₦airaland Forum

Application Center: Victoria Island, Lagos
Visa Type: 2 years Visitors
20 May 2016: Submitted online application
2 June 2016: Physical submission of form & documents and I also did my biometrics at TLS Victoria Island
3 June 2016: Email from Sheffield office that my online application has been received
7 June 2016: Email from TLS that my application was received by UK Visas & Immigration
21 June 2016: Email from TLS that my application has been assessed by UK Visas & Immigration
23 June 2016: Email from TLS that my passport is ready for collection.
Collected my passport that day with a 2 years Visitors Visa stamped. It was issued on 20 June 2016 but deemed to have commenced on 17 June 2016.

Hi everyone, I have been a follower of this thread and the UK Student thread since 2014 but I have never commented before.

I applied for a 2 years tourist at VI Center to attend my graduation in July. I had only worked for 7 weeks at my place of employment at the time of application so account balance was only 280,000 Naira. Therefore I had to use a "sponsor" in person of my brother. He also didn't have money but we structured my application to early June when salaries would have been paid to us. Long story cut short, both statement of accounts (my brother and I) was barely 600,000 Naira.

I got a letter from my school in UK, my host's Nigerian passport and UK residence permit, lease agreement, payslips, utility bills, letter from my employer and my sponsor. Since I don't have properties, what I used as ties to Nigeria were evidence of payment of my law practice fees and CITN membership fees, I also submitted my law stamp and seal; and I also emphasized that while studying in the UK, I visited Schengen States 7 times (Netherlands, Germany (twice), Italy and Denmark (twice) and Sweden) and I left the UK 3 months before the expiration of my student Visa when I could have waited till last day. Above all, I told them I'll be spending 3 nights in the UK because I have to be at work the following day.

My brother as sponsor said he'll be responsible for flights - which he estimated at £600. My host in his email said he will take care of my accommodation and feeding while I am in UK. I said I will be responsible for entertainment which I pegged at £100 (for just 3 nights). I said my classmates and I will be having graduation dinner in London (I just put my favorite restaurant because the truth is, there is no dinner with classmates) and also said we will hangout at a pub for pre-graduation drinks but no venue has been fixed at the time of applying (no pre-graduation drinks as well. My graduation was January but I deferred till July so I can apply for 2years Visa as my student Visa expired 30 January 2016, so my classmates have had their graduation ceremony in January). But I put all these information to my justify why I will spend £100 in 3 nights in UK when I said I only spend 30,000 per month in Nigeria.

Moral of my story is that, your account balance is really not a determinant to issuance of a Visa, but your ability to demonstrate that you'll return to Nigeria after your visit to UK. If you're able to convince the ECO you'll be back, there's no reason to refuse you as they know Nigerians are worth more than what is reflected in their account - whether or not the money is legit is a discuss on another thread. If you follow the advice of the gurus on this thread, you will be fine. Please don't transfer money or make cash deposits to your account for the purposes of boosting your account balance, it's a red flag!!!!

I will post my timeline at the appropriate thread shortly.

Thanks to everyone that has asked for clarifications and to those that have responded. Your questions and answers were helpful to "ghostreaders".

See you at Murtala Mohammed Airport or Heathrow

PS: I will definitely stay atleast 2 weeks but less than 3 weeks because I won't travel to the UK again this year so that I don't violate my 180days rule.