₦airaland Forum

Ticha:
Usually a straight swap - they come to our house, we go to theirs. Our very first experience was in 2017 to Prague and we haven't looked back. We've now completed 38 swaps in over 11 countries. Now that we're more confident and I can suss out if a swap will work for us or not, we use only People Like Us and will occasionally swap through a dedicated FB group . When we were starting out, we used Love Home Swap (too expensive) and Home Exchange as both have built in insurance and will cover 2 nights accommodation if the swap falls through.

As a family of 5 ajalas and sometimes 6 (we had au pairs till 2020 and always travelled with them) accommodation is always our biggest cost. Sometimes even more than flights if going international. Plus it means we can always do quick local trips (2 - 4 hours drive) at weekends.

There are generally 3 kinds of swaps -
Simultaneous - you go to them, they come to you and it's the one that is most popular
Non sim - You bank a stay - they go to yours whilst you're elsewhere or vice versa and you agree on when you can stay or you use points/ tokens/ globe etc which is like a virtual credit depending on the site.
Hospitality - you or them host whilst at home - works well for people who have lots of space.

https://www.homeexchange.com/ - is the biggest. I have my issues with it (not swappers) just the management. It was sold for millions in 2019 and the ethos changed completely but that's by the by. It's a very good starting point.

https://www.lovehomeswap.com/ - found it quite expensive and most of the home owners there quite pretentious (we did complete 3 swaps through them).

https://peoplelikeus.world/ - newish but with lots and lots of EU/UK/US homes and has a very active FB group which I love and is the only one we use.

On a practical level - it's like Airbnb but without an exchange of money. People stay and leave reviews. Must haves for me are child friendly, no pets to look after, and reasonably clean. It has helped us seriously declutter as well as go paperless on every bills. We always take our passports with us wherever we go. When we swap cars, I will always request a bond which equals our excess plus copies of driving licences.

We're heading back to the UK next year and swapping for 9 weeks with a Kiwi couple with 4 children who want to come home (we're currently working in New Zealand till 2023)

Some more info -
https://sharetraveler.com/best-home-exchange-networks/

This is my first time coming across this, and while I do not have the liver to do it. I will salute you and thank you for helping me learn something new.

Regex:
It has gone oh...

Lexusgs430:
We have trashed some points here numerous times.......

I have emphasized topics about insurance vs licence validity........

The insurance company simply made his insurance policy, null & void.......

I personally think the horse already bolted....... If he is meant to pay the bill, he should request the invoices of repair..........

I feel would be a difficult battle, but worth a fight...... They would state ignorance is not an excuse ......

Was his neighbour in the car, during the accident? If the neighbour was, a possible whiplash claim might still be added/already added......


NB : A couple of years ago, after a shift at Kent & Sussex hospital, got to my car hopped in, drove down the road, I could hear a flap at the back of my car.......

Unbeknown to me, the lady that parked behind me, rammed my rear mercilessly....... Luckily for me, I saw them walking away from their car (about 4 of them)...... I accosted them, the lady admitted hitting me, we exchanged details (took pictures etc etc).........

Lady got home, explained to her father...... Story changed..... She denied responsibilities.......

My insurance company already gave me a courtesy vehicle, so I no send (that's why I pay insurance) (it's their battle)......

I drove this courtesy vehicle for 11 month's, YES 11 month's........

Bill was over £22,000..... War started, it eventually ended in court.... My vehicle was written off and judgement was got against the other insurance company (they had to pay that bill).......

Wow wow. Omo!!

Dprinz45:
What are the types of visa available

I'm joing an investment company in London as intern which will later become full time Job after 10 month internship.

So what kind of visa should I apply for?

When you applied for the internship, did you disclose to the company that you are an overseas applicant?

You clearly can't apply for visit visa to work and I am unsure what sort of work permit, you will need to apply for on this occasion.

twojul:
Hello everyone,

I'm a medical student applying for an elective at a hospital in the uk. i've previously done electives in the uk before covid but now it's difficult to get electives as hospitals aren't taking overseas students due to covid. I was able to find one but one of the things they need is a dbs check. Now i haven't committed any offense in the uk or any other country so i know the dbs check will come back saying i have no offenses but i'm just worried that the police will now have record of my name, passport and other details and dont want to be in under their radar. Also i dont want them thinking i'm coming to the uk to work on a visitors visa cos they might not understand why the hospital is saying i'm their incoming employee so they need my dbs when its just an unpaid medical student elective. What do you guys think or advice? Thank you.

Undergoing a DBS check should not worry you. It is standard practice for organisations and whatever record the police hold of you shouldn't also worry so long as no offence has been committed. I will say you have no worry here.

Cutestboy:
Hey guys, my aunty just travel to London her and is husband together with is immediate family last month.

Could you be a little clearer?

LagosismyHome:
You have to do covid test pre departure.... I think the free nhs test is no longer accepted. Then before boarding there a Nigerian form you complete and still pay for a covid test to be done in naija 7 days after arrival.

So essentially a pre and post covid tests...however not sure how a 5 days trip would work

Thank you. Still trying to understand how it would be for a 5 days trip.

Nchabuomo:
Lol well this isn't their problem is it? 7days is just 2 more days to add to 5 days. But try sha

Thank you

Nchabuomo:
Are you fully vaccinated? Ideally, you need to take an post arrival COVID-19 test on day 7 and a departure test latest 72hrs before your trip. If you are fully vaccinated you might be able to make your case to authorities why you can test earlier

Yes, fully vaxed. Only thing is one won't be in the city for 7 days to do that day 7 test

Hi guys, is it possible for one to embark on a 5 days trip to Nigeria?

How would doing covid tests impact such a trip? I hear there are some rules around doing post arrival covid test in Nigeria and covid test to be done before departing Nigeria.

Can anyone please help explain how this could work?

Any explanation will be appreciated.

Hi guys, is it possible for one to embark on a 5 days trip to Nigeria?

How would doing covid tests impact such a trip? I hear there are some rules around doing post arrival covid test in Nigeria and covid test to be done before departing Nigeria.

Can anyone please help explain how this could work?

sudo1986:
Thanks for your response.
This implies that the only visa I can secure for them is visit visa.

That's correct. Even at that, you have to be mindful about not burning bridges.

Hypothetically speaking: What I mean is, even if you secure a visit visa for your family, it won't be ideal for them to max out the 6 months duration allowed to stay on a trip. Your wife would probably mention that she is in a form of employment or even a student for example and plans to spend a few weeks or a month on the visa application form, anything beyond that could be dicey. Once the visa application is approved and she decides to max out the legal duration she can be allowed to stay, upon visa renewal in the future, this may come back to hunt her. As she would need to explain why she spent 6 months when she claimed to be in employment or a student at the time of filling the initial application form. hence why I said to not burn bridges

Loving this thread!

sandra50:
Thanks for your response..yes I attended biometrics in November and received my passport January with no refusal letter..out of the 600,000 I gave him,he refunded me 500,000..now I'm trying to do it with my documents..

Good to hear that you actually attended the biometric appointment. The best time to have viewed the information submitted was at the biometrics centre where you waited before you had your biometrics captured. Well, that's gone now.

Here's my advice, be very patient about the next steps and don't rush into anything. Don't put in a new application that could possibly or not hinder future economic benefits to without understanding previous refusal reason.

Under the GDPR guidelines to which the UK follows strictly, you have a right to request the information the Home Office holds about you known as Subject Access Request.

Read this link slowly: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/requests-for-personal-data-uk-visas-and-immigration/request-personal-information-held-by-uk-visas-and-immigration

and follow the instructions set in the link. May take a while (avg. 30 - 40 days) to receive the documented information, after all you are not planning to put in a new application next month. "A particular decision letter" is the most important document you need.

Wish you the best.

sandra50:
Thanks so much for your help..I contacted him and he said the package doesn't come with an email..personally I don't know the agent,a cousin of mine who works at the airport contacted my big brother and told him there is a special package and I'm going to pay a million +..I gave 600,000 as an initial payment but when it didn't go through because of covid according to them I was refunded 500,000.

Now I want to apply for a new one..I have a limited company I registered since January 2018 which I want to build for six months and then apply November..I have never used that company for any transaction but but I have started fixing it..I want to ask my in-law in Germany to use my company to import the next container he will be bringing to Nigeria,I want him to use my name like three or four times and I also import goods from the UK but not as much as what my in-law brings...
I also want to ask my in-law to be sending all the money he sends my brother for his house project into my business account so I will be the one to pull it after four days then send to my brother..for my personal business I want to always put my own personal money in my business account then keeping sending 100,000 into my private account so once it's 6 months I will print my bank statement and also I will have like 4 million as my balance when I'm doing the printing.
Please is there any other document or information I will be needing for this business visa application?I will be applying like someone going on a business trip..maybe to go buy second hand shoes and clothes then come to Nigeria and sell?
I also would be submitting all the documents I used to purchase all the goods for that six months..please put me through on what I need for a business trip or if I'm on the right part.. God bless.

Please be mindful of what you're about to do. You need to understand what information the agent entered into your first application. Any major discrepancies in your initial vs your next application may not turn out well.

To begin with, did you attend the biometrics appointment? If you did not, it simply means you had no visa application put in, as that is a key factor for processing visa applications these days.
If you did, and you were handed no refusal letter, just try to find out what email your agent used for the application and the reference number provided after submission, all other information you already have, such as your last name, date of birth, so that you can make a request to UKVI to find out the information you need to address ahead of your next application.

jesmond3945:
did you book for the appointment?

They normally just send emails to applicants.

famzynet:
Is the old passport collected from you assuming still valid? When is the estimated time to get the new passport?

The old passport was returned (though cancelled) and the estimated collection date (even it will be posted) was 10 calendar days.

EmmyKing86:
Hello all.

I have finally gotten an appointment next week for biometric capture for passport renewal.

The email I received did not mention anything about paying for the money order however, it was clearly stated that I need to bring a 'stamped C4 special delivery envelope'. I have previously seen in the platform that a sort of money order was required to be paid.

Please, just wondering if anybody recently attended their appointment in London and still paid the money order.

Kind Regards.

Hi, I can tell you for sure that I did not hand over any postal or money order. I went with a self addressed envelope as mentioned. The process is a lot quicker, and my turn around time spent in the embassy was under 1hr 30 mins for Passport Renewal. I had my appointment today.

newbie715:
Under normal circumstances,

1. No, you need a passport with at least 6 months validity to apply.

2. See answer to question 1

3. See answer to question 1

However, due to Covid 19 and Nigeria High Commission backlog issues, I think your best bet is to contact Home Office and ask your questions. Try with this https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk/y/inside-the-uk/visas-work-study-and-extensions

All the best

Thank you for your response.

Divine88:
You don’t need to convince anyone. Apply for the job, if you are successful, submit your immigration details.
If you’ve made your application already to the home office, you should have a unique ID. Forward the ID to the HR. All they need to do is do a verification check using the link here
https://www.gov.uk/employee-immigration-employment-status

Thank you for your response.

Hello everyone,

I need help with my situation and I would really like assistance on how to go about this.

My Passport expires tomorrow and my visa expires June. A new visa application is required to be tendered for leave to remain.

My questions are;
1. Will I be allowed to apply with an expired Passport for the visa extension?
2. Will I be required to attend biometrics with an expired passport (given the backlog situation at the Nigerian embassy)?
3. Hypothetically if I were to get an appointment at the Nigerian embassy prior to attending biometrics and they collect my old Passport, how can I attend the biometrics session without a new passport or what are my options here please?

Anyone with experience care to help out please?

Lastly @Divine88 how did you convince your new employer to take you on in the middle of your visa application processing?

I look forward to your responses.

I don't think @sweetjusty is saying s/he has got a job. I believe the poster was quoting @zeb04 and did not quote the original poster who actually got a job (ref page 545) properly to request how he got the job.

So I think this poster @sweetjusty is simply requesting how to apply and secure a role to become an embryologist and not actually indicating a job has been secured.

The two posts are identical and I feel wasn't edited/quoted properly lol.

Mimzyy:
It’s true. If you also have the GTB mobile banking. Just log in and you’ll see your NIN smiling at you.

Thank you for this. I just logged on and found out i have been assigned the NIN.

icon8:
I don’t think it’s true. I believe that service is for those who have registered for their NIN. It’s true though, that NIN and BVN have been linked, but you still have to register for both separately.

Modified: it may be true afterall. I’ve seen claims that those that registered for BVN at the very beginning had their NIN automatically created for them at the point of BVN registration. This may explain why the service works for those with BVN starting with 221.

This is 100% correct info. Thanks for the enlightenment.

TRAY2:
I hope this gives hope to some people here, I still can’t believe I am now a home owner and a brand new car 2020 plate car, also undergoing a fully funded post graduate clinical course in University of Leeds from my Trust, just within my 20 months stay in the UK. Mehn this country has been good to me. Anything is possible.

Congratulations to you!!! Wishing you more blessings

Aphrodite007:
Sorry sir.

When you calm down, buy ticket and go to Nigeria to renew. That’s what I did. Nobody even asked me for my ETC sef until I got to Nigeria (and if I didn’t have it, I would have just asked them for plug to do my passport, then case settled).

No vex too much- you suppose dey use to naija wahala.

This is looking like the most viable option right now to be honest. With backlogs the embassy has right now..

fbigirl2020:
I also need to renew as mine expire April 2021. I want to renew but i heard when one apply online the payment slip has no interview date? how do i go about it?

Hi, I'm yet to get mine renewed, I plan to do so from Next month. I hope to get it sorted before February at the most.

LagosismyHome:
Nigerian passport can be renewed from 6 months to expiry ....so from April 21 count 6 months behind and anytime from then you can start

Hopefully no more lockdown

Thank you very much.

LagosismyHome:
August 24 is literally yesterday in naija embassy world. They were shut for months so you can imagine the backlog

They are now strict on entry without appointment so you just gat to be patience. They eventually send you a date for biometric but be ready for months

Speaking about naija passport renewal, when would be best time for me to consider renewing my passport as it would expire in April '21 and I need to renew my visa also in June '21.
Need to plan it properly so that I don't begin to panic with all these stories of passport renewal backlog.

Mamatukwas:
Yes Ma. I’m a she

I apologise o, I use Oga for both male and female. Better yet My Madam. Lol

Mamatukwas:
I got a failure delivery notice for your email. If you don’t mind dropping your business number or alternative email. Mine is not too public. The last time I dropped it I got a few strange visitors. Kindly bear with me.

My Oga, i have replied your email with the requested info.

famzynet:
Can someone throw more light if one may regret not opening a domiciliary account in Nigeria before relocation to UK? If it is necessary,which currency is better( dollar account or pounds).
Thanks.

From experience, I have had both dollar and pound account in Nigeria for over 10 years and I have only used it once, not because I needed to but because a friend needed to make a payment and that was even when I was in Nigeria. So personally, ko need.