₦airaland Forum

Muyiwa951:
No. Why would you want to go for a part time?

Gcodded:
the school has undergone a recent policy that requires me to have 9 University course work already completed, so they suggested I should take the part time offer and later transfer to full time. but I don't know if my visa would be approved with such offer

Katripka:
Hi Guys!

I've been a silent reader but I thought to share my experience

Visa was denied at the US Consulate Lagos

My transcript goes thus:

VO: Pass me your Passport, I-20, SEVIS

Me: Passes documents

VO: How did you get the scholarship?

Me: A culmination of my application - competitive GRE Score, Quality work experience, stellar recommendations and an impressive interview experience

VO: (looks impressed)...I can see your husband has been in the US for the past one year. Care to explain why?

Me: We are divorced, He is my ex-husband.........

VO: Sorry, you do not qualify for the visa...blah blah and hands me the pink slip

Me: Walks away feeling super-dejected


(Please note; My total funding was $75,594 per Annum = $151,188 for two years)

Brown2Green:
Hope you know the obvious reason for your denial?


Obviously you weren't divorced when he was going. He used you as home tie then all of a sudden you're coming with a different status.

A lot of married men have changed their status this way by divorcing their wives back here and getting married to an American and the VO is very much aware of this.

So it is a very difficult one here. You have to pray you come across a VO that will ask for documents to back up your point. You're his home tie.

Temi87:
Hi everyone. Please after someone has been given the pink document signifying refusal, what should the cgi portal say. My passport is with me but in the portal it says ‘your passport is still with the US embassy/consulate.

I want to schedule a new appointment but I’m confused to what this means

Ibruks:
Which site or app is this please?

dreambound:
It would stop showing that after 1 or 2 working days..(if you were delayed on Friday, it may update on Monday or Tues)..

You can still book an appointment now..that doesn't stop you.

Brown2Green:
Hope you know the obvious reason for your denial?


Obviously you weren't divorced when he was going. He used you as home tie then all of a sudden you're coming with a different status.

A lot of married men have changed their status this way by divorcing their wives back here and getting married to an American and the VO is very much aware of this.

So it is a very difficult one here. You have to pray you come across a VO that will ask for documents to back up your point. You're his home tie.

Brown2Green:
Hope you know the obvious reason for your denial?


Obviously you weren't divorced when he was going. He used you as home tie then all of a sudden you're coming with a different status.

A lot of married men have changed their status this way by divorcing their wives back here and getting married to an American and the VO is very much aware of this.

So it is a very difficult one here. You have to pray you come across a VO that will ask for documents to back up your point. You're his home tie.

fairheart:
We agreed that your visa's 100% guaranteed . You think say na joke! Please take this confidence in self and faith in God with you anywhere you go. I wish you excellent academic achievement.

Bassmana:
Congrats to your friend.Thanks Sir..

Ogunwandetosin:
Good morning gurus, pls help me check my proposed visa interview transcript...
V.o: Y r u goin to d US?
Me: I am goin to d US for my masters degree program in biochemistry and biotechnology at d Eastern Illinois university, Charleston.

V.o: How did u knw abt dis skool?
Me: I made an extensive online research abt my program of choice and got a list of schools dat offer d program and then went ahead to individually check the schools websites before settling for EIU.

V.o: Tell me abt ur program
Me: The master of biochemistry and biotechnology program at EIU is an advanced interdisciplinary program wit courses taken from 3 diff depts, d biological science dept, chemistry dept as well as d business dept. D program comprises a 34 semester hour curriculum wich is split into 19 SH of core courses, 9 SH of elective courses and 6 SH of internship. Durin dis program, I'll take a total of 9 courses which are.... (list my courses)

V.o: Whta's ur highest degree?
Me: I av a BSc in biochemistry from Bleep Uni

V.o: Year of grad?
Me: 2017

V.o: Wat av u been duin?
Me: In Dec 2018, I started working at Bleep ltd as an healthcare assistant to d pharmacist. I help in reading prescriptions and also assist d pharmacists in dispensing OTC medications to patients. Also, I help to collect biological samples from patients for laboratory clinical investigations like FBS, FBC, MPW, BCT(Will mention d abbreviations in full)

V.o: How many applications?
Me: 3. EIU, USC, Uwindsor.

V.o: How many admits?
Me: For nw, I av only gotten an offer from EIU but sincs itz my first choice, I decided to accept d offer Nd move on wit my visa application.

V.o: Why EIU?
Me: What mainly captivated me abt EIU is d opportunity to work wit Prof Britto Nathan in his neurological laboratory where he has an on-goin research project using biochemical substances to study d pathogenesis of brain cell damage in aged humans which leads to dementia such as Alzheimer's disease and this is a project I'm really interested in bcuz psycho-neurological disorders require adequate medical attention especially in 3rd world countries like my country Nigeria where mental decline is still being ignored and seen as a normal part of d aging process. His project is being funded by the Alzheimer's association and d US National Institute Of Health.
Secondly, d EIU master of biochemistry and biotechnology program is capstoned wit an internship placement instead of d usual thesis which other programs have. This internship placement will help give me a hands-on industrial and real-life practical experience to adequately prepare me for life after studies which is d labour market.

V.o: Why dis course?
Me: Biochemistry plays a very pivotal role in d daily human healthcare practise. Dis program will help equip me wit d necessary skills required to work in d scientific research laboratory wit oda healthcare practitioners to provide preventions and cures to various human diseases, using a wide range of modern molecular, biochemical and cellular techniques.

V.o: Can u tell me some of d courses u'll be taking?
Me: Techniques in biotechnology, cell physiology, advanced biochem(list all 9 courses)

V.o: Wich of ur cousres is more of interest to u and y?
Me: Medicinal chemistry is more of interest to me and datz bcuz medicinal chemistry is d chemistry of drugs. D medicinal chemistry course will also take me 2ru d basics of pharmacology. Pharmacology is d study of drugs and body interactions, nd dis is a vry vital course for anybody like myself who plans to go into d production of pharmaceuticals. I'll get to knw abt drugs, wat dey do to d body and how d body handles dem wen administered.

V.o: Can u tell me some of ur professors?
Me: Dr Tom Canam who is my academic advisor nd will take me bioenergy nd bioresources during my program, Dr melody who will take me organizational behaviour, Dr Edward who will take me medicinal chemistry, Dr Britto Nat who will take me neurobiology...

V.o: Wat will dis course do for u?
Me: D vast knowledge acquired from dis program will help build me to fully launch into d research nd development of new quality drugs and drug products to help improve pples health, increase deir life span and drastically reduce d mortality rate of life threatening diseases like Cancer, Parkinson's...

V.o: Plan after graduation?
Me: After my program, I plan to come bak to Nigeria to secure a job in a multinational pharmaceutical company like Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi. It is my plan to work wit dem for a period of abt 5-7yrs to gather some experience, after which I'll move on to set up my own biopharmaceutical firm, also here in Nigeria.

V.o: Can u tell me some cities close to ur skool?
Me: Mattoon, Lincoln, Champaign, Chicago.

V.o: Who's gonna pay for dis?
Me: My dad. He's d CEO of Bleep Ltd, a reputable freight forwarding company based here in Nigeria.

Ogunwandetosin:
Any more contribution/correction to this transcript?
@fairheart @Lagosismyhome @100kobo and all gurus in the house....... Thanks.

Johnolukolade:
Did you read what she wrote on the previous page? They both travelled together and he wanted to overstay but she kicked against it. She returned to Nigeria and worked on the divorce.

No be everyone be intending immigrant.

Erhuns67:
Good evening all!
This is my proposed transcript.
Vo: why are you going to the united states?
Me: For my masters in mechanical engineering with a speciality in measurement and controls, at the University of Maine, Orono Maine.
Vo: why do you wanna study this course?
Me: this program will increase my knowledge of advanced measurement and control techniques in solving thermal/fluid problems. this will enable me to compete with foreign professionals who have dominated this field in Nigeria.
Vo: How many schools did you apply to
Me: 3 ( U of Arkansas, U of Maine and U of Nevada)
Vo: Why U of Maine?
Me: first, its curriculum. I have the privilege of taking a course title Research Method: Focuses on the development of critical research skills that are broadly applicable to mechanical engineering. This will be of huge gain to me coming from a place where we place less emphasis on research.
secondly, my choice of schools was based on the faculty members I intend to work with and Dr Justin Lapp was the top on my list. Dr Lapp research interest aligns with mine which includes system modelling, control system. His research help developed the low-cost particle image velocimetry(PIV) equipment which I used during my undergraduate studies. Luckily for me, he is my thesis advisor and we have conversated via Skype on some of my proposed thesis topics.
Vo; did you take any standardized test?
Me; yes. GRE, 311
Vo: How are you going to fund your studies?
Me: I was given the international merit award which waived 65% of my tuition and the other cost will be covered by Uncle.
Vo: what does He do?
Me: He is a Civil Engineer and he owns an indigenous construction firm.
Vo: do you have his bank statement?
Me: Yes Please.


Please! this is my proposed transcript.
Help me spot the errors so I can make the necessary adjustment.
Thanks in anticipation.

sharwama:
Like Chinua Achebe, I am no longer at ease. I think I am sort off concerned about bracelum's silence. Yeah I kinda miss his STFU comments Okay I'm done messing around.
Why does it seem like he has become "Nobody"? Why does it seem like he has deactivated his account?
Bracelum if you are Nobody or a guest and you are reading this, I just want you to know that you have contributed a lot to this platform, you have given invaluable counsels and you have sparked intellectual debates a lot of times. You are neither perfect nor flawless but you are lightning and I think lightning is dangerously beautiful
Perhaps you needed space or you needed a break, perhaps you have a lot on your plate, perhaps these are rough times for you. That's okay, I am sending love and light to you right now, I hope you are safe wherever you are and I pray you always remember, no matter what happens; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, we are family
I pray Nobody sees beneath these words.

sharwama:
I am not comfortable with your response to why U of Maine.
I am not sure how I feel, maybe because the other schools you applied to probably teach "research methods", maybe it's because you downplayed our research inclination in Nigeria. Perhaps you thought the latter would exert conviction on the VO but I beg to differ. If you don't have anything nice to say about Nigeria, don't mention it in your transcript at all. It's a huge turn off!
What can you do to make this better? Ok that's easy.
Be honest! Perhaps you were captivated by Prof Lap's research on Ewedu and fortunately, he has accepted to mentor you.You believe you can benefit a lot from his research experience and academic expertise. You probably look forward to being a part of his research team. End of story!!!
Personally, I hate dancing around ideas.If I like fufu, I will simply say I like fufu, it is my fufu and not yours
Yes, before I forget, please anticipate more questions and brace up for impact!
May the force be with you!

Erhuns67:
Thanks boss deleting it immediately.
Please what about my response on why this course?

sharwama:
Na me choose the course for you, as I wan take know
Ok, Sharwama be serious for once in your life
That response appealed to me, I feel it came from a pure place, you intend to come back to compete with the "competitors"
Yes, it resonated something within me. I pray it resonates something within the VO too.
Please remember, it is not enough to have a powerful transcript, it's important to have a powerful delivery
Jab! Left Uppercut! Spin!
Jab! Right uppercut! Cross!
Jab! Cross, left hook
Gosh, I love boxing

TheZed:
That guy talks out of point most times on this thread. I don’t know if it’s a must he makes a comment on issues he knows nothing about.

juliusdudu:
Transcript


Me: Good Morning
V.O: Good Morning
V.O: can you pass me your passport?
Me: Passed the passport
V.O: What are you studying at UC Berkeley
Me: LLM
V.O: You are going to UC Berkeley, Why UC?
Me: I am focusing on energy law.
V.O: Why Energy Law?
Me: Nigeria is currently grappling with the required power for development. Infact, she is in a full blown energy crisis. I want to focus my studies on the legal and regulatory aspect of the electricity market. California is one of the leaders in renewable energy, I want to learn about the system and find a way of adapting what suits our system. Nigeria must be able to develop the needed electricity infrastructure to power the economy.
V.O: I can see that you onces studied in France?
Me: Yes, I studied at one of France's Grand Ecole, precisely, Sciencespo Paris.
He focused on his computer. I suspected that he was confirming a few things about Sciencespo.
V.O: Oh! It has another name. I know the school with the other name. A good university.
Me: yes.
V.O: What did you study in Paris?
Me: Masters in Energy Politics. Energy warrants a cross-discipline, cross-sector study as its supply and use is centre-stage of heated political debate at all levels, in relation to economic growth, sustainable development and climate change.
V.O: When did you study in France?
Me: Between 2013-2015
V.O: You are married?
Me: Yes, I am.
V.O: Any kid?
Me: I have a kid
V.O: Will they be going with you?
Me: No.
V.O: I could see that you have a scholarship
Me: Yes
V.O: Can I see the scholarship letter?
Me: I handed it over to him and he began to scrutinize it.

Me: I was awarded 20,000 dollars. Divided into 10,000 each semester. On my i-20, only 10,000 dollars was there.

V.O: Your visa is approved. Have this leaflet, it contains information for US bound student. And this white paper. You should pick your passport in 3 days. Congratulations and have a nice time in California.
Me: Thanks.

My personal opinion
I have guided a few students (genuine) to get admission to Universities in UK, US and France. One thing I tell them is that someone should always make sure that he or she is a genuine student. While this is not rigid, the following are my personal conviction to being successful at US visa interviews:
1. Note that no two interviews are 100% the same. You have to be alert enough and try asmuchas possible to avoid cramming your lines. Be flexible.
2. Do your best to be admitted to any of the tier 1 schools. If you can’t, go for only the top tier 2 schools and NOTHING LESS. Not only that good schools make your interview easy, it also helps in recouping your investment- top schools pay off earlier.
3. Have genuine documents. US embassy now confirms your documents at random. There is a rising case of students subjected to administrative processing. Be on the good side of the law.
4. Prepare for your interview. You can’t substitute good preparation for anything. Other things you do are addendum.
5. Be attentive when you get to the interview centre. I gained more listening to the transcripts of 3 students that were interviewed before me. I used them as a leapfrog. Do it too.
6. Be yourself. No stress, no panicking. Be confident and above all, trust in God. Do your part and leave the rest for God. No one beats his or her destiny.
I succeeded. You can and infact, you will!

Muyiwa951:
This is rude...

KingsleyUmeh:
Please I want to ask a question, if my interview date were to fall on late July like 21st and my school is actually to resume on 22nd, is it still wise to book for a visa interview.or do I just defer?

TheZed:
That guy talks out of point most times on this thread. I don’t know if it’s a must he makes a comment on issues he knows nothing about.

Brown2Green:
You're a big fool.
Yes you're the first person I'll call that here and you really are .

TheZed:
You see, this isn’t the first time you’re using harsh words on this thread. The truth is I don’t have your time now. However, I promise you I’ll soon have your time.

Brown2Green:
When next you want to open your mouth to make derogatory statements, make sure you have enough time.