₦airaland Forum

Ellskc:
Hello house
Please can a family friend be my financial sponsor? The person lives here in Nigeria. I also have an aunt in the US who will sponsor me. Can I use both of them as my sponsor?

Anyone and more than one person can financially sponsor your education.

FIZZBEE:
Greetings everyone,
After applying to any schools in the United States, can I be offer admission, even though i'm yet to submit a declaration of finance (proof of fund).
NOTE : I understand it is mandatory to submit a declaration of finance before the issuing of I-20.

Yes, you can be offered admission without showing proof of finance.

Phayn:
Please is it compulsory for a sponsor’s financial statement to be from a domiciliary account?

No, it is not.

fearlessfang:
Is it mandatory to schedule a DHL pick up? Or just go there and get your passport after visa/ passport is available for pick up?

There's no scheduling! You MUST pick up at the DHL location you selected on your UStraveldocs profile anytime within 14 days, after you have received notification via SMS or email that your passport is ready for collection.

FabricsbyBolaji:
Please what can i do, i was schedule for an interview at the embassy for 4th of april but i got an email that my appointment has been cancelled. I would like to request for an emergency date but i dont know to do that on my portal, can anyone put me through please

It's simple. Follow the link

https://portal.ustraveldocs.com/

Login and select the emergency request option on top left pane. Follow the instructions.

Use this as a guide if you have further questions

https://www.ustraveldocs.com/ci/ci-niv-emergencyappointment.html

Chemist4life:
I saw this on Department page

It's commonplace for PhDs to be fully sponsored by some schools. I assumed you were talking about Master's. There should be information on that too on the site. Look further.

FIZZBEE:
Greetings everyone,
I'm a national diploma holder and looking forward to study in the US for undergraduate studies, I would like to ask all honorable members of this forum if, I'm to apply to any school of my choice as first-year student or as transfer student.

First year (if your ND is accepted for your program of choice). Check with the specific school admission requirements.

Chemist4life:
Good morning everyone, pls I got admitted to Temple University for fall 2024,and the resumption date is 26th of August 2024,but I am yet to receive any response in regards to funding. Please what can I do

Funding may not come on a platter of gold. You'd have to seek funding.

Send an email to notable faculty members or professors in your department or the school information center indicating your interest in a Graduate Assistantship position or scholarship opportunities/tuition waivers. Their details are available on the school's website.

Most of the time, information about funding is usually on the school's website. You'd have to make some findings.

Tim37:
Good afternoon house!
I need an assistance with this. My request to book an appointmemt has just been approved, checking my cgi profile the earliest date i got was 13th Augt. Is there possibility of getting earlier date after accepting the 13th ? And how manytimes can one reschedule an appointment if earlier dates resurfaced?

Yes, you may request an emergency appointment and get an earlier date if approved.

You may only reschedule once.

chimax1:
Hi guys,
Is it possible to attend interview with i20 from spring semester for fall semester? My school is taking a while to issue the updates i20 and interview is coming soon.

No you may not. The I-20 must reflect the updated resumption semester.

Ayosharon4321:
Can someone get multiple I-20’s from different schools,?

Yes, but you can only use one.

mayDtolu:
Smh. Deferred once before with a GA but thanks

All the best.

mayDtolu:
There is still two months left to resumption, What is the best advise?

You may contact the school to defer your admission to Spring next year. They usually grant this request. That affords you time to prepare for your next interview.

mayDtolu:
If someone gets denied this month and their school resumes in July, can they still schedule another interview?

An unstated rule to wait six months before another appointment (for F-1). If you've been denied in the last 6 months, and go ahead to schedule another interview within the same timeframe, unfortunately you won't or may not see any date. You'd be asked about this when trying to schedule the new appointment.

Not an expert advice. Just telling you what's obtainable.

Mjosh1000:
It takes me back to submitting the already filled form.

I suppose you're using Google Chrome. If so, clear your browser cache and if possible, cookies as well, then retry.

mcvities:
Please, for those that have paid their F-1 Visa at GT Bank recently, did you carry the total cash 333,000 to the bank or do they allow one to make the payment with an ATM card at their bank branches?

Yes, non-cash payment is accepted.

You'll be given a deposit slip and GTB Collections account to pay the money into, authorising the debit from your GTB account.

Depending on the branch, you may be allowed to transfer via in-branch POS terminal using your card.

Ola2money:
Hi People,

Please I need information. I recently got admission for my master's degree in the USA. Can I declare two sponsors? One is my parent and the other younger sibling. One resides in the UK and the financial proof will be foreign bank.

A response will be much appreciated.

You can use the two sponsors for the issuance of your Form I-20. Since they're both family members, the school will indicate on your I-20 "Family" as the sponsor. Their names are not indicated. This is helpful as the total value of your proof of fund will be higher to meet the required cost of attendance.

There's no rule that states you can't be sponsored by more than one person and definitely does not affect the outcome of your interview.

If asked during interview, you can provide the statement of accounts.

The new wait times are really long, perhaps why only Nov/Dec dates are currently available. Hopefully the times are lower in the coming months.

Naijalarry:
Which course are you going for.

Are there no Graduate Assistantships positions available in your program?

Thanks for asking.

MBA

Unfortunately, the GA positions are quite competitive and had been filled by the time I received acceptance letter (according to Int'l Admissions Coordinator). I applied late that's why but met every other deadline.

Appointment booked on Friday 8th December for 1st February 2024.

Regular reschedule on Saturday 9th December 2023. Was just lucky to see 12th available.

Lagos Consulate
First F-1 application
12th December 2023
❌ Denied
(40k funds. COA - 28k)
No scholarship
4 mins approx.

VO: Please come forward
VO: Good morning
M: Good morning, how's work?
VO: It's good
VO: Pass me your passport and I-20 please
VO: Types a while... Looks at I-20... Who's sponsoring your education?
M: said it - Elder sister
VO: What does she do?
M: She's a senior Medical D of Surgery at xx.
VO: How many siblings do you have?
M: I have 3 siblings, 2 males and a female.
VO: Nodded as though in approval.
VO: Ever traveled to any other country?
M: No, I've only been to the USA in 2018 for a competition with my coursemates and our Professor and returned after 4 days to complete my BSc.
VO: Types for long, 2 mins delay.
VO: Unfortunately, at this time, you do not qualify for a visa. This letter will explain the reason. Returns passport and I-20 with blue 221G.
M: Picked my documents and walked away. No questions asked!

Probably a funding gap issue but seen someone with 32k COA and 32k funds with no other funding approved. Guess it just depends on the VO. This particular VO wasn't looking at no one's face and wasn't as friendly as the others.

5 students denied prior. 1 student granted.

I'd recommend to try get funding - scholarships, GA, GTA, GRA or tuition waivers.

Denials were flying like paper including for B1/B2.

bammydele1:
I don't have that emergency option on my dashboard..

I don't have a date yet .


I was told to wait for it to be reviewed then approved

I am in the same dilemma. Sent a mail to them and this was their response.

[img][/img]

Looks like there's so much backlog or demand exceeding supply, that they have to individually approve appointment requests.

It's really frustrating.

I guess we'll just have to wait.

Solanaa:
Thanks Boss.

One more question Sir.


If I register for my passport and because of some reasons I'm unable to capture.

How long will it take for it to expire Sir?

7 days

Solanaa:
Can someone collect my passport for me?

Yes, but it has to be a family member (spouse or child).

Friends cannot collect on your behalf.

azelab:
Thanks a lot... Please according to the information, do I need to go there before the capturing date or I can go there on the main date of my capturing date, I would be at Abeokuta but I stay far away that is I want to know.

You are to go there on the date on your appointment slip, not before.

wisz1:
Thank you Mayford for the update.

I have been scheduled for capturing on Tuesday. Kindly share more info on the guarantors form.

Thanks

You're welcome. Mine was renewal, I didn't use the guarantor's form, but yes you need to include it with other documents for fresh application. At the time I did fresh, I went through an agent who did all the heavy lifting. So I'm not in the right position to advise on that

Passport Collected
DIY

Ikoyi Passport Office, Lagos

Capture date: 17th August, 2022
Issue date: 19th October, 2022
Collected on: 3rd January, 2023

But seriously, something needs to be done about the racketeering by some officers at that Ikoyi passport office.

I wish I knew my passport 1 was out since October, I'd have gone there to collect it much earlier. It still shows PENDING PRODUCTION on their website tracker till now.

Collection was fast and smooth, within one hour I was out of there. But small drama as expected. Make sure to go early, so you can leave early.

Got to the passport office at 7am. Met a crowd of people there, with a long list for names. At 8:00, the PRO and some other officers came to address us. Three queues are to be formed in a straight line (you just have to be fast and sharp). I already knew the collection queue was to be in the middle, having been there previously for capturing.

One line for capturing, another for collection and the last for complaints/enquiries/NIN issues.

8:08, we were let in to the waiting room. Immediately, we were given collection slip to fill in our names , phone number and enrollment number, then submit to the collection officer. Make sure you go with your own pen to avoid delay.

Soon after, the announcement came. Not sure why only 5 of us were called first, probably because we didn't go through any agent. But we all later collected our passports. The officer said NO RECORD FOUND was our case and boldly wrote NRF on the collection slip with red pen. I wanted to go berserk!!! How dare you say no record found when I can see my application status on your website?! Apparently, his strategy was to delay us and extort from us.

Immediately, I collected the slip from him and went straight to the PRO's office to report the matter. She directed me to SERVICOM to help me confirm if my passport was ready. Lo and behold, when I got there, the officer checked and told me there's nothing wrong with my application and my passport was ready for collection.

I didn't know if to cry or laugh, I went back to the collection room to meet the officer who told me no record found and I couldn't see him again. He was nowhere to be found. I needed to get his badge name and report it to the PRO and HQ for possible disciplinary action because she asked whom the officer was and I couldn't provide a name. She wasn't very happy that I couldn't provide a name. I believe they're trying to weed out corruption because she was intentional on ensuring I collected my passport.

Finally submitted the slip to another officer who helped me to find my passport where the corrupt officer hid it. She told me the truth that the officer wanted to extort from me. Had to tip her 1k for being so honest. Initially she rejected but I insisted. That was the only money I gave out in that office.

She brought out my passport and handed it over to me, then asked me to go to the activation room to activate my passport. Went in there, the queue moved very quickly. Within 10 mins, I activated my passport and I was out of that place joyous.

Total paid: 26k, including charges.

Meanwhile, someone was gisting me how he paid 90k for so-called express and it still took 3 months for his passport to be ready. I'd say try DIY if you have time and patience.

A QUICK ONE EVERYBODY

Only two Passport Offices in Nigeria have the machine that prints the new e-Passport with enhanced technology - Ikoyi and Abuja HQ.

The rest are using the regular passport technology which is one of the reasons why you get your passport produced very quickly in other centres like Sagamu. Those centers only issue the regular passport booklets.

In addition, the new e-Passport is more expensive at 25k (+1k for payment processing). In some centers, especially in the North, people pay 12k - 15k for passport. They only issue old booklets to them for that price.

To confirm you have the new e-Passport, the data page will be hard carbon fiber (like a plastic) with improved design and green in colour. The regular passport data page is flexible and can easily be damaged by water while the new e-Passport has water protection.

Apparently, it takes longer to produce the new e-Passport and so if you file at Ikoyi, you should expect delay up to 2 months or more, given the huge population of applicants as well.