₦airaland Forum

femora007:
Thanks. But is it possible to apply for any of those islands/territories' visa instead of getting usa visa?

Not possible. U.S. territories are not independent countries and do not issue separate visas. Their citizens are citizens of the US. You will need a US visa to go there.

Babyvet:
Those things you mentioned have limitations on them. Availability for those things are limited. The government preaches that these social benefits are meant to be temporary and to help people in the time of need but they do the opposite . For a example, if a single mother goes back to school and works part time , they will cut off her benefits stating that she makes too much, they rather her stay at home and leech off the system.

Yes, but many people have escaped that system by working hard to escape the viscous cycle. That single mother needs to keep her eyes on the prize, double down, finish school and even go for a higher qualification. I know some that say, screw benefits and work 2 or 3 jobs knowing it's only for a season. The future that awaits her if she does this will be like daylight compared to the nighttime she has gone through. Most importantly, she will be setting a good example for her child who is more likely to also be college educated if she is. It's not a perfect system but at least it exists. One thing I know from living here a good many years is "time and place". Benefits are easier to get in some States than others, and overtime, have become easier or more difficult to obtain in others. I will not mention the benefits "easy" states. It's an open secret.

Babyvet:
I highly disagree , as someone who works closely with low income population, there is not as much safety net in this country. People who move to the western society, need to very careful with social benefits , it’s a system that can trap someone to stay in low socioeconomic settings. If someone wants to live above their means , that’s their business. With cars these days, it kind of easy to get one especially a luxury one .That’s why you will see many people driving nice cars but still living in the hood or cheap houses. While the other end, housing is not that easy to get especially after the house market crash. How many people can really afford their house in cash in this country especially in places like New York or California ?

I agree that social benefits can be a trap, especially for those with very little ambition. However, if a citizen is down on their luck, they can seek help in a homeless shelter, food shelfs abound etc. unemployed? Benefits exist. Not to mention the welfare baby mama gig. Subsidized housing exists too. These are meant to be a springboard from which an individual launches to success not a permanent position to reside. From the eyes of a person who has done better by getting a job building a career, these look like nothing. I would never want to be a recipient of any of these "freebies". Immigrants are not immediately eligible for government benefits as their sponsor is financially responsible so they should not rely on this.

Cash purchase of housing is almost like an alien concept here. it's not financially a good idea. I can borrow at 3-5% APR and use the interest as a tax shield while my cash earns 6-10% return on the stock market. Capital gains are taxed at 15% while regular income can be as high as 35%. Also, after the housing crash, homes are not always an appreciating asset. Mortgages are readily available, even in California and New York. Like I said, it's a debt driven economy.

Having said all this, not having the cash to buy a house outright is absolutely the norm in an honest society. How can a civil servant in Nigerian afford to buy a 30 million Naira house? 300 million in plantain or is it banana island? These rogues are spending the commonwealth of the people

Babyvet:
There is no wealth to amass here. The average American family household income is about $55,000 per annum. Obviously they are people who make less and people who make more. Cost of living varies and it wil determine how much money is required per annum.

Even on $55k, you will live very well. Years ago when I lived in Florida, I was always astonished to see folks who earned less than half of my income driving Lexuses, Mercedes, Jaguars and all types of fancy cars. Being of Nija heritage, I was of the mindset that you should spend $1 only when you have $10 saved under your "mattress". Old school African disposition ...live below your means, neither be a debtor or a lender and save save save to transfer inheritance to the next generation because we have to give them a leg up to survive.... nobody knows tomorrow. America is the opposite. It's a debt and consumer driven economy. Tomorrow is guaranteed to some extent by the government safety net so live life to the fullest and let tomorrow take care of itself!

femora007:
Talking about Caribbean country;
Is US Virgin Islands a country on it own or one of the states in USA ?
Is it easier to get USVI visa than to get USA visa or both are the same?

The U.S. Virgin Islands is a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico and Guam. You do not need a separate visa, it's the same U.S. visa to visit. Having said that, note that it is one of the more expensive islands to visit. 97% of goods are imported into the island so everyday life is quite expensive.

femora007:
Do you mean the state will cut down on investors ROI or what? Please say more about the bolded

The state will not mess with you directly. It's indirectly through the employment stipulations in a high unemployment location, most likely a rural area in the south . Imagine having to deal with unmotivated, disgruntled and largely indolent workers. You have to hire a certain #, not including relatives to qualify. At the $500k level, you may find yourself struggling to be successful. My comment about low ROI was relative to investing elsewhere.

Babyvet:
Also action speak louder than words. This president says he wants legal immigrants but is also trying to cut legal immigrantion especially for people of color. In general , America looks very good to someone whose country lacks basic amenities , to those whose who come from countries who have basic amenities, America is usually rated okay or overated. Either coming to America as long as you do it the legal way and have realistic expections . That’s number one problem with Nigerians who end up in trouble here, trying to cut corners and having unrealistic expecting of trying to “blow”.

I don't understand why Nigerians come here and try to blow? There is absolutely no need to amass wealth here. You can live a very decent life on less than $100k per annum. Your kids will go to good schools and you can ensure they have good morals and work ethics. If you raise them right, they will go on to make their own living. No need to amass wealth for anybody.

Ugosample:
what an irony

those who have cannot prove a clean audit trail of how they made the money (most of them) while much more don't even have at all

What does that say about the state of the country

I plan on getting another investment visa soon, but I need to raise the complete capital first

$500k is a talk order for me atm so I should just respect myself and be reasonable

If you have the ability to raise $500k in Nigeria, why the heck would you plough it into a U.S. investment visa just for immigration benefits? Your return on invetsment will probably be be dismal with all the conditions attached to that route! If I was you, I will take that money and invest it in caribbean country or a country like Belize and make a killing. A certain Nigerian whom I will not name is the King of Sugar in Belize He makes a Kings ransome with very little investment.

Babyvet:
In my opinion , it is overated I’m not going to compare it to Nigeria . America is much older than Nigeria. Racism may be pronounced in some states but it is foundation of America. It’s ingrained the system and no one can hide from it . Whether people choose to see it or not , it’s their business. Even Americans who grew up here admit its overated . It’s just highly rated because there are so many poorly functioned countries in the world.

Racism and discrimination should not and has not deterred different groups of people from succeeding in America. There were periods in the not too distant past when the Irish and Catholics were despised but that has passed. The system, albeit imperfect, is in my opinion the best there is relativley speaking. The American constitution is a fabulous document that comes very close to being the perfect recipe for creating a society where everyone can live out their lives the way they want as long you don't affect or deny anyone else their rights. One thing about this society that makes it preferable to Nigeria is that you do not need to amass wealth to pass on to the next generation to guarantee their survival. Everyone is given the opportunity to work as hard as you want and outcomes are relatively proportional to the effort you put in.

Babyvet:
It is what it is. No need to beg them, go to where you are wanted in this world . America is overrated anyways. Too much racial tension and so many other issues that one has to live here to understand.

Just pointing out the hypocrisy of in process for intending migrants to be self aware.
I totally understand the issues in America, been living here for more than 20 years... and legally too
But I disagree with your assertion that America is overrated. There is no other country in the world that offers up as much opportunity as there is here. Immigrants may not be overtly wanted or welcome, but we are definitely needed. Like any other nation, America has its issues. But I would rather deal with America's issues than Nigeria's. A vast majority of the issues here can be mitigated by relocating to another state or city. For example, the racism issue you mentioned is more pronounced in some, states than others. I would encourage any Nigerian to move here by any means legal. If you work hard and play by the rules, you are likely to very successful or at least guaranteed the basics of a decent existence.

Babyvet:
Please use the quote button , next time when responding. But I don’t know about other western countries but America is not welcoming immigrants especially the non white ones. If you have a pathway to immigrant status then that’s fine. Visa overstaying is very big
problem. Coming here with non immigrant status and converting to immigrant status is a difficult task, with high chances of the individual getting stuck.

Eureka! We have reached the same conclusions. The points I was trying to tease out are (1) there was a time Europe was in dire straits and their citizens flocked to America because of economic hardship. All they had to do was get on a boat and show up at Ellis Isalnd, answer a few basic questions and boom, they were in! (2) Despite the fact that America says it's a country of immigrants and in theory welcomes immigrants, no such accommodations have been accorded to Nigerians or any other black nation in dire economic problems.

There are very limited options for a Nigerian to legaly immigrate to the U.S in good faith. They want us to be honest and straight when applying for visas but have created a system that pressures applicants to be dishonest in order to succeed. If you give any indication as to your real intent, you're toast! The decks are certainly stacked against us.

Whoever wants to immigrate to the U.S. ex family sponsorship, assylum, job sponsorship or lottery will have to be dishonest at some point along the way. Harsh reality! Let the games continue.

I excluded Canada because they have an established pathway. I think Australia does too, but I may be mistaken. The U.S. and most other western nations proudly state that they welcome migrants but create no legal pathway outside of assylum or if you already have a leg in like a spouse or family member who can file for you. They strongly discourage migration through means of a temporary visa with very strong consequences.

Makes me wonder who's being disingenuous and playing games? The average Nigerian who misrepresents at the embassy (trying to get a visitors visa and forever leave the suffering they have to endure) or those that say "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!" Ironic yes? The exact words written on the statue of liberty!

I am interested in knowing, if anyone has the answers, what the current options are for a Nigerian to legally migrate to a western country like the U.S. (Canada excluded). And I mean migration in the true sense of the word where intent is expressely stated upfront. This disqualifies, for example, the F1 visa route where folks go to school, get a job and the employer files a PR for him or her. Or said temporary visa holder marries a USC and adjusts their status. And not through family ties either? Visa Lottery is no longer an option for now! I am wondering if there is any legal route for the average Nigerian who is tired of the country, to up and leave? When some other countries were going through rough times, lots of their citizens migrated simply for better economic opportunites for themselsves and family.

Here's some food for thought from back when there was mass migration into the US through Ellis Island. The list below shows the questions that were asked when folks just showed up straight off the boats. Most were let in provided they did not habor any diseases.

When immigrants arrived at Ellis Island, they were funneled through a line in the Great Hall. In addition to medical examinations, they spent several hours answering questions. They were asked 29 questions with the help of an interpreter, including these:
• Are you meeting a relative here in America? Who?
• Have you been in a prison, almshouse, or institution for care of the insane?
• Are you a polygamist? Are you an anarchist?
• Are you coming to America for a job? Where will you work?
• Are you deformed or crippled?
• Who was the first President of America?
• What is the Constitution?
• Which President freed the slaves?
• Can you name the 13 original Colonies?
• Who is the current President of the United States?

Do you honestly think the decks are not stacked against the average Nigerian?

Interesting responses to this topic. I've been in read only mode on this site for a few years but decided to contribute with a brand new profile. At the risk of derailing the thread, but with the intent of providing some perspective, let me start by telling you about my experience living in Nigeria. I was raised in Nigeria in a middle class family. We lived on a college campus. Life was simple, fun and wonderful back in those days. I later realized that my family led a sheltered life. We had constant electricity, running water, good schools, foreign vacations, good friends from all tribes in Nigeria, safety within the campus and most everything a young lad would desire growing up. I had my primary, secondary and university education right there on that campus and life was good. I remember a few of my friends dropping out of university back then to migrate to The U.K. and U.S. and I couldn't understand why they would do something "so dumb". Fast forward to 5 years after graduation and I was working in an oil company, headquartered in Lagos, operational locations in Warri and Portharcourt. My monthly paycheck was great, but I could sense that something important was missing. There was no job satisfaction. We were merely going through the motions. I began to sense that most Of us indigenes were probably just filling a quota . Anyway, left the job to pursue a Masters degree in the US and never looked back. So how is life in the U.S? It's been great, but in a different way from the wonderful life I had growing up in Nigeria. I actually think I had a better life growing up in Nigeria than my kids are experiencing in the U.S. Their lives are very much tele-guided, but they don't know any better because they have no other experience. However, Nigeria is not the same anymore and there is not a chance in hell I will go back. I harboured those thoughts for a long time until my wife categorically told me that I am on my own if I go back even for retirement. For those looking to take the plunge and relocate, my advice is that be ready to go back to school if you want to be successful. Things are not as easy as when I arrived here in the 90's, but then, I met folks here that said my experience was more difficult than when they came in the 70's and 80's
Don't believe those who say you can't make it here. There are lots of Nigerians doing very well in the US, myself included. My annual household income is about 500k dollars and that is from one salaried job each for my wife and I. There are several Nigerians I know who earn close to a million dollars a year as specialized surgeons. Get yourself educated in the right field, work hard, pray and don't forget to give and share your wealth. Finally, one quick comment about the guy who was talking about paying a fixed amount for gas in Malaysia and folks were doudting him. It's very common in the US. There are apartment rentals where your rent covers utilities including gas, electricity and water. Gas is piped into the building not portable refillable cylinders.