₦airaland Forum

Olomojola:
Hello everyone
I had a denial last week
Please can anyone help identify my weak points from this transcript

VO-Have you travelled before
Me-Benin republic
VO-You are going for Master's in management
Me- Yes
What was your previous masters?
Me-Accounting
VO- what year
Me-2017-2018
VO- why did you choose grand canyon?
Me-i find them very credible and their course program fits my career
VO- who is funding
Me-I'm self funded
VO- which other school did you apply to?
Me -Texas A&M

NB: My actual course of study is Business Analytics,but on the i-20 my school code for their business courses for the sevis system is management science, so I don't know if the VO officer felt I was doing business management after a previous master in accounting..
Please gurus help a brother.
What can I do to improve my chances my next time

TBH, all your replies are shallow, you'll need to convince the VO very well why you're going for second masters and for you to choose GCU over Texas, you've to explain very well...lastly self funding I hope you've double of your COA in your account

frapzkid:
I had no funding
COA - 32000
UNT is quite affordable and also a top school
NO GRE NO TOEFL
most courses in UNT grant waivers if you have can show work experience

Congratulations sire.. your travel history to UK should also have helped you cos your deficit has muscles lol

Schrodinger1:
No, It is not advisable. PhD without funding is subtle rejection.

Ha!! Better to tell him/her the chances are slim than saying it's not possible. What if he or she can convince the vo of his/her intent? Hey sir/ma, chances are slim but it is possible.

osadestiny:
Please I need an answer to this.

I would suggest or advise you wait on your visa approval before you make such huge payment.

To everyone who sent me email or private message, I have replied, kindly check your junk or spam box if you didn’t see my message in your email inbox

Also to all those I promised to get back to them I will try and check our previous mails and pick up from there.

kizwid:
Hello everyone, am kind of new to this thread. please can I get the information I needed as a newbie in this part, if yes please from what page( have went through 1 to 5 and yet to gather any information) and if No, please what part shoul
d I start from....

Step 1

Research for schools that suit your profile perfectly in terms of programs they offer , requirements for admission and funding opportunities .

Step 2

Contact the *Graduate Coordinator* telling him why you are interested in the school. You're to introduce yourself talking about your name, Country, Course of Study, GPA, plans for GRE and TOEFL, Research Interests, publication and also why you like his research interests. Conclude the mail by inquiring if there are funding opportunities for your intended program.

Step 3

Prepare for GRE/TOEFL/GMAT (depending on the program requirements)

Step 4
Apply to the schools you choose ( Some schools requires you to apply for funding as you submit your application, some give automatic funding while some requires you to apply for funding *only* after admission offer)



Step 5
Request for your I20
The I20 is the most important Visa document which displays relevant information about your program, cost and funding.

Step 6

Process your SEVIS (fmjfee.com). The SEVIS is a compulsory fee which must be paid before Visa Interview.

Step 7
Apply for Visa.
This requires intense preparation because you're going to be drilled by the Visa Officers.

Step 8
Pay for your flight and fly.

horlahsunbo225:
TBH, all your replies are shallow, you'll need to convince the VO very well why you're going for second masters and for you to choose GCU over Texas, you've to explain very well...lastly self funding I hope you've double of your COA in your account

Thanks,I'll work on your observations

osadestiny:
Hello @ fairheart, walspring, lagosismyhome, twoods and other gurus in the house please i need your thoughts on this. My visa got delayed twice now, the COA of the school I used before was $34,000 without any scholarship and ever since then I have not made any changes on my ds-160. Now I am using a new school and I have already transferred my sevis , I was offered $5000 of scholarship and I am having a deficit of $20,000. I’m going for undergraduate, now my sponsor want to pay the $20,000 deficit to the school to make sure I am not having any financial problem at all. I don’t know if this is allowed, because we wanted to just pay up the money all at once to make sure that is been cleared. Can I be able to pay my school fees before going to the school?

.

Please more reviews of this, it really urgent.

osadestiny:
Hello @ fairheart, walspring, lagosismyhome, twoods and other gurus in the house please i need your thoughts on this. My visa got delayed twice now, the COA of the school I used before was $34,000 without any scholarship and ever since then I have not made any changes on my ds-160. Now I am using a new school and I have already transferred my sevis , I was offered $5000 of scholarship and I am having a deficit of $20,000. I’m going for undergraduate, now my sponsor want to pay the $20,000 deficit to the school to make sure I am not having any financial problem at all. I don’t know if this is allowed, because we wanted to just pay up the money all at once to make sure that is been cleared. Can I be able to pay my school fees before going to the school?

.

From what I seen ...paying school fees doesn't do anything for chances so what the point and if denied the hassle to get the money back is always so stressful

I would not advice this. .... instead focus on how you can sell yourself well to convince the VO and hope for the best

LagosismyHome:
From what I seen ...paying school fees doesn't do anything for chances so what the point and if denied the hassle to get the money back is always so stressful

I would not advice this. .... instead focus on how you can sell yourself well to convince the VO and hope for the best

Okay I think this is going to be fine, I have thought towards this before.

osadestiny:
Hello @ fairheart, walspring, lagosismyhome, twoods and other gurus in the house please i need your thoughts on this. My visa got delayed twice now, the COA of the school I used before was $34,000 without any scholarship and ever since then I have not made any changes on my ds-160. Now I am using a new school and I have already transferred my sevis , I was offered $5000 of scholarship and I am having a deficit of $20,000. I’m going for undergraduate, now my sponsor want to pay the $20,000 deficit to the school to make sure I am not having any financial problem at all. I don’t know if this is allowed, because we wanted to just pay up the money all at once to make sure that is been cleared. Can I be able to pay my school fees before going to the school?

.

Hello,

You should not do that.

You should not pay school fees, pay for accommodation or book a flight before having a visa. Your visa is your approval to proceed without which you shouldn't commit.

There are many respected Nairalanders here that will help you review your specific situation. If you are not able to post full details, contact one of them privately and they will give you personalized guidance on interviews, steps to take etc.

You cannot force the hand of a VO by committing funds, in fact, I dare to say that will have a negative impact on your interview.

Regards.

bamiDee1:
Good evening all,

Please a quick one from successful visa approved members.

* If I have the capacity to sponsor my estimated bill of about $28k, can I go ahead and submit/use it or I should change sponsor to dad or uncle (whichever)? Is there any implication for presenting such s.o.a because you're single?
PS: Working and have been saving for this for some years now.

* Must I use the same s.o.a submitted during application of I-20 from the school and also present it at the visa interview (still valid for 6 months)?
Reason is, will the school send a copy of my s.o.a to the embassy?

Thanks in anticipation of your responses.

Regards

It is quite tricky, but there is no rule stopping you from funding yourself. Quite a couple of guys got their visa approved without any funding.

The reason why parents/companies are suggested is for home ties. But the argument against this is people with funding from their school. If you have a verifiable source of income, and substantial amount in your account after COA, and your school already approved this (as stated on your I-20), you sure can use that for your interview.

The catch here is you will need to prove to the officer that you won't become a liability to the USA. I mean, you have plans to return to homeland post-graduation.

Cheers.

Good luck

Olomojola:
Hello everyone
I had a denial last week
Please can anyone help identify my weak points from this transcript

VO-Have you travelled before
Me-Benin republic
VO-You are going for Master's in management
Me- Yes
What was your previous masters?
Me-Accounting
VO- what year
Me-2017-2018
VO- why did you choose grand canyon?
Me-i find them very credible and their course program fits my career
VO- who is funding
Me-I'm self funded
VO- which other school did you apply to?
Me -Texas A&M

NB: My actual course of study is Business Analytics,but on the i-20 my school code for their business courses for the sevis system is management science, so I don't know if the VO officer felt I was doing business management after a previous master in accounting..
Please gurus help a brother.
What can I do to improve my chances my next time

Hello Olomojola,

Seems you were not prepared for your interview. There is a thin line between vague responses and wordy responses, you have to find a balance.

Next time, at the point when the officer tries to confirm that you are going for a masters in management - volunteer the full information. Tell him your masters is in Business Analytics and explain like you explained above. When you are asked why you chose a school - you should have very specific and elaborate reasons.

When you walk up to a Visa Officer, there a few honest questions running through his mind. Do you really want to travel for study purposes? How much do you know about your course? Will you return to Nigeria after graduation? How intelligent are you? How are you paying for your trip, or how do you plan to pay?

Depending on your responses and the officer's conviction, your interview can be extremely short or extended. Even though you might not be asked all those questions, prepare to answer them all. It is just like any other exam you wrote in college - based on your preparation, you can estimate a score even before stepping into the hall!

Cheers.

Systrom:
Guys, please I have an issue and I need an advice

I just got my visa

I’m going for PhD in Chemistry

My PhD program starts this summer (June 21)

Problem is, I can’t travel in June, I wanna travel first week of July.

I’ve told my professors via email that I’ll be resuming late and there is no problem on the schools end. I wanna know if this will cause a problem on the POE.

Reason I won’t be able to travel early is because we have a family land court case adjournment on the 27th of June, and I have to be present in court to lay some facts as I’m the first son.

If I’m in the US by then, omo, our opponents go win us.

Hello,

May the best person win in court.

It depends on your I-20. If your program start date is different from the first day of class, then you may arrive not later than the first day of class. Now if that date (first week of July) is later than the first day of class, you should contact your school (international office) and ask for written permission. In some cases, a new I-20 might need to be issued.

In summary, if you are arriving in the US after the first day of class ( start of class on I-20), you might need to show additional documentation at the point of entry, that you have permission from your school.

Regards.

frapzkid:
Approved

8am

I said God forbid that the man in window 3 conduct my interview
And God decided to shock me
VO - Good morning how are you
.
.
.

US Visa secured
now
Canada can go and rest
I guess i start saving up for the rainy days cos US VISA no be the endgame..


My humble advice to future candidates
1. Always answer your questions simple and clear. Long answers are a turn off for them
2.No need to fake accent, cos it would just put unnecessary pressure and you may end up saying what you wish not to say
3. Always be relaxed, don't do like you having a job interview. see it like as if you telling your friend about your goals and achievements
4. Also don't allow those touts to exhort telling you to print unnecessary documents, the documents you need are stated already. Those guys chop up to 10k from me

Congratulations.

So people really do fake accents? That is surprising

FutureSenator:
Hello,

May the best person win in court.

It depends on your I-20. If your program start date is different from the first day of class, then you may arrive not later than the first day of class. Now if that date (first week of July) is later than the first day of class, you should contact your school (international office) and ask for written permission. In some cases, a new I-20 might need to be issued.

In summary, if you are arriving in the US after the first day of class ( start of class on I-20), you might need to show additional documentation at the point of entry, that you have permission from your school.

Regards.

Thanks for the prompt reply sir

On my I-20
Program start date and start of class are the same
June 21

I’ll go with your advice of collecting an official document / written permission from the school stating while I’ll be resuming late, to tender at the POE

Thanks so much

ChyGirly:
Hi everyone �

Is it okay to include only your LinkedIn profile as your social media presence?
Does one have to include other social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram et all.
I included just LinkedIn and would want to be sure I'm on track.
I anticipate your response.

Include anyone you are comfortable with, and remove anyone you are not comfortable with. No hard rules here.

FutureSenator:
Hello,

You should not do that.

You should not pay school fees, pay for accommodation or book a flight before having a visa. Your visa is your approval to proceed without which you shouldn't commit.

There are many respected Nairalanders here that will help you review your specific situation. If you are not able to post full details, contact one of them privately and they will give you personalized guidance on interviews, steps to take etc.

You cannot force the hand of a VO by committing funds, in fact, I dare to say that will have a negative impact on your interview.

Regards.

I think this is really going to help me a lot, I would proceed going for my interview without paying the tuition at first. I think this is really helpful. We will succeed at last, I am still looking for date in Abuja. But it seems it only for October that is available. Please if anyone sees closer date in Abuja, let’s please share in this group so that one can book.

Musbeni:
Visa approved
8am Lagos usaconsulate
Vo: pass me your passport and I 20
Me: passed
Vo: why are you going to USA
Me: I am going to university of south Carolina to start my PhD in chemistry with concentration in heterogeneous catalysis
Vo: chemistry?
Me: yes
Vo: what will you be working on
Me: MOOH
Vo: who is sponsoring you
Me: I have full funding
Vo: are you traveling with your family
Me: no
Vo: we will be approving your visa

Everything is not more than a minute.

Thanks @meritdee for the mock interview.

PhD. Concentration in heterogenous Catalysis, Full funding from School, Family in Nigeria. Even Donald Trump will approve your Visa

PotentialNurse:
Good morning, guys. I have a deficit of about $10,000 after my GA. My sponsor wants to pay the whole deficit into my domiciliary account.

Will this be an issue at the embassy when I present my account statement?
.

Large one-time deposits are always problematic and seek too much attention. I suggest you rather go with your sponsor's bank statement (the VO might even end up not checking it).

SomtoObu:
Please I need the pdf too
My email is somtoobu@gmail.com

Hi please could someone send me the pdf file for DS-160.
somtoobu@gmail.com

Moshkom:
Step 1

Research for schools that suit your profile perfectly in terms of programs they offer , requirements for admission and funding opportunities .

Step 2

Contact the *Graduate Coordinator* telling him why you are interested in the school. You're to introduce yourself talking about your name, Country, Course of Study, GPA, plans for GRE and TOEFL, Research Interests, publication and also why you like his research interests. Conclude the mail by inquiring if there are funding opportunities for your intended program.

Step 3

Prepare for GRE/TOEFL/GMAT (depending on the program requirements)

Step 4
Apply to the schools you choose ( Some schools requires you to apply for funding as you submit your application, some give automatic funding while some requires you to apply for funding *only* after admission offer)



Step 5
Request for your I20
The I20 is the most important Visa document which displays relevant information about your program, cost and funding.

Step 6

Process your SEVIS (fmjfee.com). The SEVIS is a compulsory fee which must be paid before Visa Interview.

Step 7
Apply for Visa.
This requires intense preparation because you're going to be drilled by the Visa Officers.

Step 8
Pay for your flight and fly.

oh boss, I can't thank you enough for this... God bless you

SomtoObu:
Good day everyone
I just paid the MRV fees and I want to ask if I should go ahead to fill the DS-160 form and schedule an appointment or I should wait a bit. My reason for asking is this;
The bank statement I used for my I-20 is dated December and the 6-months will soon expire. So I intend to get another one from my dad’s company by Mid May(there are no sufficient funds now) So do I start the process or I wait a bit because my program starts August.
Please I need your help

Please I need an answer to it

Rhonah:
Ha!! Better to tell him/her the chances are slim than saying it's not possible. What if he or she can convince the vo of his/her intent? Hey sir/ma, chances are slim but it is possible.

Read and understand! Where did I say it's not possible? Nigerians just love to be deceived. A school gives PhD without funding, then it's a love letter.

SomtoObu:
Please I need an answer to it

Since it the same source of SOA, Go fill the form now and book a date. The date you get will determine what to use.

FutureSenator:
It is quite tricky, but there is no rule stopping you from funding yourself. Quite a couple of guys got their visa approved without any funding.

The reason why parents/companies are suggested is for home ties. But the argument against this is people with funding from their school. If you have a verifiable source of income, and substantial amount in your account after COA, and your school already approved this (as stated on your I-20), you sure can use that for your interview.

The catch here is you will need to prove to the officer that you won't become a liability to the USA. I mean, you have plans to return to homeland post-graduation.

Cheers.

Thank you brother.

TWoods:
Don't just "tap into this grace", look at his profile and do likewise - good school, good program + excellent funding.

define good program

Congratulations!!!
This transcript brought me out of observation mode. I have learnt alot following this thread. Big ups to all the contributors and observers. I hope to have the opportunity to be in a position to contribute sometime in the near future.

frapzkid:
Approved

8am

I said God forbid that the man in window 3 conduct my interview
And God decided to shock me
VO - Good morning how are you
me -Am fine
VO - Just give me a minute please, (Calls a lady over the mic, likely the local admin and gives her instructions my mind no de there)
VO - OK pass your passport and i20 pleasE
(I passed it )
VO -so what you going to the US for.
Me- I am going for my masters in Data Analytics
VO- Have you been outside Nigeria before
Me- yes i been to the UK
VO - how many schools did you apply to (Those typical questions i normally see in people transcipts, I appreciate this forum for that)
Me- I applied to three (But it was just one )
VO- Why did you choose UNT
Me - I choose this school because the course of study have concentrations that pertains to what is needed in my workplace
which is Coporate management in Data Analytics.
(You see i was being sneaky,I wanted to remind the VO that in my profile I am employed and also tell him the employment has potential,
thereby giving me a good home ties)

VO- Oh i see, so where do you work
ME -Mention my company
(I actually work in a multinational company but for those of us that does not, I would advise you just say you do or you wish to cos
it improves your profile, but make sure it syncs with what you put in your ds-160 form)

VO - ok and who is paying for your trip
Me- My mom
VO -What does your mom do
Me - She is an estate agent and a fashion designer.
VO - Can i see her statement of account
Me - (i cried in thanks inside cos my mom forgot to print it , we haD to begged a bank staff to bring it for us around 7pm)
VO - OK you can have it back ( to me, I felt he did;nt really looked at it. just wanted to know if i had all the evidence with me )
VO -Do you have any relatives in the US
Me - Yes, my younger sister
VO -What is she doing
Me -She is doing her Bsc in Olkahoma
VO - How old are you
Me - I am 24-27 (lemme not expose my age here abeg)
VO - Are you married
Me- No
VO -Are you in a relationship
Me- Yes i have a fiancee (sincerely though it just a casual relationship)
VO - What does she do
Me - she works in an accounting firm
VO - OK thank you very much (immediately he said that i felt like dying)
then he said
VO - Take your i20 for now, then i would hold on to your passport for now
Me (in my mind) - Oga is yours , i want you to hold it well please no give me today.
Then he hands me the white paper.
Omo

I thank God
I thank those who posted their previous transcripts whether success or not
I thank those who answered questions pertaining to school application

US Visa secured
now
Canada can go and rest
I guess i start saving up for the rainy days cos US VISA no be the endgame..


My humble advice to future candidates
1. Always answer your questions simple and clear. Long answers are a turn off for them
2.No need to fake accent, cos it would just put unnecessary pressure and you may end up saying what you wish not to say
3. Always be relaxed, don't do like you having a job interview. see it like as if you telling your friend about your goals and achievements
4. Also don't allow those touts to exhort telling you to print unnecessary documents, the documents you need are stated already. Those guys chop up to 10k from me

FutureSenator:
Hello Olomojola,

Seems you were not prepared for your interview. There is a thin line between vague responses and wordy responses, you have to find a balance.

Next time, at the point when the officer tries to confirm that you are going for a masters in management - volunteer the full information. Tell him your masters is in Business Analytics and explain like you explained above. When you are asked why you chose a school - you should have very specific and elaborate reasons.

When you walk up to a Visa Officer, there a few honest questions running through his mind. Do you really want to travel for study purposes? How much do you know about your course? Will you return to Nigeria after graduation? How intelligent are you? How are you paying for your trip, or how do you plan to pay?

Depending on your responses and the officer's conviction, your interview can be extremely short or extended. Even though you might not be asked all those questions, prepare to answer them all. It is just like any other exam you wrote in college - based on your preparation, you can estimate a score even before stepping into the hall!

Cheers.

Thanks you so much,please can I reach you privately?

horlahsunbo225:
TBH, all your replies are shallow, you'll need to convince the VO very well why you're going for second masters and for you to choose GCU over Texas, you've to explain very well...lastly self funding I hope you've double of your COA in your account

Hello
Please can I contact you privately

horlahsunbo225:
TBH, all your replies are shallow, you'll need to convince the VO very well why you're going for second masters and for you to choose GCU over Texas, you've to explain very well...lastly self funding I hope you've double of your COA in your account

i have an MBA, i am going for MS in Machine Learning, is there any issue on that? or i should not indicate in my form that i already have an MBA