₦airaland Forum

Ishilove:
It isn't naptu2

The dude will kill me if I mention his username

Burger01

pwettyolly:
Thanks initially she thought the minimum wage was $8-
$9 so calculation was done based on that but with this she would be able to know what to expect

As regard the visa it the embassy that suggested the agent but is there a way it can be done without the needs of agent

Never heard anything like that before.

tbaby2015:
@vicjustice, @Justwise please help out here. My kids are both below 10yrs, will they need to fill different forms and book appointments too?

Yes make separate application for them, you submit all during your appointment, they don't need to have separate appointment. All the application will be in one folder as a family. They will go with you for submission and biometric.

thegreengooner:
@Justwise

Please lets just agree to disagree and move on. There are no hard and fast rules. But for you to say it counts for little is not being objective.

You seem to be missing the point I am making and I suggest you read through again.

I appreciate the fact that you are speaking from knowledge you have obtained over a number of years but you live abroad and most likely will not need to visit the embassy or application center as I assume you have a foreign passport.

I speak based on my travel experience, mistakes of others and evidence seen as a result of guidance to prospective applicants over a number of years.

No offence but may I ask if you have attended an interview at the US embassy previously and how many times?

We might see the transcripts here on Nairaland but what is not reflected is their body language, the tone of the interviewer and the context of the conversation. I base my points on this.

I never said anything about getting stamps in a passport. My point has and still is about showing evidence of travel as a family irrespective of destination. The burden of proof for solo applicants is often different from that of a family. I have been on both sides and have experienced this first hand.

Most of your expertise to which I humbly defer to is with the UK process. Your points do make sense but will only carry more weight had this discourse been on the UK Visa thread.

Your thoughts?

Yes i have applied for US visa before and attended an interview in the past

Without stamp on your passport how else can you proof that you have been to a particular country?

Travel history issue is the same across embassies whether the UK or US.

If you are a family and wants to build travel history that counts then don't bother wasting your money and time going to Ghana, Kenya or other African countries that are visa free to Nigerians or cost very little to travel to, they will not help your immigration profile especially if you want to apply for visa to EU/Western countries.

thegreengooner:
It shows a collective effort.

Travelling together as a family is different from every member of the family having previous travel history.

At my last visa interview my wife who was applying for the first time was first asked where she had travelled previously before being asked if we had travelled together. Those are two different questions.

Funny scenario, husband has been to a, b and c. Wife has been to c, d and e. The decide to emigrate to the US under the guise of a vacation. You want to go all the way to america together but have never been anywhere together. Why is that? ehm ehm.

Do we really want to do this? I can go all day at this

If you like travel with the whole of village to Ghana or Kenya that count very little because those two countries are almost visa free to Nigerians(Kenya) and will cost you very little to get them. Traveling with your family to countries with stronger visa polices and will cost you quite a lot in terms of flight, accommodation etc will count considerably high. If you are traveling to say..Kenya they don't ask you about your travel history, tie to Nigeria, how much you earn..etc, the same with Ghana. So having their POE stamps in your passport is waste of time and money.

Traveling together with your family to countries like UK,US,Canada.... matters and counts a lot more.

adeshtech:
But the details i have inputted in the submitted application will have to change then. or must i try to book the same hotel i used the address in the application form. and what will i do to the price of accommodation already filled in the form.

Thanks

Have you gone to their visa centre to submit? Find out why your previous booking was cancelled before booking with the same hotel again.

Use booking.com or hotel.com to look for hotel in the same city and price.

poeticjustic:
@ justwise...thank you for your response. Take no offence...is there any reference (web link if possible) that can be pointed to?

Lazy to start Googling that...but that is the general immigration rule...if the transit is less than 24hrs and you are not leaving the airport then there is no need for transit visa.

adeshtech:
Morning Pals,

I just submitted my UK visa application but when i check my hotel booking today it has been cancelled. please advice on what next to do as i have already filled the cost of accommodation and address of the hotel. my biometric capturing is still later today.

Please it is urgent

Thanks

Book another hotel then

poeticjustic:
Good morning pals, please I need anyone who can to help me clarify this; I have a flight ticket to Toronto, but with a switch at Heathrow. Would I be needing a UK transit visa? British Airways (UK) said I would not be needing it (from their own check) since the flight connection would last less than 24hrs, but that I should confirm from the UK visa office in Nigeria. But the Visa office here got it all complicated by giving me some UK numbers to call. I called the number, and it turned out to be a paid service, and I need to have a credit Card.
Any useful info on what needs to be done would be appreciated.

Thanks

You don't need one

thegreengooner:
With all due respect I was speaking as regards proof of travelling as a family not proof of travel history in the broadest sense. Do note my first paragraph.

However, I do agree that countries like that might count little in the weighting if you speak of the significance of the travel destination.

What difference will traveling as a family to Ghana or Kenya make to visa application to US or the UK?

thegreengooner:
My counsel would be for you all to take a trip together as a family first before reapplying. I'm not saying that is a criteria but it sure does help your reapplication if you have travelled as a family previously.

There are several inexpensive destinations such as Accra or Nairobi and with the Democracy Day holidays coming soon you can make a quick weekend trip there and get that history under your belt.

You do not need to change your maiden name if you don't want to. All you need to show is proof of your marriage to your husband. The visa will be issued in your maiden name. When you do change your name on your passport you will need to travel with both passports and a copy of your marriage certificate.

Countries like that count very little when it comes to travel history...if you want to proof that you have travel history to embassies like US, UK or Canada then travel to S.A, Australia, France or Germany..etc

ttmacoy:
Sorry what I meant to say was there is nothing like an internship for a home student and another for an international.

You are right about the pay issue being a barrier to sponsorship hence my point that the companies you will get access to at Sunderland will not be able to sponsor you so do not go there with the hope you will secure an internship with a company who will sponsor you.

If your aim is to work in the UK post program, an internship is key and this means through a better ranked program which gives you access to the types of companies with the means of sponsoring you.

In summary if his aim of choosing Sunderland for the internship is to get the experience and return to Nigeria then that's fine. If his expectation ( and I have seen people with such even with Sunderland) is to get an internship with a company who will retain and sponsor then no. Sunderland will not have access to such companies. That's I am saying.

Not really, Sunderland do have access to such companies but they are unlikely to take foreign students because of visa issues, rather they will take home students who will walk into the position without passing market test. They have equally home students with the same qualifications but without visa issues, so investing/ training them ideally will be better than investing on or training a foreign student and at the end visa issues becomes a barrier.

ttmacoy:
I get what he are trying to say and that why I said in my post that if his aim going to Sunderland for the internship is for experience and he goes back to Nigeria fine. If the aim is to work in the UK, no.

Besides saying internships are not for international students is wrong. There aren't internships for home students and separate internships for international students. I went through an intership as an international student and got sponsored as did many others.
The problem now is with PSW gone, it is harder and you need to be applying to companies with the ability to sponsor, but getting into such companies is very hard due to high entry requirements and competitions.

All I am saying is he should not be fooled by Sunderland saying hey come we will get you an internship which may lead to future employment. It's a marketing gimmick and I know Nigerians who have fallen for it and after the program can't get a job. It's all about managing expectations.

Besides international students make up a high proportion of students at Sunderland so they are obviously being v targeted by that.

I did not say that, you made that up.

ttmacoy:
I disagree. An internship is a means for securing graduate employment. I interned in a bank and the aim was to perform and secure employment upon graduation.

Also read his post, he mentioned that the internship may lead to employment which means he is doing the inter ship for the opportunity to be able to work with them after.

As I said if he only wants experience fine, if he is going to Sunderland for the hope the internships offered will lead to work permit sponsorship it is very unlikely due to the nature of companies you get access to.

You are mixing up internship as a foreign student and internship as a home student. As a foreign student..internship is purely for experience and reference, retaining you at the end is almost impossible because it does not meet the requirement for graduate job and there is no salary attached. Home students can be retained or given employment for future opportunity because they don't need to meet any visa requirement.

ttmacoy:
Please don't be fooled by the internship. It will most likely be unpaid or low pay with employers who are unable to sponsor you for work permit at the end of the day.

If the internship is just for experience fine, if for you to work in the UK after your courses thumb twice.

I studied in the UK and work here and will tell you things are really different and difficult now for international students due to the anti immigration laws and sentiments. Too many Europeans from both rich and poor countries available so no incentive to sponsor a Nigerian.

US and Canada makes more sense now.

Internships are always for work experiences, as a foreign student you don't expect to be sponsored for visa through internship or get paid anything meaningful or anything at all.

Vicjustice:
Lol, money doubler....
But what about those who are furtunate enough to inherit money or properties worth millions, what if they sold a property (let's say) 2 years ago?
Such people could be earning 50k monthly and yet have 5 million Naira in their account.

I see where you are coming from...though very rare to see people in such situation.

docjimi:
@justwise
thank you sir but pls can it pose a problem in the visa issuance,also is it better to book a hotel or stay with a family friend for better prospects,also if im asked how i live with just 14k will my explanation of private locum job with undocumented cash payment help as a supportive method or how do i go around this thanks.

If you have a family friend who lives in Manchester and able to accommodate you then great otherwise book a hotel. The person has to send you a letter with proof of accommodation attached.

Yes your explanation about private locum job with undocumented cash payments will help your application.

docjimi:
@justwise and vicjustice pls i need ur help its very urgent.
first of all i would really like to commend you and show appreciation for all you ve done for others on nairaland i found ut this thread as been on the internet since 2011 and surprised you still show dedication the God that allowed u to help others wld surely allow u to help me too.well to the point i ve an exam(plab2) in manchester this june its a professional exam and sequel to plab1 which was done here in nigeria.i also ve a mail to this effect.now my problem is that i ve an account balance of 950k on my salry account but only 14k out of my entire salary(230k) comes into my salary cos of tax deductions(25k) and a deduction from my cooperative society(190k).though the balance on my account is 950k im afraid they might querry the fact that just 14k enters my account.Also my payslips reflect the tax deduction and deduction from the cooperative society.iv joined the society since about 2yrs now,ve a savings of about 2.2m with them however obtained a loan from them 4.2m in august last yr which appers as a lump sum in my acct since Aug2014 my outstanding bal after deductingsavings with their interest is a little over 1m that i owe the cooperative.and the money left in my sal account is 950k.i am a medical doctor by profession working with the state govt.i usually live on other means such as private practise which gives me undocumented cash.pls how can i go about my application without any hitch thanks.i would appreciate if u do justice to this queery.i ve been recieving the 14k since i think sept2014, and if im to giv a 6months bank statement it would start from october2014

docjimi:
i will be spending 10-14days

Ok, you will be ok the 950k balance, your salary is good though very little goes into your account after reductions.
You need to apply for business visiting visa, look for budget hotel close to your exam centre in Manchester, hotels like travelodge or premier inn etc, this website will help
http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_and_book/saver_search.phpsearch=&action=search&checkInDate=10/06/2015&locpostText=Manchester&location_code=16180
The most important thing here is your explanation about your salary, the loan, the contributions etc, use the blank space in the form to explain it as detailed as you can. If you are lucky to be called for an interview then good, you can use that opportunity to explain more.

Vicjustice:
This issue of "spending more than 2 months salaries" is usually when the applicant doesn't have much money as account balance, but if the applicant has substantial amount of verifiable sum in his account, he can actually get the visa even if the cost of the trip will take 10 months salaries there are people who have 5 million in their account even though they earn 80k monthly

Yes the two months salary thing does not apply to such category of people.

Somebody with 5million in the account but earns 80K must be a money doubler

docjimi:
@justwise and vicjustice pls i need ur help its very urgent.
first of all i would really like to commend you and show appreciation for all you ve done for others on nairaland i found ut this thread as been on the internet since 2011 and surprised you still show dedication the God that allowed u to help others wld surely allow u to help me too.well to the point i ve an exam(plab2) in manchester this june its a professional exam and sequel to plab1 which was done here in nigeria.i also ve a mail to this effect.now my problem is that i ve an account balance of 950k on my salry account but only 14k out of my entire salary(230k) comes into my salary cos of tax deductions(25k) and a deduction from my cooperative society(190k).though the balance on my account is 950k im afraid they might querry the fact that just 14k enters my account.Also my payslips reflect the tax deduction and deduction from the cooperative society.iv joined the society since about 2yrs now,ve a savings of about 2.2m with them however obtained a loan from them 4.2m in august last yr which appers as a lump sum in my acct since Aug2014 my outstanding bal after deductingsavings with their interest is a little over 1m that i owe the cooperative.and the money left in my sal account is 950k.i am a medical doctor by profession working with the state govt.i usually live on other means such as private practise which gives me undocumented cash.pls how can i go about my application without any hitch thanks.i would appreciate if u do justice to this queery.i ve been recieving the 14k since i think sept2014, and if im to giv a 6months bank statement it would start from october2014

How long will you be staying in the UK?

enoch77:
@ Justwise nd Vicjustice for God sake , I nid response to my questions above .... It's very urgent, i beg .

Deejau007:
Hi justwise,

Well, you are absolutely right. But for me to be able to cross the border, spent a night and exited without staying back. Anyway what would you advice on my case on how I would be issued a visa again? I was a victim of a travel agent the landed me on 320, even tho back then I wrote to the embassy and got a reply that I can apply whenever I wish to do so but if the Eco isn't convinced I will be refused under paragraph 320 again.

Thank you

That does not count because your destination is not the UK and you did not apply for transit visa in advance, you missed your flight and the airline has to put you in a hotel so its only fair that you are allowed to stay in the hotel for that few hours.

You will not be helping the situation if you went ahead to apply for visa after 7yrs knowing full well that you are still serving a ban.

They will not tell you not to apply again because under certain conditions people serving a ban can still be given a visa...e.g spouse and EEA visa applications

IHate9ja1:
Big bozz,from your experience pls how do graduate assistantsip/fellowship works?
How is it awarded?
I wanna hear from U!

That is US system...but these two websites explained it pretty well

https://onestop.umn.edu/finances/financial_aid/grants_and_waivers/special_for/graduate_students.html

http://www.bestmastersdegrees.com/best-masters-degrees-faq/what-is-the-difference-between-a-fellowship-and-an-assistantship

daramolavo:
Thank you guys. I received my passport today at Ikeja and was given multiple entry as a spouse.

Congratulations!

hoomogh:
@ Justwise , What do you say boss as per the salary. can it fly ?

Your salary will do if you will not spend more than 2months of it for the trip, so basically if the trip will cost you 280 in total then you may stand a chance.

Deejau007:
@vicjustice : Thanks for the reply,I appreciate! As I didn't pose any threat, I was in and out without violating the privilege and I have travel records to the uk before 08, with a good solicitor and right documents for visa application. What are my chances from your own point of view? Is it worth trying or I should just wait until the ban is served?

Thank you

What will the solicitor do that will reverse the ban? Or on what ground would them lift the ban?

lol...the Oba effect

tbaby2015:
Hi mamas nd papas,

Testimony time! It happened today at Abt 11:15am, our visas were granted. Went with my family and can say it was God's favour all d way. Thanks for all d advice and info, was very helpful. @Segbas, @Justwise, @bj2012, @phema d mama and all of u! Oya, real planning don start. July mamas going to Houston, let's plan oo...

Congratulations...happy for you.

Siena:
[color=Blue]Mike and Justwise, thanks for your responses. Things are looking much clearer now.

I will speak to my cousin and aunt tomorrow.[/color]

Bro you will get all the info needed here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/370866/T4_Guidance_11-14.pdf

Read from> TIER 4 (CHILD) STUDENTS - SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ...214

Siena:
[color=Blue]Thank you for your contribution.

Does she apply to a school in the UK with any sort of paperwork from her current school in Nigeria? [/color]

Yes she has to.....with her qualifications from Nigerian school, if she is accepted then she will need a consent letter from her mum because she will be applying as a child. You will be acting as her guardian in the UK with proof of fees and maintenance money for her

bebe2:
U try oo. Tnk u

But u for ask me for date nahhh

It's may to November I want. Lol

The more you move it up the more expensive...May is 'summer' and Nov is 'December'..

Booking directly from the airline is always cheaper than agents

What date are you looking at?