₦airaland Forum

uberino: Phy, i did but the asked me to bring a letter in 6months from Road safety to show my driving records.

Uberino, I presented my naija's driver's license and was asked to take a written test, after which i did my behind the wheel. However, i don't know if the procedure is different in your state. You may try another DMV location, some may just be too strict.

uberino: Please how do you get the letter of driving records from Nigeria that the DMV is asking for? No one in Nigeria seems to know what i'm talking about...

Show them your valid Nigeria driver's license.

profGinger: Gurus in the house,I want to know if it is easy for a master student to swap university.after he or she have been issued visa.what the process.

Adding to imperiox suggestion above, it is possible to change to another school aside the one on your visa even by week 1 in the US so far you have a valid I-20 from the other school. However, you will need to discuss with the int'l student office of the school on your visa for their support for the transfer. The other school must also be ready to do their part cos DHS and other immigration procedures are involved. If the schools are not in the same county or at worst same state, it will be advisable that you have ample time to process it before registration closes in both schools.

ekundayomi: On my i20 it states This school requires English proficiency ,
The student has the required English proficiency!
Does it mean Tofel is not required i NEED HELP PLEASE

Yes, it means you don't need TOEFL, however you can't predict the VOs. If you have the time, just give it a try.

jimtosam: @Impe Baba
Please, if my uncle is presenting his financial statement in naira,how would the school know the dollar equivalent.. Also, can he present his company account? He owns a company. If, heis presenting his company's account, will he attach anything with it.

Thanks my brother.

Exchange rate are available online and don't forget that you're not the first Nigerian that will be attending the school. He can present any of his accounts so far the balance is > the required funding and he is a signatory to it.

yankison: BRov ur story is kinda interesting . Initially did you get any fund from ur skool before you got your visa , and how were able to get the student loan without a co signer since you do not have a credit history yet .

You dont need a credit history nor cosigner as a green card holder to get a student loan.

kacytunde: Hello guys,

My wife intend to visit me and go back to nigeria just for two months because she need to do her NYSC. Does she need to apply for F2 visa or Visiting visa since she will not stay long before she return. My question is just that can visiting also work for wife of F1 instead of F2.

@Kacy, if your wife's passport has your surname and she has documents showing that you're married, I'll advise she goes for F2 and that will save you a lot of stress. Try to fund your account for the period as evidence that you can take care of her when comes (she will also need a sponsor from home if her account is not sufficient) and you'll need to get a letter from your school. That will guarantee her a multiple entry even if she wants to go/come back at anytime. Visiting visa may restrict her to single entry.

oyewolejos:
Anybody with info on the next available appointment dates in Abuja should kindly share. Just got an I-20 for my younger Bro and needs to make an appointment ASAP.

Let your brother request for expedited interview if dates before his resumption aren't available.

rowlandoo:
@phy

Can i have them add the excess funds meant for my Boarding and feeding towards my tution. as i will be staying off Campus

Sure! what happens in most cases is that your school account is credited; for example if you pay your 50% balance of the tuition, you'll then be reimbursed with the excess that is meant for your upkeep. Also look at it from this perspective, what if the school asks you to fulfill your part before fulfilling theirs, hope you're prepared for this?

imperiouxx:
Rowland, if they say scholarship is towards ones education, such can't be catch as cash. Probably, you can ask that it's paid toward your tuition since you have accommodation and feeding in place. I doubt if they will allow you to stay off campus, some do it sha.

@ Rowland, adding to imperiouxx. In some cases, you may be allowed to stay off campus, but I have a concern about you. Why would you want to cash on 50% scholarship when you should be asking how you could add the balance after consolidation of the other benefits. Pls dont portray yourself negatively.

Pls if anybody know or have internship opportunities, pls post here. Thanks.

Hi guys,

Elpieda was very correct about his advice on tax return - thanks bro.

Pls house make sure you do your tax return the right way so that it doesn't backfire later especially in a period when you least expect. As a Nigerian on F1 you are only entitled to about half of what you have on W02 form. I made inquiries and I was told some tax agent could help you to get all but pls Nigerians are not allowed because of the bilateral agreement on tax. I was able to get the 1040NR and 8843 forms advised by Elpieda. If you can get someone certified to treat Int'l students tax return; that was what I did.

blossom84:
Hello every one,am new here pls I wud info abt Masters in america and the average skl fees.I wud also like to kno if I can be given a visa with my 4months old baby if am goin 4 my masters.I wud lso like to kno if students are allowed to work while dey study

'Info abt Msc in the US' looks ambiguous. You may need to specify your field of interest, state and many other stuffs so that the house could help you out. As per school fees $7k on the average depending on the location. You can visit www.findaschool.org, www.usnews.com etc. Furthermore, season one(, lol) of this forum could be very helpful.

iamcapela:
Hello Good morning everyone

I am new here and I've been reading lots of meaningful contributions on this forum and I must say it is really motivating, I have good news, I actually applied to study Under Grad in the Us last Spring 2011, Now I sent my supporting documents a bit late and I was ask if I had like to defer to either Summer or Fall 2012, I thought the Summer would be nice so I asked for them to defer to Summer 2012, Now I have just received a e-mail from the admissions office that I've been admitted.

Now my questions are, Do I go ahead to book appointment against Summer 2012 once I get my I-20 form? Would it just be nice that I take my time and wait till Fall 2012. I was advised by a friend that I should defer to Fall 2012 because he says that when the Us consulates grants more visa's to applicants.

At everyone here, I will need your advise on this before I turn in my application in for Summer 2012 at the Us Consulate, Thanks y'all I will be waiting for your meaningful contributions.

You don't need to defer your admission till fall if you're ready for summer. Though there are visa slots to be allotted possibly daily, but it has nothing meaningful to do with your resumption. So if you're good for summer then go for it.

kaycome:
thanks housemates for your advice . Now that my cert is not ready in stool shouldn' i collect the letter my skool want to send on my behalf to wes stating that myers ia not ready? Or wat do you guys tink i should do on that? Even my sch did not know the the day my cert will be ready due to some internal problem they have.

WES doesn't need your certificate, they only need your transcript which they will also verify from the school and I don't think certificate has anything to do with your transcript. For most schools that I know, once your result is out you can always get a transcript while cert could be delayed for years.

FutureDon:
Bros have you sent your degree certificate to WES? From my experience, they won't evaluate your credential if this component is missing.

Yes, I've a WES evaluation and he took so long because of the following reasons (infact, i got my evaluation after getting to the US):
- Most schools in Nigeria don't respond on time and attimes they'll need you to pay for the verification fees without contacting you.
- If go to Uni via DE (which was my case) they will also verify your ND transcript.
- Most times WES will not update you until you follow up with them.

So those are the reasons. However, I've seen someone that got hers in about 2 months.

Supzyy:
I sent a copy to the school and another to WES. Now the school just informed me that my application is pending pending the time they get the evaluated copy from WES. The school requirement is a 3.0/4.0, and i fear my cgpa might not add up to that when converted. That's why i'm looking for alternatives.

WES do waste time but you'll appreciate it later, but you can try Cal state Unis, they don't require evaluation.

Elpieda:
Concerning filing taxes, I think I need to break this down so every international student can learn and not make the same mistake most people are making.

1) If you come into the United States on an F-1 visa, you are a non-resident for tax purposes and you are to file the form 1040 NR-EZ. This is the form you are to file for the first five years of you being on a student visa including when you are on an OPT.  Obviously, filing a form 1040 NR-EZ does not get you much of a refund as a regular 1040 that residents file but please don't get tempted to file the wrong form (1040) because it usually has repercussions if you intend to become a permanent resident down the line. Please feel free to ask me more concerning taxes and I can help to the best of my ability. I have been doing this for a while,

2)Concerning softwares for filing taxes, Glacier is a good one and usually, most schools already purchase a certain number of licenses with the company to help their international students file their taxes. But if you are on an OPT, you can still purchase an individual license with the company for $39 I think. Personally I dont think you need to pay that much. There is a website called www.visataxes.com that has a wealth of info for internationals students and taxes. They aslo have a free 1040 NR-EZ software which you can use to prepare your taxes.

3) Even if you did not make any income in one particular year, you still need to go ahead and fill out Form 8843 and mail it to the IRS center in Austin so that your information can always be up to date in their database,

There is so much more information on filing taxes for international students, So feel free to ask questions,

Elpieda, I have never heard anything about the 1040 NR-EZ form. Please can you shed more light on this. The only form I know and was sent to me is the W-2.

Nice thread!

Please lets include internship and job opportunities.

Cheers

imperiouxx:
@all,

I'm sorry for joining in ranting here, if not, it won't be possible for me to pass the message across that[b] if you can get GA in US, you would be fine.[/b]

Imperiouxx be careful to generalize your a month or thereabout experience as a GA, cos your argument is only obtainable in TX or possibly in your school. We need not misrepresent facts because 1 out of 100 or even 1000 is positive. I will agree with you that things are a bit moderate in TX but it is not the same compared to the other 49 states and DC and you may need to do your research well. Lets always put things in perspective that will not result in shock for people. I, as a person will never discourage anybody about coming to the US but lets always put points in right perspective to prevent misleading our readers.

I know you may want to respond, but FYI i write as a GA.

speartaker:
Now guys, i really do think i knw d exact reasons why i waz denied. 1. I didnt creat a strong tie to convince d v.o dat i am gonna com bck upon completion of studies.  2. My sponsor's Bank statti waz poor.  Cuz it waz a day b4 my interview dat i got it and only to find out dat  his current balance is 500k. And dis d major reason why i waz denied. Cuz if d v.o waznt interested in dat bank statement,he wudnt hav pickd my own personal bank statii despite d fact dat he didnt ask for it. Why i think u should advice me to go ahead is cuz i hv a friend who passed tru dis same pattern to go too,dat waz sept last year. So tell me, if i can get a good tie and a fat acc. then i knw i am getting my visa. I need ya views,everybody talk to me, wer r u imperioux,adebyte i need ya advice. Pls house my sch resumes march 12. Shud i go for ED, wait awhile or wat?

You already told them at the embassy you don't have a permanent job,
vo: so why dont u continue in dat        job?
Me: it wasnt a permanent job, i             waz jst an intern

So what is the essence of your travel? To get a US training that will help you to easily loose your job. I guess you screwed it from that line. Well, there is no harm in trying but I will advise you take the VO position and ask another person to take your side of the post and see if you'll give the person a visa for an 8 wks program with your exact responses. If you have a better way you feel you can repackage yourself for a second try then you can go ahead.

justwise:
phy the argument here is whether the US embassy can verify an applicant's bank account details from his or her bank and the answer is YES they can if there is need to do so.

If you feel they could, why would they want you to come to the embassy with your statement. The fact still remains it is not allowed. Even in the US, it not allowed (you may want to check out Patriot act) except for purpose of investigation into a crime and that's why some fraud cases could not be instantly detected even in the US. Please lets get the correct info (i hope this would be my last post on this).

speartaker:
Pls, wat and wat do u need to take to the embassy for your interview. Pls i need to knw everytin both d relevant and irrelevant ones. Pls cleverdude, how did u fill your I-20? I hvnt filled mine till now. Also, is reference letter diff 4rm sponsorship letter? And must they be sign in court. Pls i am a little confused over dat.

You can go with a sponsorship letter from your sponsor and let him include that the banks are not operating because of the nationwide protest. You may also want to have a newspaper with you for emphasis.
It is not compulsory you fill your I-20 before going to the embassy.

justwise:
There is no truth in that garbage you just written, you made every single line up

The banks are not giving your info away to the embassy, you have done that already, so i don't know where your argument is heading to.

Its laughable to think that Nigerian govt cares more that our privacy than USA or otherr developed countries.

@ justwise
I will like you to understand that I am not trying to score a point nor to be on anyone's side, but sometimes when we don't know something or have an idea about it i feel it's always better to save our comments. That Nigerian government is not performing -yes, that doesn't mean they don't have policies and procedures. May I ask you one question? Do you know the immigration rules for US citizens to study or work in Nigeria? I guess the obvious answer is NO. The reason being that you don't need it, but do you know the reverse - yes. Please I'll still like to emphasize that what I've said earlier is the truth and you may want to do more research about it.

@ spare,
I'm sure you can go to the embassy without statement if it's because of the strike. My interview at the US embassy Abj was during the period when Union bank staff were on strike and a lady was at the embassy that day, she was asked for her statement she explained that Union was on strike (I can't remember if she also had a newspaper evidence). The VO said they knew and that she could go ahead with her interview and honestly she got her visa. So, personally I feel it's to your advantage.


About the statement
Under the Nigerian law no bank is allowed to release a customer's balance to a third party except Nigerian regulatory authorities like the EFCC, CBN, NDIC and SEC. The best they could do is to confirm that the person in question has an account with the bank. However, because of all the marketing craziness in the Nigerian banking industry about 2 or so banks cooperate with some of these embassies (US embassy not included as at 2010) and they unofficially get the balance info in an untraceable manner that no one can track. That was why embassies like UK and Canada in particular could verify some of these infos. With this in view, even if you use the wrong docs you can never be arrested as there is no existing bilateral agreement in respect of this (bank account info) with any country or embassy. So do not hesitate to go and pick either your passport or 'visaed passport' when called.

ade101:
more suggestions please

What's really your conviction about the transfer? Are you sure the reason for the transfer is basically to pursue your dream and passion for CS? If yes, then I will say you can give it a try. I need to add here that you need to be prepared to answer technical questions as per the switch cos the reason you gave in this mail not convincing (I have physiologists and doctors that design website). Personally, i feel there's no harm in giving it a try if you feel it is worth it.

imperiouxx:
I need anyone within lubbock (TX) or amarillo(TX) or close to the west TX, my YIM is imperiouxx at yahoo dot com. Looming crisis is coming in Nigeria soon, everything would be grounded indefinitely. Students having classes starting from next week should be checking out fast.

I've been waiting for your post. Again, for those castigating imperiouxx because of GRE when the school doesn't require it, I believe his response wouldn't have caused a denial and even if there will be a denial (which we thank God never happened) it will rather be because of the Phd response which Aroy addressed above.

For the flight, please check delta airways. They have some ongoing deals from HOU and IAH to LOS (return ticket) for less than $1k so I believe you could play with that.

Wishing you all the best.

dot_man:
guys pls help. . . the emergency appointments has been approved. But this is the mail we gat from them below.

''Thank you for contacting the U.S.
Embassy/Consulate. Your Emergency
appointment request is approved and
is valid until 1/3/2012.''

Is the interview date 3rd of jan or wat, the info shows no time. . .pls help.

I will advise you go to the 'visa appointment' website maybe you could get the required information after updating your info.

vooz:
Hi house.I must say i luv dis thread n av been folowing it.Pls i av a question:Is waec n neco combination accepted when Screening for o level result. cause i intend going 2 d u.s for my graduate studies hw important is o level result screening.pls i nid help 2 b sure b4 applying.

Just give them all your certificates so far they are authentic. In most cases for graduate student they'll verify that your certificates are original but they will scan through your transcript and may just pick any course at random to ask you any question that comes to their head.

kaycome:
@Ojap and others plz i have a GPA of 3.08/5.0 in my undergraduate. Can you plz help me to convert in to American standard. i mean on the scale of 4.0

The GPA is not really the issue at times. One of the thing they also look at is your performance in relevant courses to your MSc and the worst that may happen in some cases is that you'll be advised to take some prerequisites which i think isn't a bad idea at the long run. You could also contact an evaluation agency like WES, most time your GPA conversion comes out better from them.

goshen360:
The issue is not believing. He believed when he went there as many times as he went. The issue is, the embassy might tell you to reapply but they might not probably tell you when and conditions attached to reapply because they want your money. Anyone denied a visa must wait a least 6 months from the time he/she was denied. I personally advice people to wait for one year. When you reapply within 6 months of initial denial, they see anxiety or desperation in you and hence, they keep denying. Also, you need do your homework very well before reapplying, your ground for denial must have changed or improved or better, that is your ties and economic status. Again, your preparation and presentation in how you answer questions matters. So, your waiting period of btw 6-12months is to allow certain changes to take place on the reasons for the denial and to do your preparation/homework well again. Good luck.

You don't need to wait for so long when denied an F1 visa. Once you can figure out what the cause of the denial, pls reapply without any delay. I have 2 friends that were denied the first time and they got their visas after reapplying in less than 2 weeks. Information is key!

goshen360:
Student Interview at the Embassy of the United States of America


HINTS, TIPS AND PREPARATIONS

1. One thing I have found out about this visa issue over the years that matters most but it’s the secret of USA student visa but the embassy will never disclose it to the public but will rather want applicants to keep applying and paying fees so they can keep making money is AGE. Your age at the level of your studies really matters. For instance, how will an applicant at the age of 27years old convince the visa officer for genuine studies when your peers are already applying for master or even PhD. Except on rare luck cases, age matters when it comes to student visa. From experience, I will suggest you be between 19-22/23 for undergraduates. 24-27years old for masters etc.

From my experience, age is never a barrier to US education at any level not even for employment. The question is 'what have you been doing with your life?'. If this can be answered convincingly then you're good to go.

goshen360:
Student Interview at the Embassy of the United States of America
14. You must have taken int’l exams e.g. Toefl for undergraduate studies. SAT, Gmat, GRE for masters depending on your major. For undergraduate students, if your school doesn’t require toefl as prerequisite for admission, the embassy might demand it sometimes and this is mostly due to spoken English of some applicants. You cannot convince the Visa Officer on student visa if you can’t speak error free English. So, you can have toefl for undergraduate to be on a safer side. Same goes to SAT, Gmat or GRE for masters program, This is a must as it is a requirement for acceptance into U.S universities.

Also note that SAT is meant for undergad only and not grad students while TOEFL could be required of any student either undergrad or grad and GMAT and GRE for MSc and above.