graduate assistantship position that fully covers my tution, with very generous monthly stipends
VO: Do you have any document from the school that shows this?
ME: Brings out my Admission letter
VO: They wrote here that it's just for one academic year
ME: Yes ma, it's renewable if I maintain a particular GPA level
VO: in case you lose your funding, do you have support from home?
ME: Yes, My cousin offered to support me in such a case
VO: What does he do?
ME: He's the head of blah blah at blah blah
VO: What about your family?
ME: Yes, my family would be supporting me as well
VO: What do they do?
ME: Explains
VO: Okay, (then types for like 30 seconds, the next thing I saw was that cute white paper) ...'I will be approving your VISA' was all I heard
ME: Thank you ma
VO: Hold on... In a case where you lose your source of funding, what will you do?
ME: I will come back to my country immediately
VO: When does your program start?
ME: January
VO: Make sure you don't arrive before Dec... Or you'll be turned back at the POE
ME: Alright ma, thank you
VO: Good. Take this... Do you have cash for your repository fees?
ME: No ma, but I have my card
(I proceeded to the ATM, made a withdrawal and paid)

Grateful for this thread, as it was very helpful in my preparation. Goodluck to everyone and see you in Trumpland.

GOD ALONE BE PRAISED!!!

Suntory:
Visa Approved.

This thread has been so helpful. Had to sign up today to give back to the thread.

I'll drop my transcript once I get my passport.

xhappy:
Also, can I Schedule for Visa appointment and interview and get a date before 15TH of November?

Ajet001:
Good evening everyone,
Pls if one is willing to Pursue a Nursing Degree in Canada (On Scholarship).

What is the path to follow?

Thanks as I await your responses!

JonSnow23:
Advice please

Futuragetty:
Truth be told, America sky too fine jare and is in no way similar to ours. Naija own just fine in real life but never in photos. Just negodu! Sky ndi South Carolina.

lionlee216:
If you need pickup code for your items, come get it now oooo cos I will be busy tomorrow.

fairheart:
This group remind me of life and its transitory phase. I see that most of the active users are not those heavily here last Fall.
I bump unto the thread and wanted to say Hello.
The visa approval rate will remain here. Do your homework and go get the F1.

God bless everyone.

edo3:
Hmmm,, it happened last year December oo,, i had like 25k on me in d morning.. Since na festive period na,, was busy gulping beer wt pple.. Later i realised d money had depreciated to like 15k,, I say make i run enter kasua market for kaduna buy slippers n if possible jeans.. With my shayo eyes i enter one igbo man shop bought 2 pairs of sandals,, one Prada n one other @5k each.. It was d following day when shayo don clear i realize say na pada dey wrote.. Walahi d two sandals no last me 1month..



Walahi igbo n deceit na 5&6..

Promise003:
Please can a school that costs 28 thousand dollars be considered as affordable?
Or rather can one say to the Vo that the school of 28 thousand dollars is affordable?

Adebuble:
I hope no one was in the El-paso shooting?
Please guys be safe.
Keep up the good work everyone here.
Been a while.

Chimma5:
Hi Good evening to the experts ! Please am new on this platform. Please help a friend in need . I got a reply from the school am applying to , to send my transcript . This is the message I got from them.
�

Please send through WES as we require WES evaluation of transcripts.


Thank you for your assistance.

Tesade6:
Hello Nairalanders,
I'm new here. Any nairalander in Bowie Maryland? I'm arriving soon, and don't know my way around yet.

gennylota:
please dear, can you kindly forward it to me at uclondon2002@yahoo.com

snip09:
Visa Approved Transcript,
8am Lagos Consulate 25th July, my 1st time.
Window 4- slim white v.o
The V.O listened to all I said while I articulated well, didn’t care about the people and wasn’t slow with my responses and wasn’t too fast as not to sound like a rehearsed speech.
Me:Good morning ma and how was your night?
V.O:It was great, thanks, pass me your passport
I did
V.O: And your i20 and sevis payment receipt
I passed it (she began typing)
After she did for a while, she looked at me and asked
V.O:Where in the us are you going?
I’m going to the us to pursue my masters degree in polymer and coating technology at eastern michigan university Ypsilanti, michigan with a concentration in coating formulation and optimization.
V.O:Why this course
This degree will allow me take leading and challenging roles in the research and product development of my organization on my arrival as I have a study leave and upon subsequent years, will be able to take the leading roles in top multinationals like unilever, promasidor. I’m sure you will agree with me that almost all the manufacturing organizations uses polymer as their packaging materials, also this degree will allow me work on enhancing the shelf life of manufactured product, she cuts me off
V.O:What courses will you be taking
I listed few, I stopped, she gave me the sign of continue, so I did
V.O:How many schools did you apply to
I applied to 3 schools ma
V.O:Name them
I applied to eastern Michigan university, Ypsilanti, Michigan, I applied to depaul university, Illinois Chicago and south Dakota school of mines and tech, (was about telling her the ones that accepted me and refused me so she cuts me off and asked me how many admitted me so I just continued) I was admitted to depauls university and EMU but haven’t finalized my application to SDSMT. While typing, she now looked at me and asked
V.O:So you didn’t pay your application fee to SDSMT
No ma, I did but haven’t finalized my application with them
V.O:How did you hear about the school
Through a lecturer of mine in the university, he spoke highly of the school in terms of the quality of research the students are exposed to, when it was time to make a decision, I used mastersportal.com and usnews.com to search the internet and I discovered EMU was among the few schools offering polymer and coating technology for there msc degree.
V.O:What’s the major of the course, I didn’t understand at first so she explained
I answered it’s under college of technology
V.O:So why this school
Apart from the fact its among the few schools in the us offering this joint course, I was interested in the ongoing research by Prof Mannari which is into coating design, optimization, formulation and characterization, it aligns perfectly with my research interest, I see it as a career progression to my published undergraduate research journal where I worked on optimization of oil extraction from************* design of experiment, I have the copy of the journal here ma. Apart from that, Michigan is home to over 370 research and development tech centers, the most in the US, with this I will have a first class practical experience in my field, also the syllabus is streamlined in such a way that (she cuts me off)
V.O:So you said its one of the few schools offering the course
Yes ma
V.O:Name the other schools
I wasn’t expecting this question but since its what I had done my research on and carefully selected my school, I answered and listed a school in California lastly
V.O:Why are you not attending the school in California
As I said earlier, I was interested in the ongoing research by prof Mannari which ( she cuts me off)
V.O:Did you write any standard test
Yes ma, I wrote the pearson test of English (pte) and I was waived from writing the GRE due to my undergraduate degree in chemical engineering and current work exp as a quality control analyst
V.O:When did you graduate
I answered, then she asked me again, then I answered saying the same thing looking into her eyes while she was typing and probably wanted to confirm
V.O:Where
Ladoke akintola university of tech, ogbomoso
V.O:So what have you been since graduation
I went for the mandatory (nysc) in full and after I got a job at ****, then I got another job at ***** and I got a job at ***** till date where I currently work as a quality control analyst and my job duties includes ********, I didn’t finish them she cuts me off
V.O:Who will be sponsoring you
My paternal uncle will be sponsoring me, he (she cuts me off)
V.O:What does he do
He is into real estates and he has a private consulting firm in the uk where he consults for organizations
V.O:What’s his name
I answered
V.O:Where is he right now
He is in the uk
V.O:Is he a uk citizen
No ma, hes a permanent resident
V.O:Do you have his statement
Yes ma ( I passed it) then told her it contained his Naira account, pounds account, euro account and dollar account (statement was from January to june), she asked me to say that again and I did and she continued typing while I was looking at her while typing.
V.O:Did you apply for Graduate assistantship (maybe she asked because my deficit was $35521)
Yes ma, but I have a support letter here from the grad adviser stating that assistantships inform of scholarships will be given to me on arrival based on the school policy, she requested for the letter while I already passed and she took her time to read it. And dropped it while she was typing fast again
V.O:So what do you intend doing after the completion of your program
Like I said earlier ma, I have a study leave from where I work and I would be coming back to Nigeria to take up leading and challenging roles in the research and product development (she cuts me off)
She typed fast for long and asked
V.O:Have you been denied any visa before looking me in the eye, I smiled and answered yes ma, I have been denied study permit to Canada around 2015/2016. I applied to ****** college for a PGD to study occupational health and safety management. I was working as a safety officer then and when I requested for my GCMS file, I was denied based on ( she cuts me off and typed for long)
V.O:I will be approving your visa, you would be notified when its ready and this is the pick up location I circled, she was talking o but I didn’t hear anything again. After her lips stopped talking, I knew she was done so I said thank you ma while trying to be composed. She returned the statement, letter of support and gave me the white paper, no other documents were asked. I read transcripts here and people say their ears went deaf, that thing is true, so true
It was God’s mercy really. Passport has been picked up yesterday. I’m so grateful to God.
Special thanks to @otunbacoded for gingering me to try the usa, @johnsonolutade for not giving up on me @texrem, I cant thank you enough for firstly helping out with the sevis payment and the series of mock interviews we had, God bless you brother. Youre too much really, I mailed him I said, I see what you did with sharwama, I will disturb you once I’m set, out of his busy schedule, he offered to help, thanks bro. He’s always busy o but I no send am, I was consistent with disturbing him, lol.
I finally have a transcript to share since 2015, God be praised, giving up on our dreams isn’t an option, lets keep up the faith and the light at the end of the tunnel will shine soon on us. Thank you nairalanders, i'm so grateful, learnt alot since a very long time, First mock i had, @texrem said maybe i was reading it somewhere but no, i've worked and worked and worked on the transcript from reading other testimonies, drew a picture with pencil on my wall in the room where i use that for rehearsing, i use that to represent the V.O and i rehearse everyday. God had his way after all, I RETURN ALL GLORY TO HIM.

Onyedika11:
Good Evening everyone. Please, I need materials for TOEFL Badly... Can anyone be of help? My Email address is onyedikaanthonyokoli@gmail.com

Time2win:
My Transcript

Visa approved at Lagos Embassy, 30th July 2019

School: Clarkson University

Funding: 66,000$ (Tuition and stipends)

Course : Msc Chemical Engineering

This was my 9th attempt, 7 in Lagos, 2 in Abuja

Here is my today's visa transcript:

V.O: (Looked at my i20) I see you have a teaching assistantship, what will you be teaching?

Me: I will be assisting prof. ... in grading students papers, invigilating test and exams, other teaching duties will be assigned upon resumption

V.O: what was your undergraduate Major?

Me: chemical engineering

V:O Where do you work and what's your duties?

I currently work as a process engineer at D***y Industries Limited and stated my duties

V.O: (Started typing for a long time and checking his system, he was shaking his head too and my mind was beating fast.) He asked, have you travelled outside the country before?

Me: Yes, I have been to Ghana

V.O: is it by flight or road and how many times

Me: I travelled by road and that was sept last year and came back same month

V.O: (Went to meet another V.O, he stayed there for like 4mins, I don't know what they were discussing). After he came back, he asked... What's your plans after graduation?

Me: Upon completion of my masters degree, I will be resuming a new position at my current place of work as a senior process engineer and I am going to be on a paid study leave (I brought out the letter, he saw it and said he doesn't need it, I pushed my letter back to my file).

V.O: (Typing for a very long time and checking stuffs on his system) you have been to Abuja embassy last time, what transpired there?

Me: During my last interview, the V.O wasn't convinced that I am a credible student and hence I was refused. I have come to demonstrate my credibility as a student, I wrote GRE and scored 324, had a good grade (1st class) and believe i definitely do very well during my masters studies at Clarkson University. (He nodded)

V.O: (Started typing again and checking stuffs on his system), You applied for safety science at Embryl Riddle Aeronautical University in 2017, why the switch to chemical engineering (For my mind, e don come again o)

Me: That's was when I finished my National Youth Service and was working with a firm so i needed to increase my safety knowledge but since I changed place of work and now dealing with chemicals, I needed to develop knowledge in the area of chemical catalysis and plasma processing which will be needed when I resume a new position at my place of work. (He nodded)

V.O: Do you have anybody in USA?

Me: No, I don't have anybody

V.O: (Typed for ages, for like 2mins and was checking his system, my mind was beating fast. He took my passport and those blue papers, I was like it's finished, another refusal�. Immediately he brought out the white paper and circled a location, then said the golden words) YOUR VISA HAS BEEN APPROVED, then passed my i20 and sevis receipt

Me: collected my i20 and shouted Thank you sir!!! I ran out of the embassy and people were shouting what is it, I was running till i reached where I entered cab to my house cos it was like a dream or like i was watching a movie.

That's it... I saw God's favour today

Maryam3:
Thanks a lot. I've been thinking about it for 4days now.
I'll just stick to what's on my i-20