₦airaland Forum

aanowai: Thanks for ur response and contribution. Agreed, i applied late but my package will not be dumped somewhere IJN, Amen.
Secondly, I've been made to understand that there are procedures in the review of applications for graduate study. I'm also made to understand that my application is not the only one the department is reviewing as there are lots of other documents from different pple, who has submitted b4 me.
The schl is resuming on the 25th of August and today is the 3rd wk, of the 4wks they are expected to get back to me. So I trust that all is well. Thanks once again for ur time.

I hope you have a very strong GPA, good SOP, and great LOR for you to make the statement above. To be honest, it isn't advisable to apply and put all your hope on one grad school. Many students apply to as many as 6 schools sometimes with the hope that at least one would accept them or offer some form of scholarship.

Did you apply to a highly rated school or a B one? Have you checked grad cafe to see how similar candidates like you are doing? Have you been talking to a potential research adviser? Admission to grad school is based mostly on availability of a potential adviser unless you are not a STEM student or going the non-thesis route. Most people that I know contacted their professors even before applying to the program.

FYI, grad admission is not a piece of cake like undergrad. Not until the department review committee make a decision and recommend you to the grad school, whoever you call or email will only tell you that they are still working on your application.

All the best.

juntod: Nice observation. Laura, if you do not want to write the GMAT/GRE, you still have a chance. The VOs know some schools exempt students from these exams. When asked about it, do not simply say it wasn't required. State a strong reason why you were exempted. Maybe due to your work experience.

You are right, some give good reasons why they were exempted from taking the exam and still get the visa. Her case is peculiar being that she has a denial history. I wouldn't advise her to leave everything to luck. She should make sure to cross all t's and dot all i's before hitting the embassy again.

Laura,

Below are what you should work on.

- Your answers to the V.O question;

* Always say you applied to at least 3 schools.
* Your reason for choosing your school wasn't convincing enough.
* You didn't write the GRE or GMAT. The V.O was particularly interested in that and that was why he asked.

Anybody can be your sponsor in as much you can give good reasons why the person would be doing that. Unless you work on the reasons above especially your GRE or GMAT. I am afraid your next interview won't be an easy ride and I pray you don't get denied again. Please fix all loop holes. Shalom!!!

Joenice: Yes, i support genuine relationship and marriage. I even advice my niggars never to take any chick they do not love. I almost had a roll with one of my friends last year because of this, but today he is very happy. Because i am the kind of person that sticks to his guns That's why my niggars like me.

I respect you. Make love your primary reason for going into a marriage. Every other thing is secondary.

Joenice: Stay cool, Ojap. May God bless you abundantly. @Ojap. I wanna follow you, can i?

Fo sho!!

Joenice: Great! I think the guy should take a smart approach here. The solution to his problem is around him. Let him grab one of his classmates who is a local. Period!!

I agree to that too only if the love/marriage is a genuine one. It isn't good to marry solely because of a green card. Aside the fact that it is against the law, breaking a woman's heart is wicked, especially a woman who gave you all she has and a leave to stay in the US permanently. And also a direct path to getting a US citizenship within 3 years. I would stick with her till death do us apart.

Joenice: @Ojap, if the guy falls in love and then marry a local, I mean American. What do you think is gonna happen?

Then it will be green card made easy. He can cancel previous I-130, file a new I-130 and I-485 based on marriage. Shouldn't take more than 6 months to get the green card if everything works well.

Walspring: Amen.... Amen.... Amen.... In the name of Jesus.

Thanks alot for those prayers Prof and i am also doing more and more of that over here, All i need now is Mercy of God, His Exceeding Grace, His Unlimited Favour and Divine Breakthrough...

God will grant unto you all your heart desires. Best wishes!!

Walspring: Prof... I havent book yet.. Hopefully July ending or Early August ...

Okay. I was thinking of you yesterday and was praying silently that all works out for you. You have paid your dues here and can only pray to GOD to give you the VISA with ease. All is well my friend, keep your faith alive.

Graviton2: Welcome back, Sir. Glad to see you back after the NL data loss.

Thank you sir, I am happy you are doing fine too. Seems you still want to be with mommy for a few hence the reason for not buying a ticket yet....LoL

LUCAS99: Thanks for the advice. I just checked my employment authorization card (EAD) and at the extreme bottom of the card. It says “NOT VALID FOR REENTRY TO U.S”. First, I would like clear any confusion. The employment authorization card (EAD) which I received was as a result of applying for off-campus employment authorization based on severe economic hardship after being in F-1 status for one academic year.

My I-130 immigrant petition is not yet approved. All that my sister received from the USCIS was the receipt notice. I would appreciate if you could reanswer my questions in light of the fact that my petition was simply received by USCIS and not yet approved. I am only in the 2nd year and one needs to wait about 10 years before an I-130 filed by a sibling is approved and a green card is issued.While I am waiting I must continue to attend school to maintain my F-1 student visa status inorder to avoid falling out of status.

I have a couple of questions below which I need answers:
A) Can you please give me a link that details the process to file for an advanced parole which you mention earlier.

B) Others have suggested that being that my priority date (the date in which I will be eligible for a GC) will not come for several years. They think that my chances of renewing my F-1 visa are as good as anyone else's. How true is that?

C) Is it possible for me to utilize the DHL Drop Box Visa Renewal Program without being physically present in Nigeria? Can I fill out the online application and then instruct my sister to drop off the letter with my passport, application confirmation sheet, passport photos, visa fee receipt, and appropriate forms to one of the DHL facilities in Abuja or Lagos or will the consular section request that I attend a visa interview despite having submitted my application through the Drop Box program further complicating the whole issue.

D) How likely is it that I can reenter the US after going home this Xmas? I have heard that Visa Officers are not allowed to issue non-immigrant visa to people with pending I-130 application? Others have suggested that even if you are issued an F-1 visa with an immigrant based petition pending you wouldn’t be granted entry at the Port Of Entry (POE) as the border agent will ask me if an immigrant petition has been filed for me. At that point if I say yes I will be viewed with more scrutiny and prevented from being able to reenter.

E) Previously I thought that Visa Officers are the only one capable of knowing if an immigrant petition has been filed for me. Please can you confirm if border agents at the Port Of Entry (POE) are also capable of knowing if an immigrant petition has been filed on my behalf.
I would appreciate if I can have your email address for further correspondence.Thanks in advance for your esteemed help.

Lucas-----I have re-arranged your thoughts above in paragraphs so it will be easier for me and other members to read. That said, I didn't know you got your EAD through economic hardship. You made it look like you got it as part of your I-130 application. Please always give the important details next time so you don't get misinformed. Below are my answers to your questions. Do not hold me on them please, they are just my opinion.

A. Advance Parole (AP) - Please google USCIS website for more info on AP.

B. Visa Issuance - Your chance of getting a visa is 50:50. Many people with such petition as yours have gotten it, all depends on the V.O. I would only be careful because you have an intent already.

C. Drop box - As the name implies, anybody can drop the passport including supporting docs on your behalf unless stated otherwise on their website. I would only be worried if the V.O decides to conduct an interview after reviewing my file/application. Using the drop-box doesn't automatically mean a no-appearance. Can F-1 applicants use the drop box? I don't know. Please confirm.

E. I-30-Visa-POE - This also depends on the officer at the POE. You may get the visa, get to the POE and be stamped in. This is where the G-factor comes in. I have seen it happen.

F. Visa Officer vs. Border Agent - Just think of it, who do you think would have more access to info between the two? Border Agent of course. Please don't ask me why.

You can PM me if you would like to talk outside of NL. but it would be nice if we can do all the discussions/talking here so that other members can learn as well. Please have a terrific weekend.

Congratulations to all who got their Visas approved. Like I always advise, study hard, earn good grades and the sky will be the starting point for you. Happy Friday to you all.


Walspring: When is your interview?

LUCAS99: CAN I LEAVE THE UNITED STATES WHILE I HAVE A PENDING IMMIGRANT PETITION AND A VALID F-1 VISA?
Dear forum members I am not a US citizen. I do not hold a green card. I am legally in the US on an F-1 visa. I got an F1 visa on June 04, 2013 to attend a Community College for an Associate degree. This visa was given for 2 years. The F1 visa I got in 2012 for my undergraduate studies expired on May 31, 2014.

My sister filed a I-130 petition for me and received I797C (receipt notice) on June 17, 2013. I filed a form 1-176 and received employment authorization card (EAD) on June 12, 2014.My current F1 visa has expired and as such I would like to go back to Nigeria and renew my F1 visa so I can continue traveling freely between the United States and Nigeria. I have heard that it is unlikely that I will be given a new F-1 visa due to my pending I-130 petition.

How true is that? All Genuine Contribution will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance to all forum members for your esteemed help. I appreciate.

Do not try to leave the United States until your green card is approved. The USCIS automatically assume that you have abandoned your petition the moment you step out of the country. However, If you ignorantly travelled outside of the country, then you have to start the whole process from the scratch and this time applying from the US embassy. You don't want to do that.

If it is compulsory for you to go home, you have the right to file for an advanced parole. Most people file this the same time they file for their work authorization as it is free if you file both together. You have to give good reasons while you need advanced parole for USCIS to approve it. You can say that you need to go for your family reunion and get a chance to see your folks or attend your only sister's wedding. USCIS approve advance paroles for reasons as simple as that.

Advance parole comes together with your work authorization card if you apply for it. At the extreme bottom of the card, you will find those magic words "ALSO SERVES AS ADVANCE PAROLE". You should look into that.


Warning: Some people get deported at the POE upon their return to the USA even with their Advanced Parole (AP). Some get in with their AP. So, the ball is in your court now. Congrats on getting your work permit, it means a lot here.

As per your F-1 Visa approval, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for your F-1 Visa to be approved at the US embassy in Nigeria. You are a pending immigrant with an EAD and pending I-130. It is illogical to now apply for a non-immigrant visa. It doesn't make sense and the V.Os are not stupid.

To those doubting Thomases who won't believe the U.S is the number 1. Please subscribe to any of these magazines to keep yourself well informed. Desist from arguing blindly especially when you have nothing to back up your claims. Wikipedia can only give you little or no info about the current happenings in the Oil and Gas sector.

caseless: @Ojap. No one is taking shale oil(liquid hc produced frm kerogen) for oil shale(formation). Read again!

caseless: roach, if you've fallen for that american crumbs and u are trying to back it up with ur balderdash, i did not fall for it.
To prove that ur brain is more scotched than the niger-delta destroyed land, you were all over the thread with posts that shows you know nothing about what u are talking about. Imp, shale oil is not tight oil or crude oil, however , it is even more costly to extract shale oil than the conventional crude oil both financially and in terms of environmental impact. With the aforementioned reason, why do u think that d US would go for this and probably overtake every other oil producing country in the world...despite the cost of what they produce?
Numskull, u dont tell me where you work cos i don't care. And if u think my grammar has anythin to do with the topic , then i might get even and handle u for being intemperate in ur post. If u spew any rawbish again, u are going to have it real hot from me .

You obviously don't know the difference between the two hence my reason for explaining. And if that's the only thing you could pick from my write-up to defend your self, then I won't argue further. I like to argue with facts, and that I have done.

FYI, I am a practicing Petroleum Geologist.

It's a pity that most people these days now rush to the internet to argue what they do not know. It is no more news that the US is now the world's largest oil producer. That the US imports oil doesn't mean they are still not the number 1. California is one of the top oil producing states in the United States. However, it may interest you all to know that all of the oil produced in California is used in California. This is not even enough to meet the energy demands hence the importation.

I have also read some funny comments here about some people taking oil shale for shale oil/tight oil. Shale oil is different from Oil shale. Please do not ask me what the difference is. Go and do your research so you can be well informed.

Geologists are aware of the hydrocarbon locked in shales a long time ago. But two things won't let them drill for the oil. First is the technology to bring this oil out from this tight "source rock". Second is the economics. No one would drill for oil in shales when a barrel sells for $10. It doesn't make sense.

This is not only about shale, it is also about reservoirs where oil companies know they won't make any profit from if they drill at the time the price of oil is way below what it is now. An example is the San Joaquin basin in California. Most of the oil in this basin is heavy oil. For you to get this oil out from the subsurface in commercial quantity, you have to reduce the viscosity. How do you do this? You inject steam into the ground by drilling injection wells and cyclic steaming the producers to bring out this oil. In reservoirs with a lot of conglomerates, you require more steam compared to reservoirs with sands. Oil companies put all of this into consideration when drilling and see how it affects their economics. In the 70s and 80s, most companies will by pass this zones and drill in areas where they would spend less and gain more.

With advance in technology and with a barrel of oil selling for at least a $100, oil companies now go back to these by passed zones to drill since it is now economical. Oil companies can now go back to frack these shales and get the oil out from it. Mind you, the major difference between a sandstone and a shale is permeability. Shales have good pore spaces where hydrocarbon can be trapped except that it is not permeable (pore spaces not well interconnected). You need good porosity and permeability for a good reservoir. This leads me back to fracking where oil companies now device a way of creating artificial permeability to turn what was once regarded as only a source rock to a reservoir. This requires a lot of money and no oil company would go for this when a barrel of oil sells for $30. The Eagle Ford and Bakken shale Formations are good examples of sedimentary formations where oil is gotten from shales. Please do not misinterpret this for OIL SHALE.

This finally leads me back to the topic/argument. Why is the US the largest oil producer? Aside the fact that the United States is trying all within her power to be less dependent on other countries for oil, there has been an increase in demand for oil, and the oil companies are more aggressive in searching for oil and drilling more than before. Why? They now have advance technology to drill anything and get oil to the surface. Not only that, they make good profits from this and this means a lot to them. Shouldn't one wonder why an oil company would rent a rig for $1m a day in the Gulf of Mexico and drilling for atleast 3 days? No don't be surprised, that single well will produce 5,000 barrels of oil a day. Now multiply 5,000 barrels per day by $100 and tell me if this is not economical.

Amefrica:

I think you need to add "fasting" to your prayers, we are all eager to hear the good news. All the best.

From the Culinologist, to the Mustang, to the Technology Manager, to the Petroleum Geologist, and the Public Administrator who all got their visas approved, I say a very big congratulations.

You are all welcome to the United States of America. Cheers!!!

dolapobello1: Boda, you can't just 'go in' for medicine in the United States. You must first do a pre-med course.
Not to discourage you, but being the international student that you are, even after completing the (probably 4-year) pre-med course and acing the MCAT (I say this very lightly indeed), admission to med. school is nearly impossible.
Here's even more pessimism. In the event that you do get admitted, funding is an issue that would shake you (even if you were an American millionaire).
On a positive note sha, since your uncle is a medical doctor in the US, why don't you just, well, ask him about studying medicine in the US?
I'll suggest you look closely at computer science because computer scientists (particularly programmers) are in high demand all over the globe, and it looks like a course that will 'pay lofty dividends' in the long run.

You have done a good job summarizing and driving home your point, in just 148 words. Of note is that the words medicine/med. school/pre med and medical doctor were only mentioned 6 times.

So on point.

Walspring: Bro, i guess you just renew your visa?
Maybe someone close to you got his/her visa approved today.
Anyway all nah still the same...

None of the above. For me, I have nothing to do with any form or kind of visa again.

Amefrica: Are you whining my mummy?
Abeg, park joor. You wey don gather all $$$$ finish.

Can't you see I woke people up with that?

So, I got my visa approved at the Lagos embassy today. Details coming soon

Amefrica: Hello everybody! Imperiouxx, Ojap et al.
1. Do you guys know anybody who was in my shoes?
2. Do you know anyone who was denied after admin processing and verifying of the SOA? What are the consequences if it's faulty?
3. Do you know anyone who was granted after admin processing and verifying of the SOA? How many days does it take?
4. Where does the embassy call? Branch where the staty was issued or the bank's headquarters?
Please, these are questions begging for answers..

1. Yes

2. Yes, I have read about who was denied after admin processing. The consequences include a lengthy ban and in some cases handling over to the police for prosecution.

3. Yes, I know. Usually within a week, they often put in mind the applicant's resumption date. This may be different for other Visa categories.

4. My friend who used to work as a Customer care officer at Zenith bank in Lekki told me the embassy calls her most times to confirm her clients account. She said what they confirm is if the account exist. Some have said they confirm closing balance but I am not sure. My friend in question did not also tell me that.

Exceeding Grace:

That you are a geologist is enough reason for me to contribute. You did a very good job coming up with those points.

First, you may need to be more specific on why you're choosing UTPB. Like Permian Basin is near amazing geology etc. Also, you shouldn't just generalize reservoir characterization as a research interest. Try as much as possible to go technical as much as you can. You may also want to say you will be working on carbon capture and sequestration. Your research will be on the injection of carbon dioxide into depleting or saline aquifers. This is an emerging technology and which will not only be an Enhanced Oil Recovery method but a way to reduce the anthropogenic effect of Carbon as it causes global warming. Or bring the shale reservoir talk up early in your discussion. These are the two good points.

Second, you can't say Chevron, Shell, Exxon-Mobil, Nigeria Agip, Oando, NNPC etc lack professionals. Those folks are sound geologists and professionals. The best thing to say is that you plan on getting a job with one of the multinationals thereby contributing your own quota to the Nigerian oil and gas sector knowing fully well that oil is the main-stay of the Nigerian economy.

Congrats on your acceptance into UTPB. All the best.

Amefrica: Sire, I go like disagree oo. They know how things work here in 9ja nah.
I was at the embassy today, I graduated 2010 and presented a 2011 WAEC cert. No question arised on it.

That is still reasonable. This is just a one-time re-sit.

But who writes WAEC 8 times? 2006-2014?

Or who writes his first WAEC in 2006 and wait till 2014 to re-sit?

If you can't pass WAEC within 8years, then studying in the United States of America shouldn't be the best thing to do.

Amefrica: The year he graduated high school doesn't necessarily has to be the same year he made his result..

Technically, you are right. But for embassy purpose, I would say I graduated high school in 2014 if I have a WAEC result carrying 2014.

You can always say you started high school late. There are one thousand and one reasons you could give. Please don't ask me to tell you

stevecrun: bro,what do you mean by and the SAT?

Not only should you write the WAEC, consider writing the SAT too. You get?

imperiouxx: Yes and this https://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0058.gif

That's the koko

stevecrun: Bro,it was a fake admission..I was put on pending after my year one screening with no decision taken on me by the Registrar.I was finally asked to leave the school in my second year second semester..I just want to apply for a school in the states and start all over again..cos most of my mates back in high school are graduates now..I will take your advice @imperiouxx and write a new WAEC cos no reason I give to the VO will be okay..

And the SAT.

Amefrica: Thanks once again!

Walspring is getting his too for sure..

Fo sho!!

Amefrica: Thanks so much professor.. The first compliment she gave me (about my looks) helped me a lot shaa.. I felt relaxed and was replying to questions as if she were my girlfriend..

You're most welcome and I am so happy you listened to advice. The lady may not have given you a chance to continue the interview if you'd told her you didn't write the SAT. Remember the "what has changed since the last time you applied" saying? Overall, you did very well.

Next is Walspring. I can't wait for him to share the good news too.

Amefrica:

You killed the interview. The interview was over when the VO asked to see your WAEC and standardized tests. Be sure that you will hear back from them before your resumption date hopefully by next week. If I were you, I would start looking for cheap tickets to Minnesota and work on the transcript.

Please, do the needful.

imperiouxx: A female of same mature age as a male gets lot of wooing from big guys while the male is still learning how to look girls in the eyes.

We know how it happened to us before nau and what we're trying now

kunlebal: True talk bro, i use to hate those big bros that time cos they dont allow us to enjoy our age mate ladies that time but know we too are looking for younger ladies to woo.

So true