chio: I really want to thank God for safe arrival to the USA am presently in NY.
am taking my time to read through this thread.
I cam in on the Sept 7th
Am trying to Settle down and know what to do next.
Pls wen do i get my SSN and GC
is there anything i could be doing either work or training before the GC and ssn arrives.
I was was working as QC analyst before i came to the New york
I have and HND in Chemical Engineering
i would appreciate ur advice
thanks

I apologize for not responding earlier. I just found your PM notifications in my SPAM box today. How are you holding up so far?

iikkwwoo: Please help me oooooo
I need advice on what short courses or certification i can do so i can get a job. i don't mind health sector but please don't tell me about CNA or RN. i want something short cuz i need to work ASAP. Have you guys heard about health information technology? is it worth it? what about medical assistant?? or any other field??

Anything that has IT in it is lucrative. It all depends on how much time you have to give to learning a marketable skill. Anything is achievable. If you search some of my posts, you will see some recommendations that I've made. You can PM me for more information.

Sakirasexy: Do I have to get my green card in newyork before I will start my cna course .answer needed asap

Try ultra.me . That's what I use. It's $49 per month out of which you have $20 to call Nigeria at 4 cents per minute. The downside is that they don't support BIS.

oyinyechi:


Thanks Deji,am in Georgia

Nice! You are in my neighborhood.

http://workforce.georgia.gov/resources-wia-services .
Go to your nearest WIA office. They will ask you to take TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education).

http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/programs/vpi_ck.asp

There are several practise tests online that you can use.

oyinyechi:



Hi Deji,

Please can you throw more light concerning this WIA training/education funding. What are the requirements and how soon can one apply. Thanks for your quick response

Hi Oyinyechi,

The requirements vary a little bit from state to state. Some state will require that you take a test. One of the requirements is that you are either unemployed or underemployed. What state are you at? I could help you look up some of the requirements.

http://www.edd.ca.gov/Jobs_and_Training/WIA_Q_and_As_Eligibility.htm

missannie: I need a Job!!!!
Am a (School-Cer Holder) Any helpful Tips or Advice, I'll appreciate it.
I've applied in some of the popular glossaries stores here in d States; like Walmart, Walgreen etc
Which other industries can i apply Thanks

What state are you? Are you good with computers? By that I meant knowing your way around Office applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Most people don't know that with a sound knowledge of productivity applications like the ones mentioned, you can land a nice job and not have to work at restaurants. I didn't know that too when I came in.

joshfem04: hi everyone, i've been following dis trend for while, u guyz r great. I'm a winner plannin to travel later dis month buh av some questions i need an answer to.
1. I av a bachelors degree in biological science buh av been practicing in project management. I'm a certified PMP holder. I'm interested more in IT. Does it necessarily require of me to av a degree in IT b4 i can practice more or beta still go for more certification in IT.
2. My suppose host told me to get a nigerian driver's license while comin to d state precisely maryland. I dont av d license. Of what importance is d license.
Thank y'all

If you have some experience with Project Management and have passion for what you do, look into Oracle Primavera or other project portfolio management solution that is in demand.

ukemeglitter: Please guyz on Form DS-230 Part I
No. 3 - Full name in Native Alphabet (If Roman Letters not used)
What does it mean?

It means if your name appears on your birth certificate or any other legal document (i.e. international passport) in Arabic or calligraphy or any other non-Roman letters, write it in that same manner.

adeadebayor: Hello gr8 people in the haos, I have been a silent observer, reading everyones contribution from d first page 2 d last; though some pages skipped. U people have been wonderful. God wil reward everyones efforts with favor and mercy. My family is one of the dv 2014 selectee and we have sent the necessary forms. The area I need every1 genuine contribution is which training can I do in 9ja that we give me a good start over there. Let me start a brief explanation about mysef so that I can attract a genuine contribution. i have HND in mechanical Eng, 4 years experience as IT trainer in A+, Networking and CCNA. The only certification I have is CCNA. I currently work wit a coy as production supervisor. I intend to build a career in IT over there not minding delving into programming. I look forward to honest advice from the good people of the haos.

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/architecture-and-engineering/mechanical-engineers.htm
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics.htm

If IT is your eventual goal, you already have something to start with. Certification and experience are necessary in the field of IT. I will recommend that you get your A+ certification. You should also consider getting certifications in the following areas:

Unix/Linux (e.g. Linux+, RHIT/RHCE)
Database Administration (e.g. SQL Server / Oracle / MySQL)
Project Management (e.g. Prince2, PMP, ITIL - Foundation)

Since you have experience as an IT trainer, you might be fortunate to get an opportunity as a part-time/full-time tutor at one of the Community Colleges wherever you are.

For mechanical engineering with regards to working in production, consider learning PLC programming in addition to what you currently do.

For Auto mechanic, see if you can learn the following:
* Brake Service
* General Service
* Engine repair
* Transmission repair
* Body work
* Diagnostics (you can learn the use of diagnostic tools when you get here.)

It's good to have multiple skill sets.

jidex001: SCAM ALERT. ( I got this mail below in my email today).

Hello
dear, i am miss joy
jobe i came across your contact
at http://www.nairaland.comwhile browsing in the internet now and it
captured my interest and i become motivated to reach you,please i will like
us to hold a good relationship with a real love,your profile sound so
gentle to me that was why i fell very much eager to write you,contact me
through my  personal box(JoyJobe817@yahoo.fr) for more
introduction,also i will send my pictures to you for this will forster the
relationship and  also bring us together to know each other better,i
look forward for your response. my dear,age or colour even distance can't
deny any genuine love,so please lets give our self a trial,thanks till i
hear from you miss
joy

I get emails like this all the time. I just delete them and never bother.

nadazakhary: hi my name is nada zakhary I have a question and I will ba grateful if u answer me I om 2012 dv lottery winners and I pass the interview every thing is ok but my medical report will expired at auguest18 and I booked a ticket at auguest10 is it will be ok /?or they will asked me to make a new medical reports

Hi Zakhary,

There's nothing to worry about on your medical report. You will be fine. All the best.

jonnywalker: @adesoji,thanks for your response.you have been very helpful.he is my stepfather s brother.please where can u register to monitor your income.also is it true that before u can file for someone to join u,they will look at your income to see if it's high.can u suggest states where there are more job opportunities and low cost of living.thanks

What you are going to be monitoring is suspicious/unauthorized activity on your credit profile, not your income. The federal government has mandated all credit reporting agencies to provide a free credit report to everyone every year. You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com to check your credit history. Also, you can place a credit freeze on your credit report so that no one can use it without your knowledge. You will be required to unfreeze it each time you have cause to use your credit profile.

It is true that when you want to file, they will consider your income. There is a form I-864P that lists the household size and income required to sponsor. http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=73c63591ec04d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=db029c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Jobs are everywhere in the US. It all depends on what kind of job you are looking for or are qualified to for. You have to consider the cost of living in each location as well. I live in Atlanta, GA and I consider it to have a low cost of living, as far as I am concerned. However, most of the jobs that are available are professional in nature, that's not to say that there ain't others. However, I've had people complain and relocate to states like Texas from Atlanta, GA because they believe there are more jobs in TX than Georgia. If you want to work in OIL and GAS, places like Houston, TX and California (any other oil producing state) might be more ideal.

My usual advise to people is that wherever you find what you are looking for is where you should call home. There are 50 states in the US and when you were leaving Nigeria, your destination was US not to a particular state.

Obatide:

Thanking everybody for your contributions thus far, pls help to discuss these questions:
1. Can applicant pay the $330 in Dollar instead of naira equivalence?
2. Which sector or carrer is one likely to get a boom (or in high demand) in d US just like OIL INDUSTRY IN NIGERIA
3. If one is interested in IT sector, what are the likely foundations that can be built here in Nigeria b4 migration.

Best regards.

I can only talk about IT. IT cuts across all industries. Start by having/getting a general knowledge in areas like networking, programming, databases, operating systems, e.t.c. Then decide on an area to specialize based on whichever of the areas you think you can handle. If you like networking and can handle the complexities associated with it, you can look into getting certified in the Cisco track. If you like working with data or read maths/statistics, you should look into getting certified in one of the database tracks (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, Posgres, ). If you have background in business/accounting, look into ERP (SAP, Oracle eBusiness, Microsoft Dynamics, e.t.c.). If you have a background in healthcare/medicine, look into EPIC and other similar applications that are specific to the industry. Other areas include Business Analysis, Software QA, Security and project management.

The summary is that in every and any industry, you can always leverage your educational background to make a living applying IT. IT is a business enabler. Don't waste your time pursuing advanced degree (MS, PhD), except somebody else is paying for it. Focus on getting a marketable skill. Finally, do your research. I recommend that you go on a job site like www.dice.com and look at the various positions, salaries and job requirements.

diskindgod: Pls I have HND, where do I check in item 6 of DSP 122. Also as a petitioner, which address and phone should use. Nigerian address or address of where am going to stay in US and which phone number.

On item 6 of DSP 122, choose University Degree. HND is equivalent to University Degree.

idriez:
Thanks Bro... I'm in VA

Here you go.
http://vwn.vccs.edu/job-seekers/

pakholla: will they give u house in d states if i win and sorri ow much is medical,visa and the uscis fee will u choose any country u want to stay in the 2nl.

There are a general misinformation about the DV program which I have heard many times. The question ".. will they give you a house in the states..." is one of them. I once met someone who told me that he was told that when he gets here, he can jump into any car he sees and drive off in it. This misinformation is often dreamt up by people who have never seen MMA talkless of travel overseas. May be there are other categories of visas that accords, which I definitely know nothing about. However, DV lottery isn't in that category.

The only thing they are giving you for "free" is the Green Card, which in my own opinion, is not even free. The Green Card gives you the opportunity to enter the US to work, live, and eventually become an adopted citizen. You still have to do what everybody else does (citizen and non-citizens). You have to rent your own house, find your own work/job, e.t.c. If you are prepared to do that, then the you will not be disappointed. If you believe the lies, you will not only be disappointed but also eventually could be depressed. Forums like this exist to educate folks about the reality of life overseas.

I'm not current with the associated costs. You can live in any of the 50 states (not country) in the US. You have to find someone who will be able to provide you accomodation for the first few months that you get here, until you get your acts together. If you are the winner, you have to start talking to "people who know" and stop listening to those who don't. There's a lot of work ahead you.

idriez: Bored!!! what else can I do while waiting for GC & Shola-Shola o

There are tons of stuff you could do, if you have access to the Internet. If you are keen on pursuing a career in IT, I can provide you several resources that you can start with to fill your knowledge gap. However, I have to first understand what those gaps are, if any. You can send me your resume for critique. Tell me what areas you are most interested/have knowledge in (your strengths).

idriez:
Does it cover short term trainings e.g. CNA or CCNA and can one apply for it without the GC & SSN?

They have a long list of trainings that qualify. I can tell you that most IT trainings qualify. You should give them a call to see if you can start the process while you wait for your SSN. You can always show them the stamp on your passport as a substitute for your GC. What state are you in? I can lookup WIA in your state.

nenih: Please can anyone who has recently put to birth in Atlanta, help with the following answers:

1)Affordable hospitals in Atlanta (preferably not more than 8k)
2) Total cost
3) Experience at the Airport on arrival.

Thanks

I can answer 1 and 2. Give Southern Regional a call. http://www.southernregional.org/services/womens/ . There cost is within your range.
I don't think there will be any scene at the airport as long as you are truthful about your purpose of visit.

For folks interested in obtaining training and are concerned about the cost, you should contact the nearest WIA (Workforce Investment Act). They might be able to fund your much desired training/education. WIA is a federal government program operated through the states. Your training provider has to be registered with WIA for them to agree to pay your tuition.

seal777: When ever i face some challenges here and quickly call one of my big mentors here in America to lament my plight, He simply reply by saying " AMERICA DREAM NONI !!!". : Meaning, NOTHING GOOD COMES EASY.

Na so e be. Hang in there. From another posting of yours, I can tell that you are smart person. Just keep making your moves and don't let the old-timers discourage you. They told me then that I was moving too fast. Well, the truth is, some of us are like high-speed trains. We are unstoppable. Na naija mentality dey kill most for here. Some don't know what obtains. Some know but they hoard information. Those who hoard information loose because they won't know more. Besides, information plenty for internet. The only problem with that is filtering the genuine ones out.

Welcome to America to our new immigrants. I pray you find comfort and happiness in your adopted country. This is a society driven by information. The more information you have, the better of you will be. Don't stop asking questions. When asking questions, ask from those who know. Many people make the mistake of assuming that the longer you've been here, the more you will know. I can guarantee you that that is not the case. There are people who have been here for ages who don't know what is happening in their backyard.

Most especially when it comes to choosing or pursuing a career, talk to people who are in the profession you are interested in pursuing. When I got here, I was advised to take up nursing even though I had HND in Computer Science. I was told that IT jobs have been outsourced to Asia. When I met the right people, they pointed me in the right direction. I've had opportunity to interact with people several years after they arrived in this country. When I ask them what they do for a living and what they had qualifications in, I'm always shocked that they were misled. There's a lot of misinformation going around. Don't fall victim to such. The Bible says in Prov. 11:14 "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." I beseech thee to seek good counsel.

dancewith: A sis gave birth last year in MD and it cost $7,999. The method of delivery was CS so I suppose normal delivery may be cheaper. In NYC it is way too expensive. I will recommend you also avoid these areas: North Carolina, NY, Atlanta, Michigan

Someone had a baby at Delaware for $3,500. Another sis paid less than $5,000 in Texas. Portland is also cheap. It would appear that Delaware and Texas are your target

Good luck

There's actually a hospital in Atlanta where one can pay about $4500 for normal delivery and about $6000 for CS. You can check them out and give them a call. www.southernregional.org.

junkerhill: Thanks for your advice bro. Can you please state the reason for the round trip ticket and not one way.

In my experience, the price is often if not almost the same. If you make the return leg far out, like a 5 - 6 months, as might be permitted, you could use it to visit Nigeria. It's also a backup/back-out plan if reality dawns and you decide to go back to re-group. In any case, you don't have to shell out money to buy a return ticket, if you change your mind about staying.

Congratulations to all the DVLottery winners. It's good to be back on NairaLand after two years of being away. A so-called moderator locked me out of Nairaland for reasons best known to him/her.

I started out on this immigration journey in 2003 (when I reluctantly submitted the paper-based application). I landed on the shore of the US in October 2004. I was the last person in my family that one would I've expected to travel overseas. I was the only one without an International passport. My dad had the privilege of studying in the US in the 70s and has always told us not to be too carried away by the prospect of traveling abroad. So, I had it in my psyche that I will make it in Nigeria no matter what. At first, I was reluctant to leave Nigeria even though I had just finished my NYSC program and really had nothing concrete to look forward to.

I just want to use this forum to offer a word of advise to you would-be immigrants. Most of what I am going to say might have been said before in other threads. I just feel I should say it may be it might help somebody. The journey ahead is not going to be all that easy but it can be less painful if you have certain information before you leave the shores of Nigeria. I always wish someone had shared this information with me when I was prepping. Nonetheless, God has been faithful to me.

First thing I always advise is that anyone coming to the US should LEARN HOW TO DRIVE before leaving Nigeria. Second thing I advise is for those who have had some academic training (Poly, NCE, University) to COME WITH YOUR TRANSCRIPTS. Do your research on job/career you will like to pursue. Have short-term and long-term goal. Your goals and expectations should be realistic. Money don't grow on trees anywhere in the world. When buying your tickets, buy round-trip. Often times, there isn't much price difference.

For those who already have good (well, that is relative) job/career opportunities in Nigeria, my usual advise is that you don't quit your job. Find means to take some leave to come process your green card. When you get here and see how things are, if you feel you want to stay, you can resign your appointment. If not, you can always return back to your work. However, there are certain conditions that you have to fulfill to maintain your green card status.

I will pause for now. You can send me questions and I will try to find time to answer them.

elrony:

guyz how much can i get a ps3 or xbox 360, itz urgent

PS3 - http://www.naijaonlinemall.com/products.php?43
XBOX - http://www.naijaonlinemall.com/products.php?42

Bann3d:

I need a hp pavilion dv6-2170us. Does anybody have an idea of how much it will cost?

Here is the price for your dv6-2170us.

http://www.naijaonlinemall.com/products.php?56 You can order online and pay with your visa card when you are ready.

We can get you the 16GB iPhone 4 for less than 160,000. Please, visit my store front http://www.naijaonlinemall.com/products.php?36 for details. When you are ready to order, fill out our contact form on the site or call Akin at 08033656759.

Thanks.

I used to wonder why the cost of Internet access is so high in Nigeria compared to what obtains in countries like UK and US. I was in the market interviewing satellite providers in the US if I could get a package that will cost the same as what they offer in the US but was constantly told "NO". I ventured to ask them for an explanation and the one they give me relieved me of the mystery and gave me a better understanding of how these things work. I will like to share this perspective with us all as a way of saying that we should not expect too much from these private companies, at least not as much as can be obtained in the US or UK.

The sales guy at the satellite provider told me that US costs is lower because the government subsidizes it! It was such a short, simple and seemingly obvious but elusive answer that never occurred to me. The truth is that US government allocates a large chunk of money for broadband proliferation every year. It is always part of the budget for telecommunication infrastructure. Will Nigerian government be kind enough to help us out with this? If there is no effort in this direction, we might not get much in terms of price reduction but the quality of service might likely improve a bit.

The news does not excite me a bit seeing what happened in the case of NigComSat and Glo-1. The only thing that will excite me is when they start telling us their distribution strategy. It may be true that the major cities in Nigeria are Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja but the combined revenue possibilities in the "not so big" cities in the rest of Nigeria makes it imperative that their distribution strategy includes a national coverage.

I wasn't able to read through all the posts. So you will excuse me if someone has already written this. Fashola seems to actually be borrowing some ideas, although not from BBC as suggested. Atlanta Airport in Georgia is said to be the busiest airport in the US. Guess who owns it? It's owned by Atlanta Local Government (County). Who owns MMIA - Federal or State government? Fashola probably sees another airport as a revenue generating potential for the state, in direct competition with MMIA. I can guarantee you that the moment the new airport launches, MMIA might be forced to close shop, provided that the facilities provided by Lagos International Airport surpasses what is on ground at MMIA. So, let's seek to understand the motive. Let's not be too quick to be judgmental. He is still better than a thousand IBBs combined and some of the other prominent looters who sit and watch till the infrastructures they inherit crumbled in their own face. The man's decision to award contracts to certain chose construction outfits is actually a strategy that ensures delivery of a job. We all know that when contracts are politically motivated, they only end up being done on paper. That is why we still don't have stable electricity in Nigeria despite the amount of money sunk into that sector.

This is one of the most controversial issues in Christianity today. Coincidentally, we had a discussion on this same issue of dressing in Sunday School not long ago. This issue is presented in different forms all which further compounds or confuses the issue. Whatever way it is said, the emphasis is often on the word 'trousers'.

We had some members stood up in the Sunday School to tell us quite frankly that while they were in Nigeria (currently in US), they will NEVER allow their wives to put on trousers. Since getting to US, the wives now wear trousers not out of desire but out of necessity. Even common jeans, some people regard it as sinful. We all know that jeans is our "national uniform" around here.

My opinion is that environment (weather, e.t.c.) determines the mode of dressing of all humans. Previous posters have cited cultures where men wear attires that could be considered feminine in other cultures. Yet we can not regard them as sinners because of that. I think the word that our brethren should be preaching is decency and modesty. It is not until a woman wear trouses that she can arouse desire in a man. Anything gesture, be it dressing or language can  have the same effect.

There is a second dimension to this issue as well. What if a man desires his wife to dress in a certain manner? Is that considered a sin? I like my woman to dress in certain ways that make her look attractive and desiring to me. She can wear trousers but she cannot wear anything mini. By the way, I cannot fit in her trousers because I will look awkward! She can't fit in mine and you won't even notice. The rule is that her dressing should not be revealing. I personally take offense at women exposing some of their body parts that are considered "private". I'm sure a virtuous woman will try and avoid that type of dressing at all cost.

Dressing in itself is a language which people try to interpret in diverse ways. Most times we dress to communicate something across to people around us. A married woman will dress to attract her husband's desire. A single woman will dress to get noticed by potential suitors. A promiscuous woman will dress to get noticed by "any man". A job seeker will dress to portray confidence, maturity and responsibility to an interview. Our interpretation of the language of dressing varies and its often influenced by our mindsets and individual exposure.

The concept of seduction or enticement or even attraction (finely between all three) even goes beyond articles of clothing. Our biological composition and psychological responses are triggered by different stimuli. There are men who can fall by the mere seeing of the feet of a woman. Should we now conclude that women who bear their feet are immodest just because that happens to be a mans weakness? I think the muslim women who cover their entire body are the ones doing the right thing then. A better alternative will be for you to ask God to take away your eyes so that you will no longer be able to see those things that offend you.

That said, God has given us the ability to choose. We do not walk by sight but by faith. The fact that we see things that offend us everyday does not make us sinners. What makes us sinners is what we duel on in our hearts. Practical christianity is not what we can struggle with in the "might of man". It takes the grace of God to be a Christian. The bible says "By His grace we are saved , " The way to win souls to the Kingdom his not by first criticizing the way people do things (which we are all guilty of). It is by showing LOVE. How many of us Christians are even worthy of God's love? Yet He loves us despite our sinful nature. If we are truly Christians (little Christs), we should actually demonstrate love rather than condemnation. Let us go back and study the live of our Lord Jesus Christ himself very closely. Let's put aside all these holy than thou attitude and reverence and mind before God. Christ Jesus used an approach that is hardly practised nowadays during his ministry on earth. The first thing he does before he preaches a sermon is to meet the "physical" needs of the hearers of his word. Therein lies the wisdom and key to soul winning. Brothers and sisters who are zealous to the work should demonstrate their zeal by their dids towards people around them. I have no interest in what you have to say to me if I am hungry and you can not even buy me common puff-puff.

To make your ministry effective, pray that God should give you the grace to identify the problem and needs in people's lives and make you a solution to those problem so that you can carry His saving word to them. This is the path we should all tow as workers in His vineyard rather than condemning the way people do things. It is after they have heard and received the word that they will be renewed in their heart and understanding. It is then they will be personally convicted of things that they do that are not right. No man is capable of changing another man except God does that work. Remember that for our sake, Christ became a sinner so that he can redeem us. Who amongst us, if God says, go and become a harlot to minister to men, will say it is the word of God? This is what Christ did so that you and I could become heirs to the throne.

Finally, as I am not qualified to speak the word and mind of God, I pray for God's forgiveness if I have written anything in heresy. He himself should make His word real in the hearts of men (Amen). Shallom