₦airaland Forum

Middy25:
Thank you so much. Any suggestions regarding the conviction?

Middy25:
Thank you so much for responding, but please can you suggest a better way I can put it? Here is my transcript:

Vo: Good morning
Me: Good morning
Vo: passport and i20 (I gave her)
Vo: purpose of visit?
Me: I want to spend my leave period with my husband
Vo: Why not B2 visa instead since you are going on a vacation
Me: Because I believe F2 will give me a chance of multiple entry. I can be able to travel to attend his graduation
I don't even understand what she said after this
Vo: Why didn't he come visit last summer
Me: I said because he was coming home for a job interview last year and he had to plan his visit around that time, and he came in September.
Vo: What do you do
Me: teacher
Vo: do you live alone?
Me: yes, in my husband's house
Vo: sorry.......
Gave me my passport
No other documents was asked.
Oh, another thing. I used a scanned copy of my i20 because my husband had to make a recent update about his GA, so the original didn't get to me on time, she frowned at this, asked why and I told her about the update. The update was made five days to my appointment( Saturday and Sunday inclusive)

Pls guys, I need your constructive criticism and advice on what I can do next. I am feeling so miserable. Thank you so much.

uzmu:
Visa denied today in Abuja embassy F1.
Previously Applied this same month early jan.@ lagos Embassy
VO : i see you previously applied in lagos, so what has changed?
Me : i have made more research about my school now and am more confident.
VO : So u wanted to pay $25,000 and u didnt research about the school?
Me : was just mute.
VO: how did you hear about the school?
Me: a lectural friend of my who is currently in the uk Doing his PhD recommend the school
VO: in the UK?
Me : yes, as he said he knows of 2person who left UK for the sch in U.S. immediately i went to quora to ask question and also on linkedln to know more about the school.
VO: so what have u learnt about the school now?
Me: the school won the best Data science Track in 2018 which is the fastest and latest growig trend in cpmputer science, and also has a Block system of learning that enables one to concentrate on one subject in a month and also its the home of conscious Based Education.
VO : was just typing and brought out the pick paper that I'm sorry u still not eligible this time.
Pls what must i have said wrongly, pls i need advice cos i may defer till May Entry.

Mrhamid:
Greetings everyone, i am glad i found this and reading through have given me helpful tips so far. please how much money is suppose to be in the sponsor's account? and can i be my own sponsor?

LearnAndObey:
Hello, my sponsor is in the US and he is doubting if the soft copy of his bank statement is enough to apply for the visa?

2) If not, what is the most easiest way to send me his bank statement?

3) What other document is needed from bank or him?
I just want to make sure I don't stress him.

Thanks.

presh68:
Thanks a lot pls
When u say" hard way,'pls do u mean u experience denials or do u mean the process wasn't easy.

GboyegaD:
Oga, can you please be humble and let them live their lives? You don't need to overemphasize because you are contradicting yourself. Don't you think that what they have told you and what you think are all dumb facts since they are not smart? You are a student and your focus should be focusing on your studies and planning your life after school. If a Western Union agent doesn't agree you use his station to pay SEVIS fees or that you met one or at most 100 people that do not know anything about Olympic games, is that enough to generalize?
Your comment about people taking few courses earlier and comparing it to Nigerian universities where you take 10 without considering the volume of work involved in both cases speaks more than you have written. Biko, let us rest this matter.

GboyegaD:
Don't worry, just give it time and see if your perception changes or otherwise.

GboyegaD:
The worse part of things is that about 50% of registered voters in Nigeria are less than 35 yet, many think it has to be Buhari or Atiku; those who do not have anything to offer them. Our use of the word smart sometimes can be baffling.

presh68:
Good day everyone ,I need ur opinion on this.My sponsor wants me to go for community colleges because is far cheaper.Her plan Is for me to start in a community college and then transfer to a uni,So I chose a college close to her home.The college has a great standard (Georgia Military College).The college does not require any standardized test.My sponsor is based in America, we don't have the same surname though.I'm coming clean becos I want u guys opinion,thank u.

sheke01:
The problem I've seen with most Nigerian students here is that they limit their selves to their labs/classes and don't know anything that happens outside their campuses. They only roll with people on campus and in academia

Where do I start from, Is it western union agents that refuse to pay SEVIS fee stating that it's fraudulent or the ones that refused to made the payments because I've done the payment previously for someone else. Is it people that don't know anything about anything about the world outside US, know nothing about Olympic games etc...People that know nothing about very basic things. smh

I've met old ladies that use their own mouth to wash their own people. So I know what I meant when I said "most people here aren't smart.

I rest my case.

wintabotom:
Many thanks. I hop I won’t look too desperate applying in the same year 2ce

bracelum:
You don't have to tell me your life story to cover up for the blunder you earlier committed. This strategy is best described as damage control.

And I laugh at your second paragraph. If you read my comment well, you will discover I mentioned undergraduate and not graduate degrees. Most Nigerians attend graduate school at >25 years and you must be a fool if you don't take responsibility of your life and future at that age.
DAMN! bro, there is no need for this mehn, his was just saying his opinion. No one should be called a fool for just saying his or her point of view and experience

A lot of Nigerians in undergrad do not shoulder responsibilities. A lot of Americans, especially the blacks, come from broken homes and experience domestic violence and thug life from childhood yet they work for 4-12 hours per day at age 16, 17 and 18 to pay their way through college and still maintain excellent grades. Some of them rack up debts and shoulder the responsibilities themselves. When you were 17, were you bold enough to take a debt of 100k naira talk more of $30k? At that age, a lot of Nigerians in undergrads spend most of their time on social media with no clear idea of what to do in life. Did you work your way through school at 17? Do you come from a broken home? Have you ever experienced domestic violence? Then, don't come here and underrate their experiences. If you're shouldering your responsibilities at 25 and you think everyone should congratulate you on that, you don't know what you're saying.

I don't know about your educational experience in the US cos I don't know about your school. But the way you make it sound, it seems you attend one of those schools where Professors pull out exam questions from Quizlet and administer to the class. That is your problem. But from my experience (and from the experience of a lot of people here I've interacted with), education in the US is way tougher. Many people here will agree with me that open-book exams in the US are most times more difficult than closed-book exams.

Also, if you attended one of the public universities in Nigeria, the workload of your 9-10 courses per semester does not amount to 2 courses in the US. So stop talking that. When you take 3 or 4 classes per semester with 8 assignments per week aside from required class readings per class, lab work, research, assistantship duties, job search and 2 exams for each course (mid-term and final), I don't even know how you came up with that assertion. Even the 9-10 courses at Covenant, UI, UNN, UNILAG and co are not as hectic as that.

Talking about long-term, don't bring the story of government here. There are Nigerians who think long-term and work hard to achieve it. If you're not one of them, then that's your problem. Even right now, if I ask you about your plans for the next 5 years, you might not even come up with a concrete plan.

Go to a decent American university and ask a senior about their career goals. You will hear stuffs like law school, PhD, Master's degrees, MBA, Software Development etc. But ask an average NYSC candidate (not even a final year student) same question and you will be shocked by their responses. A lot of Nigerians even think about graduate school as a reactive option as opposed to a proactive option (I can't speak more on this point).

So, next time you open your mouth to call an entire nation unsmart, always remember that your perception of people is based on the kind of people you keep as friends.

My problem with Nigerians is that we think we are too smart but yet we can't even vote good leaders for our country. Sometimes these Americans will be looking at our gra-gra (which we call smartness) and be laughing.

LagosismyHome:
Opinions can be formed based on facts or experience or exposure so I don't intend to argue or debate with anyone. Maybe it the circle of friends or American you met. The ones i have met are very smart and hardworking

My experience is different ....

Also it is not only native Americans that are Americans.... that statement that native are the real Americans is troubling... there is no fake or real citizen of any country . For example Someone who was born and raised in America is not an immigrant but an American and is a product of that society . You can say he or she is a child of an immigrant but he or she is not an immigrant

LagosismyHome:
America is still made up of majority of Americans.

Immigrants are not up to 15% of the population so I think [b]Americans made America what it is today and not immigrants[/b]. Immigrants contribute greatly yes But American you need to give them credit when due. They been a top player in a lot of aspects in life

GboyegaD:
I find this absurd. They are not smart and you chose to go study in their country? They are not smart and yet their society is more organized than ours that is smart? They are not smart and they lead innovations in the world? I guess it would be nice to weigh words before they are used.

wintabotom:
i would post the little details of my interview that i can remember after passing 120 and passport
1st interview Dec 17, 2nd was jan 2

VO: WHY MSC IN PUBLIC ADMIN

ME: I beleive due to my 10 years work experience, i am due to hve a masters. i chose masters in public admin, due to my experience at my place of work, i have been a volunteer member of ........ where we help children living with ... and source for funds ....... at my place of work i have been moved to ..... desk where we help women ......... also i intend to own y own NGO in the future. with the masters in PUB Admin, i beleive it would give a boost to my career advancement and opportunity. i have been made the head of ... desk and after taking a study leave for this course it would help me gather the knowledge required to perform on the role.

why did you have to wait 10 years before doing your masters?

VO: who is funding for this trip

ME: it is co sponsored by my husband and i

VO: Can i have your bank statement (i passed it and explained its our joint account statement.. which was sufficiently funded as indicated in the i 20)


VO: I just saw an inflow, why such all of a sudden.

ME: This was as a liquidation of our fixed deposit investment. (passed him a copy of the fixed deposit certificate) this is a copy of the fixed deposit certificate which shows it was liquidated yesterday. Its no longer valid because the investment was just liquidated due to todays interview. If you look at the statement you would notice the funds have been in the account since october but we had to invest it to get interests.

VO: ok this is fine, i see you stayed in the usa for over 2 months, what was this about

ME: I HAD OBTAINED A MEDICAL VISA IN 2017, AS I went to have a baby, this was indicated at my interview that i would be in the usa for that length of time.



VO: Do you have your receipts

ME: YES (PASSED the zero balance statement)

VO: (studied it for a while) how much did you pay for this, was it normal delivery or CS

me: Normal delivery, total was about $5k , this was the contract signed in the hospital for self pay

VO: OK , but i want you to note that these hospitals do some things behind you, and give you an affordable bill, a standard bill for delivery in the usa should be about $20k.

ME: i didnt know this, i met with the hospital and this was the bill given to me on a contract for self pay

VO: i know you dont know, but its ok. excuse me for a minute (he goes to meet one witch with the statement that had denied every single soul, probably his supervisor)

VO: sorrry about that i had to make a little clarification. (looks at the 1-20) Your i20 states that English proficiency is required, where is your English proficiency test.

ME: The school waived English test on my behalf as my B.SC was done in English, also i had done an IELTS test before the school waived it.

VO: (Getting Angry) WHERE IS IT

ME: unfortunately its nt here with me. I had obtained an admission from the school because i was qualified and submitted the necessary documents to the school. i wont have been offered the admission if i wasn't Proficient, can you please allow me to bring the documents later or send via email.

why would you write IELTS and not bring the result with you when it is clearly stated in your ds 160 to bring all supporting document concerning your application

VO: Based on som conditions your VISA is not approved. You can come back for B1 B2 visa but you dont qualify for this visa.

ME: Please does this mean i cant school in the USA..

VO: It depends on who you meet but this is my decision.


I Didnt give up, i reapplied for Jan 2nd at Abuja

i would like to point out that every single soul was denied that day only 2 VOs were interviewing, the ambiance was sooooo tense

VO: I see you had come for an interview for weeeks ago, what has changed

ME: SCHOOLS Resumes Jan 7, however, at the last interview, i wasnt able to provide my English test because i didnt take itwith me to the interview, I also have a letter from the school to explain the waiver on English.

VO: OK, why this school Tarleton State University

me: It affordable, the school is in Texas which has a great wether. Also, after various research, i realised that the school is highly rate for the course , and one of the Top schools in the USA.. (she cuts me)

VO: What other schools did you apply to

ME: Florida Atlantic uni and university of Massasuchets, I didnt get Florida Atlantic Uni

VO: under the immigration laws in the USA you dont qualify for this VISA(same old story to every soul at the embassy)

GUYS please what do you think should i go to another country or reapply. i am already processing other options but i need your thoughts on this.

kindly advise what i should have done better. i work in a reputable organisation. at the first interview it looked like i was getting it after spending 30 mins. i feel like the guy got upset cos he had moved on on the affordable hospital bill, then i now didnt bring my test result or letter from the school.

i only need advise

Beekorly:
Hey, which school r u @ in NJ?

Mrhamid:
what school are you in and please do you have any advice to getting a school there for Msc program

nugoh:
Hello Everyone. I’m posting this here because it may be helpful to someone. I had my F2 approved in Abuja yesterday. To be honest the process is a lot more tedious now.. at least mine was.
I’d been denied a b2 Visa in August 2018 when I wanted to visit my fiancé. And an F2 in November after we got married in October.
I applied again immediately and it was approved. To be honest nothing beats preparation and prayers. I prayed o! Lol. My interview took nearly 30 mins. transcript:
VO: Good morning. Passport and i20 please.
Me: Good morning. I hand it over
VO: what’s your relationship with the student?
Me: He’s my husband
VO: When did he leave Nigeria?
Me: xyz month xyz year
VO: He’s been away for this long. What sort of relationship is that?
Me: He’s come to visit me 4 times in the past year.
VO: Raises eyebrows.. checks to confirm. When did you get married? Can I see your marriage certificate and photos from your wedding?
Me: October 2018. I had her the items
VO: Who are these people with you in these photo?
Me: my family and his
VO: why haven’t you changed your name yet?
Me: I have. I offer her the change of name affidavit and a copy of the publication ( to be honest I carried this last minute. Speak of the hand of God!)
VO: so why does your passport still have your maiden name?
Me: I had it before we got married and it’s still valid.
VO: Are you Edo?
Me: No. I’m from xyz state.
VO: How does your husband plan to look after you in the states?
Me: He has an on campus employment that pays him xyz monthly and we have some personal funds. I offer bank statements, she declines it. Wawu.
VO: what are his plans for when he graduates?
Me: he has an offer from xyz company. She asks for the offer letter and I give her.
VO: so is he going to apply for OPT or is this company filing for him immediately?
Me: We Intend to apply for OPT
VO: excuse me for a bit. Takes pictures, marriage certificate and offer letter and disappears for like 15-20 mins.
VO: how did you meet?
Me: we met in 2016 at xyz.
VO: explain further I want to know
Me: getting tired.. he used to work at xyz firm so he was working at bla bla bla and we met at bla bla and exchanged numbers, became friends and bla bla
VO: you used to work at xyz organization?
Me: Yes
VO: are you pregnant or do you intend to have kids in the us?
Me: I’m not pregnant. We won’t be having kids for another two maybe three years.
VO: When did you say you met again?
Me: I explain again
VO: typing and typing. Hands me back all my papers except the i20 and my passport. She scanned my passport again. Left again. Came back.
Then “ your application is approved” please keep your i20 safe and bla bla bla.
I was exhausted! Damn.
Be very prepared. Go with anything that can serve as proof and speak clearly even if your tensed. Try to be confident. They concentrated more on proof of marriage and relationship. They didn’t even ask anything about his school.
Hope this helps!

Pinkandblue26:
Hello

I'm a silent follower on this thread. I had my interview 9th of January at Abuja embassy( emmergency appointment) Classes started 10th , Orientation for 4th.
I was denied of the the Visa and ever since then I have been mentally down and have not had the zeal to post my transcript to see where I went all wrong. I was interviewed by a white lady in window 9.

Here is my Transcript.

Vo: Good morning, pass your passport (didn't even ask for I20)

Me: (I quickly passed my passport and I20 while I was returning her greetings)

Vo: (not looking at me at all, was just busy typing) why this school?

Me: I chose Alabama A&M University because the Masters degree in Food Science combines Food Microbiology and Food Toxicology as a specialization of which that's where my research interest lies in (she wasn't even maintaining eye contact, was just typing and typing) Also, there is this ongoing research at the department which is about improving on farm food safety practices and nutritional toxicology in sub Saharan Africa. This project potentially tackles challenges of Food safety, food processing, food hygiene, which I see as a major identified problem in my country, Nigeria ( I felt like I had been forgotten on the stand by her, I had to say hello ma are u listening, she gave a one kinda smile)

Vo: yes, go on
Me: I paused for some secs

Vo: what other university did u apply to

Me: South Dakota State University and University of Central Oklahoma

Vo: Who is your sponsor
Me : my Uncle (she didn't even ask what he does)

All through the while, do you know she was just typing and typing, by the time she looked at me, she just took one paper from a file and passed it to me. She didn't even say anything. By the time I looked, the paper was green,I was dazed, blank and dumb for some secs. I was thinking...is the interview all over I looked at the paper , turned back and asked her the reason why she gave me this, she said when I read through, I 'll understand.

I really don't understand what's wrong and why she was typing like forever.

But I have few questions, could it be because classes start 10th and my estimated date of arrival is 9.

Or could it be because I had 2 passport nom. ( there was an error in the last alphabet of my middle name h instead of t on my passport) and I had to quickly go and correct it at Abuja headquarters hence my reason for having a new passport nom.

Could it be when she asked for my passport, I should have presented the 2 passports. Cos on my DS 160, I answered (no) when I was asked if my passport was lost or stolen

Pls brethren, what went wrong.

All the questions that could have showed home ties to my country were not asked
Like* why food science * *why food Microbiology and toxicology* *what would this course do for you* what's your plan after grad* *what does your sponsor do* ..... all those questions were not asked...I didn't spend up to a minute with her.
Even the question I was praying to God not to be asked ( If I wrote any Standardised test) was not asked.
Although TOEFL was waived for me and GRE was not required by Food Science dept.

Please what went wrong
Correct me pls

Ubah1:
Very expensive, that's why and the cost of living is very high too.

GboyegaD:
Apply for them na, at least, you go get many friends dat way.

egbe12:
egbe12:
Been a silent follower on this thread and learning quietly from the gurus. Had my interview today at the abuja consulate and awaiting administrative process to verify my account statement.
Below is my transcript.

Me: good morning
Vo: morning how are you?
Me: I'm good
Vo: looking at my i20, I can see you are going to Texas state uni @ San Marcos for ur MSC in *****
Me: yeah
Vo: how did you learn about Texas state uni?
Me: a prof at uni***** where I had my undergraduate studies referred me
Vo: okay, when did he get his PhD from there?
Me: 3years ago
Vo: when did you get your bsc?
Me: graduated in 2015
Vo: what have you been doing since then?
Me: I worked with xyz company then got another job later in Jan 2018 with xyz as an admin staff.
Vo: who's paying for your tuition?
Me: my aunt, and I stated her name.
Vo: the account you've got here shows a November balance, I'd prefer it was printed in DEC
Me: I got her to provide it cos she was about travelling and I was hoping to get an earlier date
Vo: okay, I'll like you to get the most recent account statement at least showing her December balance
* then she brings out the yellow paper for admin processing.
As she was about passing it to me, she asked if I was aware I would be banned if I presented any fake documents.
Me: yes ma'am
Then she handed me the papers and wished me best of luck.
I live in Lagos but now in abj for my interview.
Hope to get the whole stuff settled by Thursday or Fri then sit down and sip on some juice as I watch God finish his work.
I know it'll be positive
School resumes on the 22nd of Jan though, I hope to get an extension to make proper arrangements.


Big thanks to the nairaland family, dollypizzle and Velly my brothers. Wishing all others awaiting interview success.

Visa issued this morning

wintabotom:
Lol.. I wish you success in USA jare. This is what they deserve. People that didn’t plan to migrate are not getting. my brother please enjoy yourself

Beautyaddy:
Yeah right!

Continue with the excuses to justify what you did and knew was wrong.

And then we all wonder why the US refusal rates with Nigerians is at a very high rate.

Beautyaddy:
So even after you fourth attempt for the US visa after three denials you still lied to the VO.

wintabotom:
Like I said earlier I feel there is a new policy with visa issuance at the USA embassy’s. Denial rate has sky rocketed. I have friends who have been going for years without any default. They have all been refused for no reason. Please a man who works in Shell can never have any intent to migrate without proper job at the USA. I agreed that Canada had to speak to the USA to revisit their visa issuance as people have been crossing into Canada from the USA and seeking asylum. In my opinion I think we should leave USA for now. They would calm down later.

Oeworldbest1:
Bloody day at the embassy today. No student was approved while I was there. I was on the white lady's queue window 6 but was later moved to the white man in window 7(with fine boi hair) because the lady kept leaving her seat while she interviewed the first family. She kept us standing for almost 15-20 minutes. She hadn't even really started this family's interview when the father(an old man) started having an epileptic attack (ah for US embassy). Naso them carry the man go out, the white woman returned and wondered where the family disappeared to then she said she wasnt ready for interview again so they moved the guy in my front and me to the white man. This man denied a man who was working for shell and had visited the US five times in the past. He said he and his wife were just going for their regular annual vacation, the son was studying in the US or so, he had paid like $13000 or so for medical bills or something in the past or so but the man get strong edo accent sha. I was 1,000,000% sure this man would be approved next thing na baba blue. The shell man open mouth sey why, naso my mind cut that's why when the cgi lady said I should go to his queue I said I want to stay here politely, the cgi lady then said the female vo had told her to move us but I still dey get one kind belief sey when this man see my scholarship him go want give him small sense that my case is unique and I was thinking of running to the toilet but I dey fear to fall in the hands of the black VOs so I stayed put sey make I try white man. The other white man why get Harry Potter hair sef dey fear me, he was nice but na only one old igbo mama he approved, he denied the other old Ibo mama, but I felt the woman may be denied because she couldn't speak a word of English like the other old woman but this particular woman was frail and even the interpreter couldn't communicate well with her. Okay now to the transcript

Vo: next please
Me: Good morning smiling
Vo: (the vo dey vex, no answer, one man in his 50s wey he denied earlier follow am argue he said I'm not obligated to bla bla..so I didn't take it personal) pass your passport and i20
Me: gives him passport and i20, what of ds160
Vo: no
Me:okay
Vo: yes pass your ds160, (he scans it)
Me: I want to request permission to say something important

Note: earlier this man denied was man like that, then immediately the man said sir I have an extension letter. The vo said I'm not denying for that. That's separate from the interview.

Vo: (doing his face somehow), oya talk
Me: I know you can't issue a student visa if the entry date has passed so my school has agreed to let me start not later than Jan 28th and this is the extension letter
Vo: alright okay
Vo: why do you want to do your masters in Chemical engineering and at this university
Me: I have a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and now I want to do my masters at the university of Toledo and specialize in renewable energy. I want to use this degree to immediately return to Nigeria upon graduation and apply for a lecturing position in my undergraduate university so as to contribute towards renewable energy research and education in Nigeria because presently there aren't many experts in renewable energy in Nigeria. My ultimate career goal is to become a university professor here in Nigeria.

Note: while I was talking he was just making some funny facial expressions, he was trying to disorient me, but I was prepared for this so I didn't let it bother. He hardly looked at my face

Vo: so why this university
Me: I want to attend this university because there is an ongoing research in renewable energy which is area of interest. The research is led by Professor Conster Shan whom I have been communicating with and she has accepted me to join her research team. Specifically I will be working on the production of biofuel from renewable biological sources like algae and lignocellulosic biomass. I'm highly motivated by the goal of this research. The overall goal of this research is to greatly improve the production processes of biofuel in order to reduce the use of fossil fuel and the resulting carbon emissions which will help us mitigate against global warming and climate change

Vo: (as I was rounding up he cut in, he had started looking at me more like it be like sey you sabi abi, okay, this denial go hard forme to achieve small) okay so what other reasons why you want to go to this university asides the research

Me: (in my mind I was surprised, after all this my explanation, you still want more, I thought quickly I have said all the theoretical things naw, let me say something real now) my department has also offered me a full tuition scholarship

(after I got out I was feeling I could also have said the university was recommended by my undergraduate research supervisor but what I said carries more weight than this and I wasn't expecting that to be my last statement there)

Vo: passes blue paper
Me: (you know the drill, don't argue, I felt like asking him why but then I remembered the shell man too asked and he just said I am obligated to....in mind is this how this interview has ended, really weird but I didn't feel bad at all this time around cos I witnessed a lot of drama there today. VO work sef no easy, lol)

God knows best, everything happens for a reason, America is a great place but everything happens for a reason. I have learnt that a painful disappointment can be a big blessing in disguise

One other married man in his mid 30s was arguing with the white male in window, the guy was stubborn and would most probably be punished, he told the vo something then the vo replied that he had asked him like 6 questions already that a visa is a privilege and not a right. The guy said I know it's not a right, vo said but you're acting like it's a right.


My denial history:
Canadian student visa (msc chemical engineering university of western Ontario no funding December 2017)
Us f1 visa (Tennessee tech university chemical engineering no funding before arrival July 2018)

I won't give up but I won't beat myself up over anything

lextube:
Hello house, went for my visa interview on the 7th of January, and I was denied.


My interview was at Abuja, and it was scheduled for 9am. A blonde white lady at window 12 was the person who conducted the interview.


V.O: Please pass me your passport and I-20.
Me: (I corresponded).


V.O: Why are you going to the U.S?
Me: I am going to the U.S to study for a Masters degree at Touro College, New York City.


V.O: Why did you choose this University?
Me: I chose Touro College because the University has a training program offered by the graduate school of technology that is called The System Z training program which focuses at training graduate level student in Cobol programming language, and in IBM z/os mainframe computers. Cobol programming language is actually not taught in about 73% of most American Universities, and having the opportunity of being trained in IBM z/os platform will greatly enhance my chances of securing a job with IBM Nigeria as a System and application programmer.


Another reason why I chose Touro College over other Universities in America is that the MSIN program is designed around a core foundation courses in technology management. This in my own understanding is awesome, because it will expose me into having the skills and knowledge that will help me transition into getting a job in IT leadership and management in Nigeria, considering the fact these job positions are dramatically increasing in my home country Nigeria.
These are the reasons why I chose Touro College.


V.O: Very good. I can see on your profile that you have been denied visa to Canada in 2017, can you explain to me what category of visa you applied for, and why you were denied?
Me: (I didn't include this information in my application, because I felt there was no need to) Yes I was denied visa to Canada, and I applied for a student visa.


V.O: Why were you denied?
Me: I was denied because I misrepresented myself in my application, and this resulted into the Canadian embassy banning me for 5yrs.
How I misrepresented myself was unintentional. In the application form, a question was asked if I have been denied visa to Canada or any other country. I didn't understand that the question was asking about other countries, so I said "NO" instead of "YES" because I was denied an American visa in 2015. It was entirely a mistake, and there was no intention what so ever on my part to tell a lie. When my attention was drawn to it by the Canadian embassy, I wrote a procedural fairness letter, where I stated that it was an error, and that I didn't understand the question properly. However, they still went ahead to ban me.

V.O: Okay so who's your sponsor?
Me: My Uncle.


V.O: What does he do?
Me: He imports electrical and electronic appliances to the country.


V.O: Does he have enough money to pay your fees, because I can see you have no funding.
Me: Yes I believe he does have enough money to take care of my education in the US.


V.O: Do you have any bank statement to proof that?
Me: Yes I do.

V.O: Let me see it.
Me: (Handed it over to her).

V.O: (She flipped through it to see the opening and closing balance, then handed it back to me) I am quite satisfied with your bank statement, but unfortunately I cannot approve your visa at this moment. This letter will explain to you why you were denied. (She gave me a green paper).


I'm not going to lie, I was shocked that I was denied again the second time in a row. Then it occurred to me that it was my denial to Canada that may have disqualified me at that moment for the VO to grant me the visa then.


I want to ask the house (especially the gurus), with this kind of stigma in my visa application history, what can I do to improve my chances if I apply next time again? Thank you very much for your contribution.