₦airaland Forum

temmytanny: @all,those that have collected their visa and those awaiting to collect your visa(its yours IJN),be prepared to learn how to stand for hours(8hrs atleast).I noticed most jobs here esp entry jobs require standing.America believes sitting is down time and so they hardly provide chairs except if your job requires it.I used to be waka about person for naija cos of the nature of my job then and so that is helping me here bt still,i dey tire smal smal ooo.Aim for the best jobs but be prepared to for the worst.Most of my fellow workers scream whenever i tell the kind of job i do in naija.They asked why i decend so low to take my present job bt as naija boy now,waiting for that BIG job might affect alot of things esp when i have my family with me to feed.Moreover,getting a job reference here is very helpful and important.Its okay if you are single but if married,you have to be on the move so that you dont lack behind on bills and so.
America is sweet ooooo,its getting cold now and this will be test of time for many of us that are new here. Please go to that Lagos embassy and collect your visa and come and join in the journey to prosperity .
AWAITING YOU ALL,GOD BLESS

Thanks for d heads-up bro... Standing no b wahala for mi too... I just wanna start working man; even tho I'm only 2 days old here... Sorry to drag u back on a few questions

1. Does one need both SSN and GC to start working; or just SSN?

2. Is a Driver's License necessary for work too?

3. How long did u have to wait till u got both your GC and SSN? And what processes did you embark on? In essence; what do u think ppl who r just 2 days old here should b doing at d moment?

Bless u

[quote author=adesojiaderemi@]Ibrac, from my own personal note,I came tru JFK too last year, and the 3rd day of my arrival I located The department of homeland security Administration office to register for my SSN, they only request for my Naija passport and i got it within 10days.[/quote]Thanks a lot buddy... So d next step should b to find d department of Homeland Security in Minneapolis to register for my SSN..

What of your Green Card; how did you process it- and for how long?

And what do I need to get my Driver's License cos here- there are no bus systems closeby and d only way to even go to church is via driving.

Thanks bro

Hello guys... I am a bit confused. Having completed my details at my POE in JFK; I have moved to my designated address in Minneapolis. From previous threads, I learnt that it would take a maximum of 21 days to have my GC and SSN mailed to me. Now I want to ask whether that's d case; or do I need to do anything further?

Thanks a lot

peters ife: Ibracadabra pls we want u to know the cost of the flight u took and up to date analysis of ur experience right frm murital airport to ur final destination.

I took Royal Air Maroc from Lagos to New York. This flight cost me 139,000 Naira... I made a fatal mistake of changing ALL my naira into dollars as d Nigerian immigration and customs guys delayed me- because I didn't "settle" them. They promised to make sure I missed my flight- and I had to resort to begging them. But these guys are mean- I almost missed my flight and that experience unsettled me-... Anyway; that was d only heart dropping moment. D service on d plane was superb. Their tea, snacks and food made me ask myself "is this rily an economy ticket?"

We got to Cassablanca (Morocco) after 4 hours where we boarded another plane for JFK after staying in d airport for about 1hr 30 minutes. D cassablanca immigration guys were nice- no hassles, just searches and smiles and that was it... D flight took exactly 7hours 45mins and there we were in NEW YORK... We wnt through immigration authorities who took d forms we had filled on d plane to New York, took our finger prints and made us sign somewhere- d whole process took like 30 minutes and we were done... I took an air train (free of charge) to Terminal 7 where I connected with a flight going to Minneapolis via Charlotte... Anyway; that's d long and short of my trip... What else? Okay- in d form I filled; I indicated I brought food stuff and that led to extra delays for me- as they had to scan and rescan my stuff to make sure it was "safe"... Whew!

Spoondar: Ibracadabra where in Minneapolis are you reporting from? i will be coming to Brooklyn Park, MN, i understand MINUTE is very cold how is the weather right now?

Yea you're right about d cold... We had 6 inches of snow this morning- but man; it's so beautiful here... I was in brooklyn park yesterday- my host was taken me around- and its a lovely neighbourhood... I stay in Moundsview- about 15 minutes drive from Brooklyn park... Anyway: its -2 degrees centigrade now- so do well to bring sweaters, thick socks and winter jackets... I'm told some people get their legs or hands amputated here in Minneapolis if left exposed for long periods.

[quote author=adesojiaderemi@]You are welcome[/quote]Thanks a lot bro... I don't knw what next to do- will they just mail my SSN and GC to this house- or do I need to do anything further?

To God be the Glory!! May Day... May Day... My people, how do you copy? I'm reporting to Nairaland LIVE from Minneapolis... Over and out!

[quote author=adesojiaderemi@]Well I will advice you get some from naija may be one or two, because you may discover most of the one in naija are outdated and you may not like them again by the time you get here.[/quote]Thanks bro... I'll do just that... God bless you...

jidex001: You are getting it wrong.

He bought 3 used one in kantaguwa for 2000naira( kantaguwa is in lagos state)
While he bought 1 in states for $13.

You can neither get it in kantaguwa or go to Yaba.

Okay- thank you for clarifying it for me- God bless

tosrich: Bro. it might look cheaper in your eye because you are still in Nigeria, but by the time you get here in Minnesota you will know its not really cheap. Am talking from experience here.. Just try to get those wears before coming because its a bit expensive for now because of the winter season.. sweater goes for as much as 20-30$ depending on quality..

Thanks a lot; I'm coming to your side- Minneapolis in Minnesota... I think I'll just go now and do d shopping since its cheaper

Thanks Adexem for your prompt reply... $13 for 3 sounds cheapp to me-... Is Kantaguwa (Salvation's Army) present in every state? I'm gonna b staying in Minnesota- can I get dem there?

What's up people... I'm joining you guys this weekend- so I'll b needing your prayers for a smooth transition. I was just informed by a friend in d states on d necessity to bring sweaters nd all- and i don't have any sweaters or warmers. I want to ask- is it cheaper to go shopping here in Lagos or get quality warm clothing in d states? What do u think?

And besides sweaters; what other things do u think I should bring along?

Thanks Temmy, Adesoji, brightmon and other Nairaland DV Heroes who have made it to the states- for your anticipated response

saddy101: "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." (Isaiah 41:10). <<<<== I Believe!

Please house, join me in prayer as I go for my interview tomorrow. Much thanks!

May God favour you tomorrow like he favoured me on d 21st of last month... Your visa is approved!

dawton: Do I need to book an appointment with children's practice Ltd for my Medical and what are the things I need to take along for my Medical.

No appointments are necessary. You just walk in and u'd b given a slip to go to Zenith bank (down d street) and pay in N12,000 after which u return to d hospital with d teller... Then u'd have a series of tests and X-Rays before getting to meet a consultant who would prescribe vaccines for u to take immediately... D vaccines vary- but usually cost about 16,500. So all things being equal you'd pay approximately 29 grand on medical costs and you'd b told to return in 3 days for your result.

All d best

[quote author=jidedon2000@yah]@Ibracadabra u said u ve booked 4 ur flight to minnesota 4 approximately 170k my question is which flight re u going wth,hw can i get to there office cos myself and wife ll be going to Atlanta after our interview In JESUS name.[/quote]Amen... I wish you d very best... Yea, I booked with Royal Air Maroc- they have an office in VI- and u can google em up cos I don't have d exact details of their address here with me- but its online. They have another office @ d international airport. I paid 139k for a flight to NY and then, I'll connect another flight from NY to Minnesota for roughly 30k....

Gentiger: If you are not married, budget N400k. You may have small change on it if you spend wisely. If you got a family, multiply the number of it's composition by the unit sum. Just an estimate.

That's's about right. My medicals was 28,500... My visa fee was paid in d embassy and I paid in Naira- N54,500... My police report cost me 5k... My NPC birth certificate cost me N2,500 even though I swore an affidavit of age declaration for N1,000... My air ticket is approximately N170,000 total... So less than 270k spent so far... So with a budget of 400k for a single applicant; you should have all corners covered and still have pocket money

Idi Amin: tnx my dear, pls do u knw how long it will take me 4rm ikeja and another thing is that i hope the embassy will accept my degree statement of result cos d certificate is not yet ready. i finishd in 2006

Your statement of result is fine. In fact when I presented my Original degree certificate: d Nigerian guy who collected my certificate was surprised. Incidentally, he graduated from my school, but 10 years before me- he told me he hadn't even collected his own certificate and how come i had collected mine.... So to cut d long story short; d embassy expects u to get your statement of result- but if u present d certificate proper- then fine and good

My regards to everybody and most especially to God almighty. I collected my Visa yesterday- along with the brown envelop and ever since I came back home- I've been staring at d VISA, saying "is this real?"... Choi!

It's like a big dream and I don't wanna wake up.

I have already booked my flight and can't wait to start life in Minnesota. God has done it for me- and I will sing his praises forever... To think that no company in Nigeria thought me good enough for employment after series of interviews- it only took ONE interview in the biggest opportunity of my life to change my life.

I wish everybody success and pray God favours you all immensely... For those awaiting their interview; I'll just echo 2 key words- "HONESTY" and "CONFIDENCE"... But Honesty is more important

Idi Amin: pls does any1 knw any cheap hotel near the embassy, my interview is by 6.30 next week

Is a hotel rily necessary? Anyway, hotels close to the embassy are expensive- as are most hotels on d island. I attended my interview from Mile 2- i got a cab by around 5 am and by that time, there's no traffic and you'd b at d embassy in 30 minutes tops. So fear not... And all d best...

gunners4u: congrat to both abesin & chyk.

Gunners how far? How preparations de go? If you're using bus, which bus stops did u go through. Help me with directions cos I'm going to collect mine tomorrow

chyk2020: All Thanks to him alone the Almighty God who has perfected that he started in us. my fellow nairalanders thanks for your contributions and encouragement towards the approval of our visa in USA embassy Lagos yesterday 26th nov.

Congrats bro... God has done it for you! It seems those of us interviewed in November have had an outstanding success rate... Chyke2020; pls When were you asked to collect your visa? Next week monday, right? I wanna ask those who have collected theirs on BUS directions to d visa collection centre in Lekki.... This is cos no bikes operating in most lagos roads again. Thanks

abesin01: just had my interview about an hour ago.Thank God and all the forum members for their support .I must confess I gained alot from the forum.

The only question was my job description and why I didn't continue working where I served.There after she congratulated me and gave me my collection slip.
I wish others awaiting interview success.Thanks for your prayers.

Congrats bro... God has done it for you! When were you asked to collect your visa? Next tuesday, right? I wanna ask those who have collected theirs on BUS directions to d visa collection centre in Lekki.... This is cos no bikes operating in most lagos roads again. Thanks

temmytanny: It will never affect your visa,the worst will be to seize them. All are allowed bt make sure they are dried very well and kepp them in a ZIPLOCK bag

Thanks Temmy... What do u mean by a Ziplock bag and can u pls explain why it is necessary

Hey guys. Good morning... I have a little concern. My host wants me to buy stuff for him; and even tho I have agreed to, I want to know if you think its safe to travel with them. These are some of the things he told me to buy when coming;

1. Ground Ogbono (Ogbono that has gone thru d grinder)
2. Egusi
3. Other food stuff

Pls advice me cos I wouldn't wanna jeopardise my visa based on flimsy requests. Is there any flight concern or danger flying with these cos I know that since after sept 11th: airports are extra concerned about stuff like this.

Thanks

gunners4u: @ibraca, i was interview last week thursday & i collected it yesterday, dat means 5 working days after been interviewd. I went dere around 11am.

Thanks a lot... Cos I was so excited when she gave me d white paper with d address that I didn't hear d date she said I should go and collect it... D kain joy wey come wit d "Your Visa has been Approved" made me oblivious to every other thing she said...

So r u gonna b travelling for Christmas?

loconzo00: Please brother did u tender English and Maths or just one of them during interview ?

I tendered both... Luckily my WAEC result had no issues as my lowest score was just one C4... The others were As and Bs... But I saw someone with 2 O Level certificates- and even though I don't know d details of what he had on d Certificates; she was given a Visa

gunners4u: @abosede, i went wit naira. 54,500 naira. Can some1 tell me wat is inside d envelope

Gunners; I'm happy for u... Even though my interview was successful; it still doesn't feel real until I get back my passport with d Visa in it.

Gunners4u: wot day of d week did u do ur interview (wednesday or thursday) and what day did they tell u to pick your visa? Did u go on that day or waited for one more day? What time did u go there? Early in morning or evening? Thanks

[quote author=jidedon2000@yah]@ibracadabra u said couples and elders re attended to b4 anybody(single) my second question is that must u gt 2 the embassy b4 7 am and again when is the embassy door going to be finally closed am asking this qusetion not only for me but to everyone in the forum.[/quote]Yes bro. They attend to elderly and married folks first. I feel this is because they think children and old ppl will tire out... I made this conclusion because all married folks who came after me were interviewed before me...


It's safer to b at d embassy before 6 am... Cos the embassy opens by 6:30 or so. But by 6:30, they form queues- one line for immigrant visa applicants. The other line for Non-immigrants. So if u come by even 7 or past 7, u could b disorganised.

I don't know when d embassy closes- because I didn't stay until d end- but I noticed some ppl had appointments for 10 am.

I wish you d very best

rood boy: Congra ibracadabra more blessing ahead....pls d u went dere wit ur secondry sch testimonia? If is no, dey do not ask 4 it?

Yes I went wit my secondary school testimonial- but No, they didn't ask for it... It appears tht your WAEC certificate is enough...

They didn't ask for d photocopy of my "police character certificate" either..

I observed that married ppl and elderly ppl were attended to first- irrespective of d time they came in. So we needed to wait for em...

I also observed that one married couple that got their visa had many lil kids- I don't know- but I feel kids all wearing d same uniform- and u carrying them while being interviewed could b advantageous to couples...

The fee is still N54,500 is you are paying in Naira.

For those like me- who have plans of spending christmas in d US... I have been making flight inquiries and I recently saw an Air Maroc flight for N139,000 to JFK New york... Their offices are in Victoria Island and at the Murtala Mohd Airport. You can use google or wakanow.com for further inquiries.

My sincere gratitude to everybody here who has wished me well and said prayers on my behalf; May God bless you and grant your heart's desires.

I'm sorry about Michy's case. I think I saw him and his wife- even though I'm not sure it was them. I'll advice that he sticks to Temmy's and Gentinger's advice on more details of his denial. There could b a way to launch it back on track- especially since sept 2013 is still a while away.

There is no doubt that d interviews are stricter for couples than for singles- mayb this because of d sullied reputation that precedes Nigerians. Because those guys don't believe anything you say unless u have unquestionable proof. But for singles- all u need to prove is your certificate, period! Just convince em you earned that certificate and that's it.

I thought those who got interviewed last week were joking about d lady on window 13- but trust me- that lady is an angel- always smiling and I can't remember her denying anybody (of course it doesn't mean she hasn't)... Yest when I got interviewed; I believe it was her on window 14- not 13... Because 13 was one black american lady who I can't recall smiling and window 15 was a black man who was ok- but mayb not too friendly

It all started last year. In fact it was february 2011. I was so happy when I got an email saying I had won the DV visa lottery. I went crazy with joy- screaming out my lungs in excitement- only to find out it was a SCAM email! My heart sunk and my face fell when I was told that KCC doesn't send emails and that winners are NOT chosen in february. It was emotionally traumatic. I couldn't believe SCAM people had gotten to me- and even though their mail didn't ask me to pay anything; I eventually confirmed it was a fake letter after logging in with my confirmation no.

This experience made me swear I would never apply for this visa lottery thing. I was angry with everybody- including myself and my friend in America who applied for me that year.

So- October last year, the same friend in America called me and asked for my details so he could register for me again.. But I still felt bad about d scam so I told him I wasn't interested- but he persisted and I said to him impolitely, "Shay u get my details last year- use am again"

I didn't know he even registered- and I forgot d entire gist until May 2nd when he called me screaming on d fone... I asked him what happened and he told me I won.

I couldn't believe my ears. I was like, "won what?... Did you register for me?"

That was how I won o... I immediately used DHL to send d completed forms to KCC on 6th May and they confirmed reception... I kept praying, reading and that's when I fell in love with Nairaland and this forum in particular.

I can beat my chest and say I read every single page of both the 2012 and 2013 forums and this helped me prepare perfectly for today...

I woke up today by 4 am... I got a cab and got to d embassy by 5:05am and there were 5 ppl already waiting for d embassy to open. I was happy I was early, but eventually that didn't mean I got interviewed early. There was a lot of bureaucracy, lines to follow, tags to collect, I even had to drop pay N300 to drop my fone with one mallam outside.

We were searched at least 3 times and then we moved in to wait. They collected our original and photocopies. In fact d guy that collected my credentials finished from my school... So he was very friendly- and at that moment; I remembered all d prayers u guys said for me- and I knew it was God at work. I mean: how often do u meet your alumuni at d embassy? His cheerfulness settled me mentally and I waited for d interview proper.

I was called to Window 14 and a pretty blonde was d CEO. She gave me my form to sign and took my fingerprints.

This is how it went:


CO: Swear to say d truth, d whole truth and nothing but d truth

Me- I do

CO: Congratulations on your Visa Lottery

Me- Thank You

CO- tell me about your educational background

Me- okay, where do u want me to start from? Nursery? Primary?

CO- Umm. Primary

Me- took her through my educational background

CO- Why did you study Microbiology?

Me- as a kid; I always wanted to b a scientist and we watched a lot of Discovery Channel and Crime TV- so that spurred as kids to excel in sciences

CO- (smiled when I said Crime TV), so tell me- what do u do now?

Me- I told her

CO- when u get to America, what do u wanna do?

Me- I'll further my studies and probably specialise in pharmacology

CO- Hold on one minute (she started typing)... Your Visa has been APPROVED. (She encircled an address on a white paper) next wednesday Ĝø and pick it up. Congratulations

I was smiling like an idiot and she smiled back

CO: Oh you should try modelling. I think you'd have a shot at it

Me: Thank you (my head wan burst)

CO: Oh hold on: have u been ever married

Me: No

CO: any kids?

Me- No

CO: Ok, have a nice day

That's all folks... I'm going to party tonight

I cannot believe the amount of love shown me on this forum thus far... I almost wept when I saw all your prayers and good wishes... God bless each and every one of you just like he has blessed me...

My visa has been APPROVED!!!

And trust me- my testimony is one of d greatest you have ever heard... I'll give a very detailed account of my successful interview experience when I settle down...

God heard your prayers for me- and for that I can't thank you enough!

I'm warming up for tomorrow's interview... Any final tips/reminders? Pls keep me in your prayers