Fyorgyn:
Hello house...

I submitted application on the 25th of May in Ikeja for a 2year visit visa and did NOT pay for priority service (after my bank charged me 185k for visa fee my eyes became very very red )...

I have to be in another European country by Friday for work...and would need to get my passport back by Wednesday at the latest... has anyone had this issue before?

I know I can ask for my passport back and forfeit the visa fee paid but does anyone know how long it takes to get the passport back?

I'd let the house know whatever happens in my case so it can help someone else later.

I really appreciate the great work done here. This forum has been really helpful.

Hello house, last week, I needed information on withdrawing my UK visa application but didn't get any from here. I promised to share my own experience.

1. I called UKVI (you need your debit card for this call), was told my application had not been assessed and to withdraw it I'd have to go to Teleperformance-takes 48-72hrs

2. I went to ikeja Teleperformance with my collection slip and was given a form to fill and asked to make a copy of the form (You'd need to go with some extra cash or your card to pay for this)

3. I was told the passport will be ready in 3-4 working days as I don't have that long to wait I asked if there was anything I could do. I was told to just pray that sometimes it comes in 2days.

4. Thirty minutes later I get a mail that a decision had been made on my application... phew... I'm now not sure if my application was withdrawn or If it was still assessed.

5. This happened yesterday... hopefully id get my passport tomorrow and update the house

Hope this helps someone else

Regards

Hello house...

I submitted application on the 25th of May in Ikeja for a 2year visit visa and did NOT pay for priority service (after my bank charged me 185k for visa fee my eyes became very very red )...

I have to be in another European country by Friday for work...and would need to get my passport back by Wednesday at the latest... has anyone had this issue before?

I know I can ask for my passport back and forfeit the visa fee paid but does anyone know how long it takes to get the passport back?

I'd let the house know whatever happens in my case so it can help someone else later.

I really appreciate the great work done here. This forum has been really helpful.

Man51ut:

On a recent trip to America, my bag containing my passport was stolen at the hotel. I was able to get an emergency travel document to return home. In that passport, I had a 10 year visitors visa with about 7 years remaining. Will I be able to get that visa back or do I have to start from scratch.

Hi Man51ut...sorry about the loss of your passport. I got this information on the UK Gov website

If the applicant loses their passport and visa, or has their passport and visa stolen, they are applying for a replacement using transfer of conditions. There will be a vignette transfer fee for the service. (See the visa fees page on GOV.UK for the current fee.)

You will need to see a police report or other evidence that satisfactorily establishes that the passport is no longer in their possession. This also applies if an applicant had ‘leave to remain’ granted in the UK (excluding on a BRP) and is now applying to have it replaced overseas. See Biometric information: case working for further information on replacing a BRP lost overseas.

If required, you may ask for supporting documentation to establish that their circumstances have not changed. ECOs should use i-search to obtain information on an applicant’s leave granted in the UK. If information is not available on i-search you must make a referral to Evidence and Enquiry Unit.

In the case of loss of a Home Office travel document the ECO may have to issue entry clearance on a Uniform Format Form (UFF). See ECB8.13.10 for further information.

A new CAS/CoS is not necessary in an application to transfer any leave granted under the points based system.

For replacement visas/leave, case notes and other records must be updated to take account of the lost or stolen passport and visa. For information on the current fee for a Transfer of Conditions see the page on GOV.UK for the current fee.

Any visa holder seeking to transfer an existing visa to a new passport is not making a fresh application for entry clearance and so cannot be compelled to provide biometrics as part of the transfer process, regardless of whether their initial application was accompanied by biometric enrolment. As part of the transfer process, ECOs should request that the applicant provides their biometric data, but should not automatically refuse the application if the applicant does not wish to do so.

If applicants do not provide their biometrics, they must be advised that we will need to undertake further enquiries to establish their identity which may delay their application. If the ECO is not satisfied that the applicant is the person who is entitled to the new document, the application must be refused.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/transferring-a-visa-to-a-new-passport-ecb17/transferring-a-visa-ecb17

Hello house...

I submitted application last week in Ikeja for a 2year visit visa and did NOT pay for priority service (after my bank charged me 185k for visa fee my eyes became very very red )...

I have to be in another European country by next week for work...and would need to get my passport back by Wednesday at the latest... has anyone had this issue before? Can I ask for my passport back even if they haven't issued the visa?

I really appreciate the great work done here. This forum has been really helpful.

harry41:


I applied on 13th and just got it today. I submiited a letter from my employers, invitation letter, bank statement, property docs, certificate

Congrats harry41... please where did you submit? Abuja, Ikeja or VI?

Sweetlemon:


NNPC advertises. Yes. Just like other companies do. But trust me they may fix in one or two lucky people already know who they're taking.

Yes, I agree... One or two people...but not over 900...

.

This is what stands NNPC out... The recruitment is usually widely advertised and, to a large extent, people are taken on merit. I have never applied for a job with them but I know a couple of people who got into NNPC in 2012...really smart people...first class brains who are everyday Nigerians.

The only problem with their process is that it can be cancelled at any time... Those that were taken in 2012 applied in 2010!!!! and those who applied in 2012 wrote aptitude tests but it hasn't seen the light of day.

Bottom line is, When NNPC employs it is largely a free and fair process

LadyGuinivere:
Congrats Andy.
Please a favour. Lotsa folks always ask questions about conferences. Can u kindly tell us how and if u paid, how u got the conference and any other info for other conference appliers (sic)

Hi Lady G...

I got visa to attend a conference in November without paying for the conference. My husband sef follow come... He just said he was accompanying me for the conference.

I think for conference attendees, as uncle Beniyoha01 has said... The conference should relate to your line of work or study and you should have in-depth knowledge.

Above all sha... Na ties ties ties be the Koko...


Happy Conferencing

[quote author=ekpotek post=39498497]



Hope you had a great time at the conference... Hopefully I will be in Atlanta for next year's... I do hope you got what you hoped from this. It really is a great conference with plenty networking opportunities... Wish you all the best

LadyGuinivere:

Lolz! U must be a serz naija Food lover. He has been eating burger and chips na!
So u no fit leave swallow for 3 weeks? Na wa u o! When in Rome...

Mehn Lady G... My husband no fit do without naija food o...hehehe. He always finds naija food wherever we go.

ekpotek:


Hi Fyorgyn, staying just a couple of blocks down south of 12th street. Attended ASTMH-African Assembly meeting conveyed by Prof Achilonun. Will be leaving tomorrow back to Switzerland. I have met a couple of Nigerian from Nigeria. Maybe you are one of them. I am based in Federal University of Agriculture. Abeokuta.

Aha

I thought as much... I was at that African meeting but very briefly...

Meanwhile, We found an amazing Nigerian Restaurant, Wazobia... Really great food... How have you been eating?

ekpotek:


Arrived Philadelphia last Tuesday. Weather very warm, but get cold in the night. So far the city is great and people are friendly. My BnB accommodation is okay. Will be exploring the city on Saturday since it's my free days here.

Arrived yesterday. POE uneventful... Nothing was asked was just stamped in. Got to the Marriott in no time. Nice hotel but stupidly expensive. WiFi is NOT free- costs $12.50 a night (exclusive of taxes). Breakfast $20... No wahala sha... Hopefully we can see?

ekpotek:


That would be Marriott Downtown Philadelphia... It's a cool place to stay if you're not paying the bills.

Hehehe, yeah that is where we will be staying.

ekpotek:


coming for ASTMH meeting.

Got my answer... Did not see this earlier... I am sorry

I will be at the ASTMH next week with my husband. Maybe we can find some Nigerian restaurants there as my husband cannot cope with oyibo food

LadyGuinivere,

Thank you so much for all you do on this thread. You really are adding a lot of value. God bless you

ekpotek:
Visiting Philadelphia in a week time. Finding affordable accommodation near my conference venue has been hectic. I finally got a retired BnB apartment at $800 for 8 days just five minutes walk from the city centre and 3 minutes to my conference venue on Market St. As anyone used BnB before in the U.S.?

$800 is expensive...but then, because of its proximity to the conference venue you may want to just stay there for convenience...(if you add the cost of transportation etc, it might turn out to be cheaper)... I will be staying at the same hotel where my conference (also in Philadelphia, also on market street and also next week...hehehe) is taking place- and it is just over $1600 for 7 nights- but then, I am not the one paying

ekpotek:
Visiting Philadelphia in a week time. Finding affordable accommodation near my conference venue has been hectic. I finally got a retired BnB apartment at $800 for 8 days just five minutes walk from the city centre and 3 minutes to my conference venue on Market St. As anyone used BnB before in the U.S.?

Hi Ekpotek,

Are you by any chance, going for ASTMH in Philadelphia?

Justwise and LadyG,

Like NanaF, I do think that a true representation of my average monthly income is the sum total of all upfront allowance paid+ monthly salary divided by 12 (at least for visa purposes )

Let's paint a scenario. Ms A and Ms B work for company X and Company Y respectively.

Ms A's monthly payslip after tax is:
Basic Pay: 200,000
Meal allowance: 30,000
Hazard Allowance: 20,000
Housing allowance: 150,000

Her take home for the month from Company X is NGN400,000 and annual is NGN4,800,000

Now, Company Y prefers to pay the Hazard+Meal+Housing annually as an "upfront" in January. Ms B's monthly payslip after tax is

Basic Salary: 200,000

But she gets N2,400,000. (30000*12)+(20000*12)+(150000*12) as "upfront" every January.

Ms B's monthly take home is N200,000 but she does earn the same N4,800,000 as Ms A, just that company Y decides to pay a bulk sum once a year.

If Ms A can "claim" to earn 400k monthly, I think MsB should too as this will be a true representation of her average monthly income.

If it was UK visit visa application, Ms B can explain it in the "additional" statement space and attach payslips+upfront payslip. For the US application, there is no space for stories so, Ms B will NOT be telling a lie if she fills that her "monthly" income is N400,000 as long as she can defend it if it comes up during the interview.

Again, this is solely my opinion... I'm not a VisaOfficer

jennytbell:
DearCosybunch, please can I adjust my salary in my next application or I should just leave it at 129k even my leave allowance is higher than what I take home monthly? Thank you

AbujaNiv has addressed the issue of upfront allowances etc.

abujaniv:
Hello all!
It is very common for people to advise Officers that they have a base salary and get allowances or bonuses at various times. A good rule of thumb is to state the salary that you feel best reflects your income, both on the DS-160 and in your interview.

What I do is to get my total annual income (including upfronts) and divide by 12 to get my average monthly income. It has always worked for me.

Hope this helps

Adecephas:

The friend I'm referring to is my friend's wife.
.

@Adecephas... My case is similar to your friend's. I am being sponsored to go for a conference in the US and my husband is going with me. We were interviewed together and our visas approved- I shared my transcript last week. I think it's OK for a husband to go with his wife...if they can both show they have ties here. It may help if they've travelled out of Nigeria together before.

It's the same way we got our UK visas. I was invited to speak at an event and he came along- I asked the organizers for a letter inviting him as a guest and we attached it to our UK application. I did the same for the US visa application and was given an invitation letter for him but, as is mostly the case, no document was checked.

Hope this helps

Cmeo:
For those interested, I just booked Arikair to New York (JFK) at 203k per head departing October 14 . Anyone can still try his/her luck. Best of luck

Wow... 203k... That's interesting.

Husband and I got BA to Philadelphia for about 290k each...flights are quite expensive.

thegreengooner:
Please I am a silent follower of this thread.

I don't talk while reading, I only type replies.

Happy Sunday guys

Hahaha...

Happy Sunday to you too

Hi, I've been a silent follower of this thread... I have read the whole thing from beginning to the end. I would like to thank all the gurus here o...You guys are doing an awesome job. I had my visa interview last week and thought I should share my entire experience.

Husband and I got to the embassy just in time. We had issues with parking and had to pay 1k for parking space...(no receipts o...lol). Husband as a sharp man tried to pay N500 but dem no gree. Touts came around saying ridiculous things like "Your passport photograph should be without earrings or any jewelry"..."You must staple 2passport photographs to your forms"I couldn't help myself o i was just laughing the whole time as we walked to the embassy.

We got to the embassy, did the first screening and saw plenty drama as we were sitting waiting for our turn to enter the main place. Anyway, we got in took our fingerprints and we were interviewed by a lady.


VO: Please pass your passports (we fingerprint)
VO: Are you two married?
ME: Yes
VO: What are you going to do in the US?
ME: I am going to attend a conference and my husband is coming along with me.
VO: What's your profession
ME: I told her
VO: What are you going to learn at the conference
ME: Well, thing is, I am being invited by the organisation (I mentioned the name) that sponsored my education in the UK (I am an Oxbridge graduate). It's more of a networking thing with other alumni of the scholarship.
VO: apart from schooling in the UK have you gone back again?
ME: Yes... Husband and I went in July. I was invited to give a talk in London so we went together.
VO: which other countries have you been to
Me: I presented a paper, last year at a conference in (mentioned the east African country)
VO:how much do you earn monthly?
ME: about 600k

VO (turns to husband): What do you do
Him: I run my own business
VO: How much do you earn
Him: it varies but an average of 300k
VO: Where have you travelled to before
Him: Wife and I travelled to London and Dubai in July

VO: (Hands us white paper) your visas have been approved please pick up your passports at the circled address.

Husband and I have never applied to the US. We got married this year and used the opportunity of my event to go to UK (It was sponsored by the organizers). We spent a few days in Dubai on our way back home.

We didn't go with bank statement, we don't have landed properties. The conference fee hasn't been paid yet self as I wanted to get the visa first before telling my sponsors to pay.

I wish everyone the very best in their quests to getting visas. For all those answering questions here... God bless you!