₦airaland Forum

Chips101:
I get the argument and I support it, but you and I are speaking from positions of (relative) privilege. Nigeria is an incredibly difficult country, made so by a succession of governments indifferent to creating and maintaining boundaries that guide and protect its citizens. It is no one else's fault but ours; our leaders are born, bred and raised here. The values they display are ours.

Those who can escape do. And to be honest, if I could, I wouldn't be here either. Nigeria sucks. You are right though. It is no excuse for us to lie, cheat, steal our way out of this country.

newmum:
My interview last month went thus:
Location: Abuja

Me: Good morning
VO: Good morning. Passport please
Me: hands over our passport (was with my 18months old baby)
VO: Are you traveling to Maryland alone?
Me: I’m traveling with my husband and baby for a family vacation
VO: where is your husband’s visa
Me: Hands over my husband’s passport(he had recently renewed his visa via Dropbox)
VO: where is your husband at the moment?
Me: At work
VO: How long do you intend to stay
Me: 2weeks
VO: (smiles) I grew up in Maryland... I love Maryland. Aside ... and ..., there is nothing else to do there. So why are you traveling to Maryland
Me: For a short family vacation. I have a friend in Maryland who promised to make our stay fun.
VO: oooh... now I get!
VO: Have you traveled outside Nigeria before?
Me: yes... Netherlands and Spain all in 2018
VO: why were you in Netherlands and Spain
Me: On business trips
VO: (he calls the company I work for) sent you on a business trip?
Me: yes
VO: how long were you on this trip
Me: 8weeks
VO: How long have you worked for xx
Me: 1yr +
VO: and within a year, xx sent you on a trip?
Me: Yes.
VO: I want to ask you a direct question now?
Me: Go ahead
VO: are you going to give birth in Maryland
Me: No. just going for a family vacation
VO: Your husband traveled to the US in xx
Me: yes
VO: why
Me: told him
Vo: so after your vacation, what next
Me: I will come back to Nigeria. I have a job her
VO: looks at his screen and after a while, say I regret to.... hands me the pink letters which states no strong ties back home.

We wanted to travel in July for the summer break. But that won’t be happening again. We intend having our next baby in US. and from what I can see now... interview date is from October. I’m not pregnant yet but should be before October based on agreement between stakeholders�. Is it too early to reapply and book the October date for appointment? Cos I want to apply for a medical visa this time as the intention will be to give birth.. please. Any good thoughts on how to go about this will be appreciated, thanks guys �

Nersh:
Well I guess you weren’t honest in your response on birthing and she didn’t believe you hence the denial. If you have future plans for birthing, I believe it should have come out during this interview.

peaceful22:
Hello all,

My last visit to US, my kids and I stayed almost 3months and during our stay my kids 8 and 5yrs enrolled in a public school nearby the apartment I rented, just to keep them busy. Do you think it's going to be a problem for us when renewing our Visa?

ozymes:
You can't say your chances are ruined! Everything is possible; each one of us has different levels of grace......As i said before, you might be lucky somehow

newmum:
My interview last month went thus:
Location: Abuja

Me: Good morning
VO: Good morning. Passport please
Me: hands over our passport (was with my 18months old baby)
VO: Are you traveling to Maryland alone?
Me: I’m traveling with my husband and baby for a family vacation
VO: where is your husband’s visa
Me: Hands over my husband’s passport(he had recently renewed his visa via Dropbox)
VO: where is your husband at the moment?
Me: At work
VO: How long do you intend to stay
Me: 2weeks
VO: (smiles) I grew up in Maryland... I love Maryland. Aside ... and ..., there is nothing else to do there. So why are you traveling to Maryland
Me: For a short family vacation. I have a friend in Maryland who promised to make our stay fun.
VO: oooh... now I get!
VO: Have you traveled outside Nigeria before?
Me: yes... Netherlands and Spain all in 2018
VO: why were you in Netherlands and Spain
Me: On business trips
VO: (he calls the company I work for) sent you on a business trip?
Me: yes
VO: how long were you on this trip
Me: 8weeks
VO: How long have you worked for xx
Me: 1yr +
VO: and within a year, xx sent you on a trip?
Me: Yes.
VO: I want to ask you a direct question now?
Me: Go ahead
VO: are you going to give birth in Maryland
Me: No. just going for a family vacation
VO: Your husband traveled to the US in xx
Me: yes
VO: why
Me: told him
Vo: so after your vacation, what next
Me: I will come back to Nigeria. I have a job her
VO: looks at his screen and after a while, say I regret to.... hands me the pink letters which states no strong ties back home.

We wanted to travel in July for the summer break. But that won’t be happening again. We intend having our next baby in US. and from what I can see now... interview date is from October. I’m not pregnant yet but should be before October based on agreement between stakeholders�. Is it too early to reapply and book the October date for appointment? Cos I want to apply for a medical visa this time as the intention will be to give birth.. please. Any good thoughts on how to go about this will be appreciated, thanks guys �

TWoods:
Basically you lied at your visa interview. The lord gave the visa officer a different level of grace to refuse you.

Nersh:
Well I guess you weren’t honest in your response on birthing and she didn’t believe you hence the denial. If you have future plans for birthing, I believe it should have come out during this interview.

TWoods:
Basically you lied at your visa interview. The lord gave the visa officer a different level of grace to refuse you.

newmum:
Lol... you are absolutely right man. I still need a way forward sir.

TWoods:
The only way forward is to try again. My concern though is that you already told this VO that you were not looking to have a baby in the US. Going back a few months later to now ask for a birthing visa may look suspicious. But that being said, there is no harm in trying again... at worst you’ll get denied again, at best you may end up with a nicer VO. No point worrying yourself to death about the outcome.

TWoods:
Basically you lied at your visa interview. The lord gave the visa officer a different level of grace to refuse you.

newmum:
Thanks for this but for clarity, if you read my interview post well, the question was if I intended to give birth in Maryland... and the answer is No and will remain No cos I don’t intend having my baby in Maryland.. if the question was do I plan to birth in US in the future, then that’s a different ball game. But you are right, it will be suspicious to come back few months later now applying for a medical visa. Like you said, the worst that can happen is another rejection so I will definitely have an open mind and hope for a positive outcome. Hmm. Please any link to a detailed process of applying for a medical visa? Will appreciate that. Thanks

TWoods:
If you’ve ever wondered why US visas are harder to get even for established travelers? Look no further than this example of willful disregard for the law.

You honestly should never be issued a visa again. You have no right to simply enroll your kids in school to “keep them busy”. You don’t pay property taxes that maintain those schools. Those school may be “free” to you, but they cost the average American home owner thousands of dollars a year.

TWoods:
If you’ve ever wondered why US visas are harder to get even for established travelers? Look no further than this example of willful disregard for the law.

You honestly should never be issued a visa again. You have no right to simply enroll your kids in school to “keep them busy”. You don’t pay property taxes that maintain those schools. Those school may be “free” to you, but they cost the average American home owner thousands of dollars a year.

TWoods:
Basically you lied at your visa interview. The lord gave the visa officer a different level of grace to refuse you.

GENTLENNAJI:
Is this the American dream I promise my kids

newmum:
Thanks for this but for clarity, if you read my interview post well, the question was if I intended to give birth in Maryland... and the answer is No and will remain No cos I don’t intend having my baby in Maryland.. if the question was do I plan to birth in US in the future, then that’s a different ball game. But you are right, it will be suspicious to come back few months later now applying for a medical visa. Like you said, the worst that can happen is another rejection so I will definitely have an open mind and hope for a positive outcome. Hmm. Please any link to a detailed process of applying for a medical visa? Will appreciate that. Thanks

Demicoker:
Where was the lie on that transcript..she wasn’t pregnant at the time of the interview..the decision came after she has been rejected..then she opts for the medical visa which is the appropriate thing to do..so where is the lie?.

newmum:
My interview last month went thus:
Location: Abuja

Me: Good morning
VO: Good morning. Passport please
Me: hands over our passport (was with my 18months old baby)
VO: Are you traveling to Maryland alone?
Me: I’m traveling with my husband and baby for a family vacation
VO: where is your husband’s visa
Me: Hands over my husband’s passport(he had recently renewed his visa via Dropbox)
VO: where is your husband at the moment?
Me: At work
VO: How long do you intend to stay
Me: 2weeks
VO: (smiles) I grew up in Maryland... I love Maryland. Aside ... and ..., there is nothing else to do there. So why are you traveling to Maryland
Me: For a short family vacation. I have a friend in Maryland who promised to make our stay fun.
VO: oooh... now I get!
VO: Have you traveled outside Nigeria before?
Me: yes... Netherlands and Spain all in 2018
VO: why were you in Netherlands and Spain
Me: On business trips
VO: (he calls the company I work for) sent you on a business trip?
Me: yes
VO: how long were you on this trip
Me: 8weeks
VO: How long have you worked for xx
Me: 1yr +
VO: and within a year, xx sent you on a trip?
Me: Yes.
VO: I want to ask you a direct question now?
Me: Go ahead
VO: are you going to give birth in Maryland
Me: No. just going for a family vacation
VO: Your husband traveled to the US in xx
Me: yes
VO: why
Me: told him
Vo: so after your vacation, what next
Me: I will come back to Nigeria. I have a job her
VO: looks at his screen and after a while, say I regret to.... hands me the pink letters which states no strong ties back home.

We wanted to travel in July for the summer break. But that won’t be happening again. We intend having our next baby in US. and from what I can see now... interview date is from October. I’m not pregnant yet but should be before October based on agreement between stakeholders�. Is it too early to reapply and book the October date for appointment? Cos I want to apply for a medical visa this time as the intention will be to give birth.. please. Any good thoughts on how to go about this will be appreciated, thanks guys �

lalavita:
Hey @newmum
Thanks for sharing your transcripts.
I believe you’re sharing to pinpoint areas that can be improved for future interviews.

1. Your purpose of visit
The VO made it clear he knows the state so it would be helpful to have listed specific activities you planned on doing. The DMV actually has lots of interesting tourist attractions for the family like yours.
The vague answer seemed to raise doubts about your aim.

2. Your previous travel
My company also sends people on trips regularly even if they have only worked with us for a short time so I get.
However, you should have provided better context - like - I spent 8 weeks in Holland during a mandatory on-boarding training or I was in charge of a team implementing a new software system. These are examples. Yours should be the true story of what you did there. General biz trips are rarely that long. That instantly answers any questions or doubts.

Regarding next steps, you may consider Canada as they give long term visas and since you have a job, travel history etc, you have a solid chance.

As per the US, they are not smiling at the moment regarding birth Tourism. However, if you are determined, put together all relevant documentation and apply for a medical visa in 6 months plus.

Chips101:
I get the argument and I support it, but you and I are speaking from positions of (relative) privilege. Nigeria is an incredibly difficult country, made so by a succession of governments indifferent to creating and maintaining boundaries that guide and protect its citizens. It is no one else's fault but ours; our leaders are born, bred and raised here. The values they display are ours.

Those who can escape do. And to be honest, if I could, I wouldn't be here either. Nigeria sucks. You are right though. It is no excuse for us to lie, cheat, steal our way out of this country.

olawale360:
Please I need help on how I can fill ds-160 form for my parents. They are actually going for a relative wedding. The issue now is if I should fill their form together or separately. They can both afford the expenses on their own.

Beautyaddy:
lol!...Even me that I'm not a visa officer just reading her response one could sense her hidden intensions was to eventually use that visiting visa if approved for birthing in the US

TWoods:
Basically you lied at your visa interview. The lord gave the visa officer a different level of grace to refuse you.