₦airaland Forum

yomi fola: Helo house,i was denial 2day at lagos consulate.the guy jst dey denail evrybdy lik say we 1 go thief am country. Well shaa,in evrytin we jst v 2 giv thx 2 d Lord.this is hw it goes...
What do u wnt 2go n do in US?
2 study
wat major?
biz mgt
why dat major?
Bcz i wnt 2 b more innovative in biz creativity....
That was it oooo.d guy denail almst evrybdy xcept 1 baba wey 1 go meet him child 4 US.well shaaa,all is well

Sorry about the refusal. If you are going to reapply again, make sure you tidy some of the loopholes in this your interview. Only you can do this, you sure know where the issue is/are. After you are well satisfied/convinced you can then reapply.
Are you a graduate or undergraduate student?

[quote author=dr_dolittle]Hi guys..there was a bunch of nairalanders in the Lagos embassy today and most of them were issued their f1 visas..NA GOD O!...and also provided they looked straight into the eyes of the VOs and were bold about the little info they had to offer. I must confess it was favour galour today..It was as if the Independence mood was still in the air.The VOs were all guys and were very nice.They dished out visas without many questions being asked by them...except for the window 7 guy who denied those that werent too bold enough. My visa interview went smoothly without ANY..I mean ANY document being asked for. I approached him with a big smile and looked into his face.All he asked were:why do you wanna study in d US? Which course are you going for? Why do you wanna study this course(you must talk about it's relevance to d situation in your country)? How many schools did u apply to and what are they? Why did you choose this school above others? What was your undergraduate major? What university did you graduate from and in what year? What have you been doing since then? You must also have an info on your sponsor and his salary scale cos one of us told me he was asked cos his dad wasnt his sponsor...That was all o. I pray those of u preparing for your upcoming interviews are as favoured as some of us were today.Bless you all.[/quote]Amen!!!
Congrat. bruv, I am very happy for you.

[quote author=sha_money]I finally got a date.. Dat hurdle is past now..and 23rd july is d date.. Tanx for ur support and am sure I and all fall applicants will come out smiling wit our visas IJN, amen.[/quote]Congrat. and may this date favour you.

kpolli: Interview in 3 days time

Go get your visa man. You shall be favoured. Just remember that confident plays a major role and look into the VO's eyes when answering questions.

successgrace: Hello House I got my Visa on July 2, sorry dis is coming late it is actually because I have been out of town.
My interview was met to be 7:30am, i was so soaked in the rain despite the fact that I was well dressed.
My interview was just divinely plan and filled with favour.
I was praying within me to be called by the guy in counter 4;cos he was given the visa as if he wants all and sundry in the USA, however , my number was called on counter 6(DIVINELY PLAN).I was just blasting prayer within and I was so bold all dese were from divinity

Me: Good Morning
VO: Good Morning, While would you like to go to the USA
Me: To pursue my graduate studies
VO: What School
Me: Purdue University (I observed wen I sed dis he was already tearing the green card I was like just like dat ...abi na fake… well God !@ work)
VO: where is your campus located ?
Me: Told him Indiana (He was trying to say somefin but I culd barely hear him because the speaker @ window 6 dat day went so bad so I was just reading his lips: and i actually sed sir dis speaker is bad ooo politely with smile
VO: Did u take GRE?
Me: Yes I did, and showed him
VO: How many times
Me: Just Once
VO: Do u have your undergraduate transcript?
Me: Yes I was trying to bring it out
VO: don’t worry let me see the evidence that you have dis amount in ur acct
Me: brought out smt of acct
VO: he just flipped to the last page and asked whose acct
Me: My uncle
VO: what does your uncle do
Me: He supplies Diesel and kerosene
VO: Your school is in Indiana but is close to Chicago .Pick up on Friday
Me:U mean Friday
VO: Yes Friday.
NB:
as soon as I mentioned the school he was already trying to give me the card so I felt oda questions were for formality. This looks so long but in the real sense my interview was just for like 3minutes as against 5 mins I told God
I had prepared so plenty question and I was only asked few.
My Visa was approved not for any reason but it was God @ work hence I return all the glory to God.
Again I want to thank all d gurus in the house GboyegaD, Imperioux ,Jitosam etc .and my special and sincere thanks goes to PHY who I have not seen before but took my case as if it was his always responding to my mail and pick my calls even in odd hours ….May God richly bless the work of your hands IJN

Congratulations man and to God be the glory.

summacumlaude: Hi peeps,

Just got my visa at the US embassy in abuja. To God be all the glory, honour and adoration.

Excerpts:

Me. Good morning (looking straight into his eyes and smiling)
VO: good morning, can I have ur documents
VO: what is the purpose of your trip to the US?
Me: to pursue a masters degree in xxxxxxx
VO: At what school?
Me: xxxxxx university
VO: OK i see. And you have funding..... (looking at my I - 20)
Me: yes. scholarships from the university and xxxxx foundation.
VO: asks me about the foundation
Me: i tel him
VO: what area of your course do you want to specialize in
Me: i tell him
VO: right. that's an area that is generating a lot of interest at the moment
Me: yes it is
VO: i see you've had previous travels
Me: One actually
VO: And what do you intend to do in career/profession, just out of curiosity
Me: to become a professor, blah, blah, blah, blah
VO: Please pick up your visa on wednesday or thursday at this address. I wish you the best in your studies.
Hands me my I - 20 and a white paper but retains my passport

The guy who interviewd me was on old guy in booth 8. Although he denied one or two persons before me, he was quite warm and friendly.

The guy in booth 7 was young and harsh. denied almost every one that he interviwed. He had one kind of face dat said you CAN'T bullshit me. Imagine what he asked one guy, "this school is very expensive and in a very expensive city, why do u chooose to spend this ammount of money instead of investing it in your future in Nigeria". after that question d applicant just the fumble, na im my guy deny am oh!!

The babes in booths 6 and 9 are sha thorough oooo. The questions I heard them asking people enh? Like say na state CID interrogation. But they were granting sha.

Good luck to all other prospectives in the House. May the grace and mercy of the Almighty go with you.

I say a big Amen to the last paragraph sentence\prayer.
Congratulations man. I am very happy for you.

Surestboyxxx: hi house..I lost my visa fees receipt..what can i do pls, my interview is approaching

This is a sad news. Maybe you can try talk to them at the Gtbank you made the payment, if you can still remember the date you made the payment. Who knows they might be able to help you print out another receipt. You will probably have to go with your international passport and supply the bank with some of your personal informations e.g phone number and address.
I know how bad you will be feeling right now but I wish you all the very best.

obusco4lyfe: u guys are really funny or let me say....gettin me scared cs i'm yet to pay my own sevis fee. I hv a frnd who is based in togo, she entered naija d day b4 yesterday. She also tld me d current exchange rate is 3.1. Illustratn:$200x165=33000naira which is in naija currency. To change 2 CFA i.e cotonou currency u den do 3.1x33000=102000. She even tld me to remove d '.1' nd multiply only 3x33000=99000, dt dt is d actual amount. My ques is, is d cashiers at d bank are thieves as well?

Did you add the Bank commission to the $200? Or don't you know that the bank will charge you for the western union transfer? The bank charge is usually between $25 to $35.

Paywole: Pls house i heard from one source that the embassy don't accept the local government birth certificate.which other one can I go get for the embassy

I am seriously sick and tired of the kind of questions the new set of breeds here do ask. What concern the embassy with birth certificate for F1 visa? Even at worst if they need one your international passport can serve for that purpose (DOB). Infact, where did you hear it that the embassy don't honour/accept the local government birth certificate?

I have never heard on this thread since inception where birth certificate was requested from F1 visa applicant.

My advice to the freshers here is that you should endeavour to romance this thread well, start from the part1, for if you painfully do, you will gather enough information to start a F1 Visa consultancy agent. This thread is loaded.

To those of us scheduled for this july & August interview appointment (fall session 2012) it shall be success stories IJN. Amen.

profGinger: I wiII be heading to usa embassy by next week abuja.I am going for masters in pubIicy poIicy anaIysis.I didn't sit for any standardise text since it wasn't a criteria for admission.my schooI sent my a covering Ietter buttressing that it wasn't a criteria for admission.in My undergraduate degree I studiedied internationationaI studies and dipIomacy.with 4.1 gpa am 26yrs oId graduate 2008 and after services I got a job with the GovernmenT and am working with them tiII date.I want to know if there is any red fIag in my do.I need advice from the house.

profGinger where you at

Anika Shiloh: Hi again.

My visas interview is on the 10th.

My issue is my current passport expires on Feb 2013(about 7 mths from now). I've gone for a renewal but it seems it won't be ready before my interview date. (couldn't get it earlier as was told the expiry date was still far). I was told I could still go for the interview with my current passport.

What do you think?

I think you should go to the interview with your passport like that. The info on US embassy says that your passport should have 'at least six months' period prior to its expiration inorder to use it for visa application. So, please don't disturb your head, just concentrate on your visa interview.
Even if you were to get a new passport, that will introduce a BIG change on your application and documents, because you got your university admission, fill ds 160 and scheduled appointment with this same passport.
So, in order not to create unnecessary tension and stress for yourself focus on your interview and go bring the green ticket here for us all to celebrate with you. Case closed!!!

yomi fola: Plz house, hw can i go abt payin my sevis fee or can sum1 helpin me in payin d fee 4me.... House!!!

You can go to Cotonou to pay it or if you want me to render that assistance,I can. If you are opting for the later, let's chat about it on YIM, my username here is same on YIM. Best of luck.

fittty: I have been doing my research to try find similarities... What do u think of Political Science? Does it stand apart from economics too?

Political Science is wide and it is regarded as the mother of Public Administration and so Public Administration is mostly considered as a branch of Political Science.

Public Administration is a very lucrative discipline. There is always gonna be need for Public Administrators. And one of the benefit it has is that you can fit in into both the private and public sector.

Like I said before you need to do your research in order to be able to marry the both of them together (Economics and Public Administration). You can use google in doing this.

fittty: Guys I am about applying for masters in Public Administration, I studied Economics at Bsc level.. What exams do u suggest I go for GRE or GMAT? The school waives both exams for those applying for masters in public admin but I still want to. Take the test just incase I'm asked aby d VO... Which test do u guys suggest I write??

The GRE seems to be applicable to the Masters in Public Administration degree from all I have come across regarding admission criteria.

On the other hand, you need to try to relate the study of Economics with that of Public Administration become they literally appear standing apart. But I believe if you do your research well you will find a thousand and one similarities between them. It is mandatory you do this because the VO might throw such a question at you.
I wish you the best of luck.

Allohrandy: Visa success today was high.I also got my visa today. I will post my experience lata. I am wishing other fall 2012 applicants success

Congratulations man, I am very happy for you. Oya nau make una come share the interview experience proper.

@ kennix73 & Walex57

Congratulations to the both of you.

GboyegaD: I am so happy my other friend got his VISA today. I encouraged two of my roommates in my final year to apply and now both of them have their visas on virgin passports at their 1st attempt. I feel so delighted unfortunately, I do not have full details of their interview.
For those going for their visa interview, I would encourage you to be bold believing that the visa is yours and you sure would get it.

GboyegaD ma friend, Its good to hear you are mentoring your friends to be on same page with you in life.
Congratulations to you the mentor and to those you mentored to get their visas.

[quote author=dr_dolittle]Thanks a lot brov. I think I will just stick to the submitted ds 160 cos it can be very stressful to fill..besides, I think I can just explain to the VO. How is school going at your end? Are u on skype or yahoo messenger? Wanna ask you some stuff before my interview creeps in.Please check your inbox.Thanks.[/quote]I am still in Nigeria,I haven't gone for the interview yet. My username on YIM is same here. You can shoot me message and I will reply immediately.

[quote author=dr_dolittle]Hello my fellow achievers. I need the house to help me on an urgent matter. I have not traveled out of this country before, and so on my ds 160 form, I stated that I have never traveled. However, I will be leaving for Ghana for just three days before my interview day (which is not pertaining to my visa interview or schooling). Should I hold my international passport along when traveling? I am afraid if it is stamped, the VO might ask why my ds 160 states otherwise...Or do you think I can simply tell him or her that I traveled after filling the ds 160 form? Will it sound believable to the VO? Please experienced folks...help me out o. God bless you all.[/quote]If your passport is stamped with a visa, the date it was stamped is usually legible for everyone to see. I know too well the VO's are not daft to figure that out. You can just go ahead and explain to the V0 what you said above if such a question should come up. You will be fine with that.

Anika Shiloh: How does one go about this - getting to be interviewed together?

There is no way both of you can be interviewed together under the F1 visa category. It may however be possible if you were both going for a family visit or tourism to the US. This is because the both of you will present individual i-20/admission documents. In the best of scenarios, you both can be at the embassy on same day and time, as previously predicted by imperiouxxx. So I will strongly advice that you remove your mind from nursing the possibilities of under going the F1 interview together.
The both of you should strive to familiarise yourselves with the visa interview experiences in the Part1 of the thread. I am sure you will be dazzled by the invaluable successful interview testimonies. Best of Luck.

Papa50000: I picked up my visa Friday at the lekki office. This is how my interview went.

VO: What school
Told him
VO: Why this school?
Told him.
There are many reasons that makes your own school unique. I got this kind of information from the school website.
VO: Looks at my I_20 and asks who wants to sponsor you?
I told him my elder brother
VO: He says so your elder brother has all this money?
I told him yes o(yes sir, no say yes o lol)
VO: He says what does he do?
He owns a ___ business and I work for the company too.
VO: what does the company do, I told him.
VO: He asked me to list the assets we own
I listed it(Use professional terms where necessary)
VO: What is the revenue of the company?
I told him
VO: He says he meant revenue not income. Dunno why he wanted revenue and income story> I told him the revenue and income sharply.
VO: What university did you attend.
I told him
VO: Did u write a test
I said Gmat
VO: Where is the test result
I showed him
He goes through the test results
VO: Did you apply to any other schools?
YES 2 SCHOOLS
VO: He says what schools
Listed it, A and B
VO: He said did I get accepted?
I said I got accepted to B
VO: But not A?
I said I was not accepted to A
VO: What is your salary?
I told him
VO: You earn that?
I said yes o(yes sir, no say yes o lol)
VO: He then said what will I do when I finish my program
I said I will take on more duties at the firm I work for. ride on and say the specifics linking it to what you will gain in your masters or undergraduate program.
After he gave me the ticket. He chatted me up a bit. after which I said thank you and pulled out.
Quotes in this forum kept me going as I took out 2-3 weeks preparing for my interview.

Keys I think worked for me.
1. I dressed well. Some say dress well, some say it does not matter. See what I think, to be on the safe side I think u should. There are some questions they will ask you, your image will help you convey the answer more than your answer itself. Look like the case you presenting. I don't mean if you are a civil engineer that you should wear an helmet. lol. My thoughts.
2. Be humble. If u make a mistake like I did in an instance look and act sorry, not too sorry sha, Like sorry sir I did not know that is what you meant. Be brave and listen attentively for the next questions so your shine comes back. The VO gave the guy before me the green ticket, but the guy before this guy was I dont know what word. The VO asked him what university did you attended, he said, I attended the prestigious University of ....... I wonder why the word prestigious! What is your salary? He said my basic salary is about 170 thousand and allowances are bla bla bla. I think concise answers help. His whole interview went along that line. Then it got to what was your favorite subject in school? He said accounting. then what is accounting? He did not define it well from what I heard sha..
3. if he chats you up... respond well and interestingly
4. Did not know he was giving me till he cut the ticket...So u have to be composed all thru...hope for the best in that little time.
God is on the throne. Cheers.

I celebrate your successful F1 Visa interview. However when you drop the goodnew initially you sounded as if it was just the standardised test score you were required to present but reading your interview experience proper revealed that you had an interactive/friendly interview.
Thanks for all the advice and comments.

sunboy: Finally managed to pay my sevis yesterday @ Seme border, was charged $240, thank God I held some $20s I had sometime ago.
Just checked my status now, my online receipt is ready but the status is pending. I'm I just good to go with a print out of the receipt?

Congratulations with the sevis fee payment. Yeah, just allow 3 working days from the day you made the payment. The receipt should be up for printing by then. Best of Luck.

leadzeal: Sori abt the refusal.genxris

Well, deevick, i disagree with d notion that an mba degree is nt inportant in d civil servant world. The VO as already made up his mind about the refusal before asking about his place of work, genxris clearly stated that he was already printing sth out before that particular question was asked.

Bottonline: the GMAT score raised the read flag.

My advice: i don't knw whether d schl considered ur gmat score b4 giviNg an admission. If yes, i advice you get a letter from d schl stating d gmat was waived. So there ll b no need in tendering ur score to d VO

On anoda note, i advice u show dem ur transcript this time around since u claimed u had a gd GPA..

I advice u apply again man.. Success

I DIDN'T state the notion ''that an mba degree is not important in the civil service world'' in my comment above. I was just trying to let him realise the importance of relating or showing the relationship and benefit this would ultimately give to his future endeavour/plan. And even though the VO was already printing something doesn't mean one shouldn't still go ahead to voice out good future plans as to the benefits the course has in store for him. This is necessary even if for nothing but to build up confident for future interviews and as a matter of fact, a good response might have the VO change his mind.

Like I already said before, genxris you still have time and you can make it.

genxris: I was denied visa ön d 20th in Lagos,i hav a low gmat score(300) but anyway after i share my experience u guys can determine d main reason i was denied (even though i had gradate asistance from d skol of almost d half of my fees)

me.good day sir
vo. Good day,wat r u going 2d us for?
Me.for my studies
vo.wat skol?
Me. Told him
vo. Why did u choose d skol 4ur mba
me. Cos it's skol of biz is reknown 4it's mba in biz mgt and it has real time trading floor which provids d studnts wit pratical experienc rada than just the theortical knwlege
vo. (nods hs head in agrement) so wat oda skols did u aply
me. Told hm
vo. Did u ryt any exam 2qulify 4d graduate program?
Me. Yes,i rote gmat
vo. Let me c u score sheet (i gave hm, he pres hs computa and ask) u had one percent in d quatitativ,is d skol ok wit d score?
Me. Yes (i wantd 2add dat the skol also considerd my hi undagraduate gpa in givn me d admision bt on a 2nd tot i kept quiet)
vo. Wat's ur higest skol qulifcatn?
Me. My higer nat diplma
vo. Wen did u graduat?
Me. 2008
vo. Wat v u bin doin?
Me. Did my nysc 4one yr frm 2009 til 2010 and last yr i got employd wit d imo state civl service
vo. (lukin at hs computa and dn me ) so u want to leave d imo state civl servc job for studies? Wat impact wil d degre v to ur job? (by then he was printng out sumtin 4rm hs computa and pakaging my paspot to hand )
me. (alrdy hooked & momentrialy put of by dat last question,bt managd to say incoherently) my mba degre wil help me in dischargng my duty
vo. I am nt going to gv u d visa bla bla bla (handed me a leta and my paspot)
me. (luking at hs mouth as he said d words, star shone in my eyes) tank u (i left)

I startd tinkin 2my self mayb i shuld v quickly showd hm d aproval 4study leta i got 4rm my place of work and told hm i hope 2kum bk to them but d i was just tryin 2kip to d questions askd only
anyway it's hurts to prepare so hard ova many months and u get denyd in les than 8mins, i hope 2try again sha...wat do u guys tink

Sorry about your refusal man. However, from your interview experience above, I have deduced some questions and observations for you.

1. Is there a relationship between your undergraduate course of study and this programme you are going for

2. If you say you are working for Imo state government, why consider MBA in Business

This is my observation- from the interview you narrated above, one can easily notice that you were jittery before the VO. Because you ought to have quickly add that your Undergraduate GPA was also considered along side with your low Gmat score. Also I strongly feel your response to the last question wasn't accurate... so u want to leave d imo state civl servc job for studies? Wat impact wil d degre v to ur job? ... my mba degre wil help me in dischargng my duty..... You ought to have armed yourself with brilliant responses to such questions as ''what benefit this course of study holds for you''

I believe you still have time and you can still reapply. But you need to tidy some of those your responses and also work on your confident level. Its was a good try. Don't give up. You can (will) make it. Best of Luck.

Anyone with GRE official guide?

For those who haven't booked yet. I just assisted someone in booking a few minutes ago. The July dates available are 30th and 31st july @ Lagos Embassy. If you haven't booked yet or you want a early date, (And you haven't cancelled already scheduled appointment dates more than 2 times) Please, you can rush at this available dates. Best of Luck.

kennix73: so wearing a suit isn't good for an F1-visa interview.
Please house answer me.

Suit ke? Shei na Business Contract you wan go bid for Embassy ni?
Well, you can wear whatever makes you feel good and comfortable but you shouldn't appear too formal. Na Book you wan go read for yankee ooo.

[quote author=king1_00]@kennix73, attire, like seriously are you going for ceremony, paying too much attention to your dressing, is being over protective, and being over protective simply means you are hiding something, i'll go with a jean and a shirt(collar shirt).

@emekatimsu,
Everybodys case is different, the fact that someone was denied doesn't mean he had a flaw, it could be the VO was not just convinced personally about an issue. I have seen several times here when people post comments about community college and i personally know of peeps that have gotten visa with a community college, i also know 3 friends that resumed spring 2012 into a transfer program(started 300level there) and people say undergraduate visa is difficult. It depends on your case and how you build it, interview is not about your documentation, but about the interview proper,so don't spend time getting documents that wouldn't be scrutinized. What worked for imperiouxx might not necessarily work for you. The fact that a 30 years old was given visa for undergrad doesn't mean that all 30 years old will be given.
Unlike other interviews that gives Liberty,US embassy doesn't, the VO is suppose to make an efficient Decision under a very short time limit. Although there are rules, but personalities are different among this Vos'. So let your friend take time to review is profile and i always say this'anything that doesn't sound convincing to you personally will definitley not sound convincing to the VO as they have a good eye for cons.

Cheers![/quote]

[quote author=king1_00]@kennix73, attire, like seriously are you going for ceremony, paying too much attention to your dressing, is being over protective, and being over protective simply means you are hiding something, i'll go with a jean and a shirt(collar shirt).

@emekatimsu,
Everybodys case is different, the fact that someone was denied doesn't mean he had a flaw, it could be the VO was not just convinced personally about an issue. I have seen several times here when people post comments about community college and i personally know of peeps that have gotten visa with a community college, i also know 3 friends that resumed spring 2012 into a transfer program(started 300level there) and people say undergraduate visa is difficult. It depends on your case and how you build it, interview is not about your documentation, but about the interview proper,so don't spend time getting documents that wouldn't be scrutinized. What worked for imperiouxx might not necessarily work for you. The fact that a 30 years old was given visa for undergrad doesn't mean that all 30 years old will be given.
Unlike other interviews that gives Liberty,US embassy doesn't, the VO is suppose to make an efficient Decision under a very short time limit. Although there are rules, but personalities are different among this Vos'. So let your friend take time to review is profile and i always say this'anything that doesn't sound convincing to you personally will definitley not sound convincing to the VO as they have a good eye for cons.

Cheers![/quote]I doff my cap for you. This is a very impactful comments. Nice1

kpolli: I am sure I adviced u not to do the second cancellation. . . About the first one, we were not even aware of it. . .

And deevick246 has adviced u like 5 times on what u can do but u keep asking the same question. . .
So don't blame him for flaring up

Bros, thanks for coming to my aid. The matter self tire me ooo. Haba!!!

newacca: at times we need to be independent in taking some steps. We need to think like if Nairaland didnt exist,I can do it! We need to learn from experience,information and people. Ask God to give us our daily bread,and still expecting him to spread butter on it for us and put it in our mouth? Bro,pls grow up. U are going outta there to a real new world,learn to carry ur logs by urself sometimes. my 2cent offered.
ciao

This is very on point. Thanks for bring it on.

rowlandoo: I understand ma friend , d guy is just been sarcastic . How studies coz I see its been a very long time u .
No maTter what the devils tries I will register this FaLL .
Ciao

What been 'SARCASTIC' in echoing the truth which you refused to accept? Abi na on top my head you wan start to dey blow grammar ni?
Seriously, I feel you need to be consistent with one identity here, maybe that is even where this problem lies self. Well, best of Luck tho.