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Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 8:05pm On Jul 15, 2022 |
AirBay: With inflation currently running at almost 8%, you'll be incurring an asset depreciation of almost 5% (assuming inflation doesn't go higher). You are better off keeping your money in a piggy bank and looking at it everyday. |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 8:00pm On Jul 15, 2022 |
maziude: Thank you, Mazi. Appreciate your feedback. Crazy to think I'll have to fork out 150 dollar for a one -time travel document as a result of the embassy's incompetence but here we are. Thanks once again. CountVersailles: Thank you. The problem is I don't want to submit my Nigerian passport to the embassy and be stuck without it. There are numerous example on the Nigerian embassy thread on why this is just a bad idea because you don't have the new passport and your old one is stuck with the embassy. I think I'll rather wait until things clear up in Ottawa or just renew my passport while in Nigeria. fredoooooo: Oga fredoooooo, long time. I hope you and yours are doing well. Are you still the Italian spirits of Switzerland. Thanks for your suggestion. I think getting my passport renewed while in Nigeria seems like my best best at this time. signature2012: Thank you very much for this. I will definitely go this route. I have a Canadian passport so exiting Nigeria is not my worry but actually entering it. And thanks for the suggestion about navigating customs, I should be able to switch on my "agbero" accent on command. Thank you to everyone for your suggestions, I appreciate it. 4 Likes |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 4:35pm On Jul 15, 2022 |
Speaking of passport, does anyone know what the heck is going on. I recently checked the Nigerian embassy website to check the renewal process as my passport in expiring later this year. What started as an exploratory exercise quickly turned into a depressing adventure as there are people who went for biometric capture in February/March still waiting for their passport and the constant retort from the embassy official that there are no booklets. It's a woeful tale of lamentations and it's scary. Also, the ambassador promised back in February that the 10-year validity passport will rolled out soon and there is no word on that yet. No surprise there knowing how Nigeria rolls. Finally, does anyone know the stipulations about flying into Nigeria with an expired Nigerian passport but with a valid Canadian one? |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 5:47pm On Jan 11, 2021 |
sirabbey: Thank you. Frankly though, 120-140km/h is not that extraordinary. People overtake me all the time on the 401 while I'm driving at that speed. There is a popular saying (regarding the Swiss-Austrian-German Autobahn), it doesn't matter how fast you think you are going, someone else is going faster than you. As 19CannyMum rightly said below, as long as you keep the left lane free all is good. 19CannyMum: Exactly. Greatkhad: Sure, good luck. SlowlybtSurely: Thank you, sir/ma. |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 10:58pm On Jan 08, 2021 |
Wow, it's been a while I checked up on this page. Congratulations to all new and prospective PRs. In case anyone is interested, I'll be offering free rides (once per weekend) from Toronto Pearson to anywhere in the GTA for the next few months (WEEKENDS ONLY). Some Caveats: 1. I have a five seats passenger vehicle (so your luggage should be reasonable in size and numbers). 2. You must let me know at least 48 hours prior to your arrival at Toronto Pearson. 3. I'm a fairly "racy" driver meaning I drive on average 120-140 km/hr on the Expressway (with a posted limit of 100 km/hr) so it goes without saying that you should be comfortable with that. Good luck to everyone. 51 Likes 4 Shares |
Travel / Re: Living In The Uk/life As A UK Immigrant by Santino1(m): 10:57pm On Jan 08, 2021 |
Thanks. |
Travel / Re: Living In The Uk/life As A UK Immigrant by Santino1(m): 10:39pm On Jan 08, 2021 |
Deleted Post |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 2:49am On May 31, 2020 |
Cantbeatit20: No, I no longer reside in Switzerland. The short answer to your question is NO. Your being married has no bearing on your visa application and if he wants to go to Switzerland with you he'll have to apply independently of your application where he'll be assessed on his application's merit only. If you read the post you quoted, your English proficiency question has been answered. Refer to paragraph one. Your husband needing a proficiency exam or not will be contingent upon what he's applying for. Good luck. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 2:20pm On Mar 18, 2020 |
Bawss1: Well, countries like Italy and Iran did exactly what you suggested above and how is that working out for them presently? Not great I would think as they are among the worst hit countries outside of China. One important point that we all seem to be forgetting is this is terra incognita for us all and we have no experience to draw from. Bawss1: Have you even stopped to consider the sheer logistics of that? Sure, you want everyone coming through the airport screened for COVID-19 but consider this: Toronto Pearson alone processes over 130k passenger per day on average with about 65% of those being international and trans-border passengers (according to Pearson Airport statistics for 2019). Yet, the most aggressive screening in the world right now can only screen 12k people per day on average translating to less than 20% of the total. In the face of such glaring deficiencies, one viable alternative is self-reporting which is to answer a few questionnaire to ascertain if you are potentially infected. So it behooves on the people to do their part and be honest and forthcoming. I don't know about you but when I returned to Toronto in February, I answered such questionnaires. Bawss1: Again, travel ban may have worked for Russia and Singapore but it has done jack for Italy and Iran. Even closer to home, US banned travel before Canada did and they are currently worse off than we are. Like I said before, this is an unprecedented situation and there is no tailor-made, one cap fits all solution so each country will have to assess its own risk based on its own peculiarities. Bawss1: On most issues I'd agree with you that Trudeau's approach is nothing more than that "laisse faire" but on this particular issue, I can't fault his approach and the evidence is in the relatively low infection rate in Canada (well, so far) despite having a considerable Chinese population. 6 Likes 1 Share |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 5:06pm On Mar 17, 2020 |
Bawss1: Not to hold brief for Justin Trudeau (heck I'm not even a fan of the guy) but what would you rather have him do? Most of his decision thus far have been based on solid scientific evidences and as the science changes from day-to-day, so are his decisions. On this particular issue, I think he has responded in a calm, measured, and reasonable manner you would expect from a leader. I know it's easy at times like this to blame globalization (rightly or not) for all societal ills. But on the flip side, within few months of the outbreak we have been able to map the entire genome of the COVID-19 virus, understand its mode of transmission, and just yesterday the first vaccine trial took place. What do you think made all that possible? International collaborations (ergo Globalization). And that's not mentioning all the numerous advantages that you have personally benefited and will continue to benefit from globalization. Not just Justin, we've all "got skin in the game". 12 Likes |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 6:57pm On Jul 05, 2019 |
Ahasuerus: I wouldn't worry to much about it. Tell your supervisor you are having visa issues and might start later than agreed upon. I'm sure s/he will understand. It's no big deal really. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 4:46pm On Jul 05, 2019 |
Ahasuerus: Usually, yes. It's just like applying for any other visa. You need to prove why you are applying in France and not Nigeria as the visa application requirements differ depending on country of residence. However, there are extenuating circumstances under which you can apply from France. You need to check with the embassy. poetagain: Honestly, applying with your family further lessens your chances of being granted a visa. Imagine your visa was rejected for failure to prove your intention to leave the Schengen territory after the expiration of your visa (see item 2 in your own post above) despite having a significant family ties to Nigeria. What do you think will happen when that tie is no longer there? I'll let you be the judge of your own case and see if that seems any logical to you. Here is an unsolicited opinion: Switzerland has one of the strictest visa regulation in the world, It would do you best to have an air-tight case before even bothering to apply as that is tantamount to a waste of time and money. wealthyoptimist: Unfortunately, helping you with a statement of purpose (which is what your previous question was about) is beyond the purview of this thread. Have you tried googling with a simple search strings like "writing a statement of purpose", "how to write a statement of motivation in support of a visa application" etc. I just did and there are numerous results (some even with templates). As to the declaration to leave and future plans after studies, that is applicant-specific. Only you know your plans. Also, you don't need a fancy template. Type it in word like any other first-year college essay. The people evaluating your application probably have a bachelors degree at best. No one expects you to write a doctoral dissertation on your future plans. Good luck to every one. 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 7:30pm On Apr 06, 2019 |
Hi everyone, I have about 4000 CAD that I'd like to sell. I'll deposit the dollar in your CAD account and you credit my Nigerian account with the Naira equivalent. Let me know if you are (or you know anyone that might be) interested. Apologies if this is not the right place to post this. Regards. 4 Likes |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 1:57pm On Mar 13, 2019 |
canadaman18: XX01: Too bad I only have one spare ticket. Seeing as canadaman18 indicated interest first, it's only fair s/he gets it. @canadaman18, can you briefly post your contact details so we can coordinate. Unfortunately my PM doesn't work so that's the only way we can keep in touch. And yes, it's at the Scotiabank Arena at 8pm. |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 5:05pm On Mar 12, 2019 |
Blackbuddy: That's too bad. It would have been a great opportunity to meet the man, the myth, and the legend. I hope to get a ticket to one or two play-off games in April, I'll let you know in case you are still interested. Of course I'll be rooting for the Raptors because "We the North" plus I can't wait to see Kawhi Leonard go toe to toe with LeBron James. That should be exciting. Enjoy your vacation in Niagara. 4 Likes 2 Shares |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant Part 2 by Santino1(m): 3:58pm On Mar 12, 2019 |
In a completely unrelated matter, if anyone is interested in seeing the Raptors-L.A. Lakers game on Thursday evening let me know as I have a spare ticket. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Santino1(m): 1:16pm On Dec 24, 2018 |
Fortissimo502: I'm heading there from Thursday to Saturday/Sunday. What's your plan? In order not to derail the thread, can you please send me your mail address? |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 12:10pm On Nov 07, 2018 |
@ kay2112 (and anyone else it might benefit) I know we've been communicating via mail but I decided to post this here as it might benefit others in similar predicament. After sending you the mail yesterday, I started racking my brain at the apparent contradiction in the school offering you admission to study in Switzerland on the one hand and making it virtually impossible to actually travel to Switzerland on the other. Having lived here for almost a decade and knowing the Swiss (arguably one of the most efficient country on the planet), this conundrum distresses me to no end. As a result, I went to the International student support of ETH Zurich (not University of Zurich) because the ETH, being a more global university, has way more international students than Uni-Zurich and they deal with such cases way more often. I got some valuable information there and just to be sure I also called the Migrationsamt in Zurich (Swiss office of Migration) as well as the embassy of Switzerland, Abuja and they both corroborate what the lady at ETH international student support told me. So here it is: As a student, there are two layers of immigration you have to deal with before commencing you study viz getting a visa to Switzerland and establishing residence in Switzerland. You and I have been asking the wrong questions because we were asking about the second step and not the first (that's partly my fault as I should have known better). Anyways, for the first step which is securing visa. You DON'T need to have a Swiss account to demonstrate that you have the financial means. All you need to do is get a bank statement from any of the banks in Nigeria showing you have at least 21,000 CHF equivalent (circa 7.5 to 8 million Naira at current exchange rate), attach this to the requisite documents and complete visa application package and submit at the Swiss embassy in Abuja. The second step (establishing residence) is the one where you NEED a Swiss bank account also showing 21,000 CHF or its equivalent. That's what I was told by the offices responsible for such so that's close to the "official" position. Unfortunately, the people at the embassy and Migration office only speak rudimentary English and it can be quite difficult to navigate if you don't understand German. Perhaps, they couldn't explain to you clearly in English but I managed to get an answer from them because of my "passable" German. Good luck and I hope everything works out for you. 4 Likes |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 11:46am On Nov 02, 2018 |
I didn't receive any e-mail. Unfortunately my PM doesn't work either. You can post your mail address and I'll get in touch as soon as I can. |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 10:38am On Oct 30, 2018 |
kay2112: I just got off the phone with the International Student Support at UZH and apparently things have changed a lot (not for the better I'm afraid). Anyways, she did give me the following tips: You have to go to some of the banks in Nigeria and ask if they have any sort of agreement with any of the banks listed on the FINMA list, then you open an Euro domiciled account with that bank and show that you have 21000 CHF Euro equivalent in that account. She said that's how the Nigerian students currently enrolled at UZH went about it. Unfortunately, she couldn't give me a name of such Nigerian bank or students (due to to data protection and privacy blah blah blah) but I do know that GTBank has some sort of money routing agreement with HSBC and you could also ask Standard Chartered again since they actually do have a branch in Geneva (just not on the FINMA list) and they may be able to advise you on how to to go about it. Sorry I couldn't help you and good luck. Please endeavour to share your findings so others might learn from your experience. Cheers 7 Likes |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 9:56am On Sep 21, 2018 |
bukatee93: Well, you are putting the cart before the horse. I'd focus more about securing admission first before worrying about visa requirements. the whole admission process can take up to 6-9 months. If you still want to worry your head about that, then you need to have at least 21,000 Swiss francs or it's equivalent. Partly true. If you don't possess an EU/EFTA passport, then you can only work in your institute in the first six months (subject to work permit approval of course). After six month you can then take up paid employment outside the University but must not be more than 25% (i.e. not more than 15 hours per week). Switzerland is home to most of those international organizations and a degree in Switzerland stands you in good stead. Sometimes you even get an internship placement in those organisations during your studies and you can start building your network form there which allows an easy transition after the completion of your study. I know two guys that are working with the UN and they both went via the internship route. They are both Swiss though so maybe that has an impact. Good luck. 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Santino1(m): 9:24am On Sep 21, 2018 |
Guitarlife: As a caveat, my experiences with hostels were mostly when I was a low budget traveller. You are right that hostels are cheap and you can easily make new friends but there are some things you should bear in mind. I am assuming you are planning to land as a PR so you should be aware that you can't use your hostel address for your landing formalities. Also, I don't know how much you care about your privacy and personal space because you certainly won't be getting any of that at a hostel. As per landing in Toronto, people have shared numerous landing experiences here so I won't belabour the point. It's up to you. It depends if the Guitar has any sentimental value to you not. If not you can easily get a cheap guitar on Kijiji although you might have to tune it to your satisfaction. However, if you want to transport yours you have to check with your airline because sometime they are transported as "special equipments" like ski and snowboards depending on the airline. I believe you can transport your medicines. I would make sure I have the prescriptions though if I were you. Good luck with your landing. cannybound: I am back in Switzerland to see out my contract and officially de-register from the Country. I'll be settling permanently in Toronto in January 5 Likes |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 8:51am On Sep 12, 2018 |
Desmog21: I don't get PMs, you can ask whatever you want here. strangest: I'm sorry but did you even bother to open and read the link I provided in my previous post? The answers to your questions are all there. |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 11:51am On Sep 03, 2018 |
Desmog21: Why? 2 Likes |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 11:50am On Sep 03, 2018 |
strangest: The visa fee for 90 days visa is provided in this link Regarding flights, there is no direct flight between Switzerland and Nigeria so you are gonna have to transit via some other countries. You'll have check to online flight booking sites like skyscanner, ebookers etc. to check what is suitable for you depending on comfort or price. Good luck and enjoy your conference. Basel is a wonderful old "roman-like" city with lots of gothic cathedrals and exciting things to do |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 11:41am On Sep 03, 2018 |
articulateayo: Switzerland has quite a few good schools that offer Molecular Biology at the post graduate level some of which include: University of Zurich, ETH Zurich, University of Lausanne, EPFL Lausanne, Universities of Bern, Basel, and Geneva. As for my personal recommendations, well, I'm not an expert in Molecular Biology but what I do know is that you can't go wrong with any of the Universities in Zurich and Lausanne as they have unbelievable research facilities especially the two Federal Institutes (i.e. ETH and EPFL) as it seems those two institutions have unlimited budgets. Also, there is a mutual collaborations between Universities in the same Canton so it doesn't matter if you're officially enrolled in University of Zurich or ETH, you have access to facilities in both Institutions (same applies to EPFL and University of Lausanne). Hope that helps and good luck with your application. Switzerland is an amazing place for a postgrad. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: Students In Switzerland/ Nigerians Living In Switzerland, your Experiences Here! by Santino1(m): 11:33am On Sep 03, 2018 |
akom0908: What are your chances of migrating to Switzerland as a PR to work? Well, according to Swiss labour law, except you are a top dog in your profession and you have expertise that is not readily available in Switzerland then your chances are pretty low to zero. Is is advisable to live in Switzerland? Absolutely (assuming you have legal residence). It is a beautiful country with high standard of living. Things might be a bit expensive but then again you earn a lot of money that it doesn't matter. |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Santino1(m): 4:20pm On Aug 27, 2018 |
TFLASHOGEE: 1. View from the Ferry on the way back from Hanlan's point beach. 2. Toronto's version of Times Square (Yonge-Dundas Square). 3. At the just concluded Roger's cup (for the Tennis Aficionados). By the way, That's Rafael Nadal vs Marin Cilic. 4. As the name implies, the Toronto Eaton Center. 18 Likes 2 Shares
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Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Santino1(m): 5:31pm On Aug 26, 2018 |
coconuthead: I got my PR card approved in less than 3 weeks (18 days to be precise) so you might also get lucky. |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Santino1(m): 5:23pm On Aug 26, 2018 |
Cherokee: Sure. All the best to you too. GlitteringStar: Cool. All the best. threadstone: Why are the conservatives trying so desperately to lose the next election? Fusion23: Sometimes it's not about being able to afford it or not. I am against tipping (as it is in North America) as a matter of personal principle not because I can't afford it. 1 Like |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Santino1(m): 10:31am On Aug 25, 2018 |
Cherokee: To be honest, I contended with that question as well. To an outsider, I must be really out of my mind to leave Switzerland for any other place on the planet. However, after a careful evaluation of my medium term goals I decided it's in my best interest to get international exposure. In the next 5-7 years (after two/three PDFs) I'll be in a position to apply for tenure-track professorship positions and at that stage foreign experience counts for a whole lot. I wanted primarily English speaking countries as I have struggled to properly integrate to the Swiss society owing to language constraints. UK was top of my list of potential destination (I really wanted to be in Europe because I don't wanna be so far away from my girlfriend) but that plan went bust after Brexit. Canada naturally became the ideal choice as it is similar to Switzerland is so many respect (albeit having its differences too). Australia is too far away from anything else. America decided they'll rather be governed by someone with great apathy towards science and there is always racial tension in the states. Canada also has the added advantage of being the sole country on the planet (as far as I know) that grants you citizenship after just 3 years of residency. Those are the considerations that went into my decision. I hope that answers your queries. Ghman: Hi Ghman, For some inexplicable reasons, my private messaging doesn't work. You can drop your mail if you like and I'll be sure to get back to you. duduade: You are welcome. GlitteringStar: My pleasure. How's your prep going or have you landed? Sorry, I have been busy to catch up with what everyone has been up to. 11 Likes 1 Share |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Santino1(m): 3:34pm On Aug 23, 2018 |
einsteino: I'm not sure if you are eligible or not. I think out of those 4 years, 12 months should be in Canada. That's the APGO's (which I applied for) rule. I don't know about APEGA. Sorry. 1 Like 1 Share |
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