dake40: Well, i cant agree less with you that it depends on the country and state. $50k isn't always the take home, you pay tax which atimes could be over $8k depending on the location, putting other expenses into considerations, saving $9k might be hellish.
Well, I know for a fact, that if you live in Texas, earn $50k (gross income not take home pay), live a life that is not extravagant (I don't mean suffer yourself), you will save much more more than 9k and live a better quality of life than most people living in Nigeria.
nigeriandream14: I have done a thorough research and my findings are very interesting. I hope the Moderators considers me worthy to move this to the front page.
It is impossible for someone earning $50,000 annually abroad to save $25 daily (Over $9,000 annually). Majority, if not all of western countries consider people making $50,000 as middle class. $25 dollars is just 10,000 naira daily. I believe most Nigerians with handwork can make that much comfortably daily. I am not trying to discourage anyone from traveling abroad, I just want us to have a rethink and see that Nigeria is not that bad as we portray it to be. Drivers, laborers, petty businesses etc all make over 10,000 daily. Forget the daily complain of hardship we read online daily. It is a Nigerian trait. Tens of millions of our citizens do actually make above 10,000 daily. What we need to do is cultivate the saving habits of our brothers who live in diaspora. Nigerians only learn how to save when they travel abroad. If we work on ourselves, saving a million naira annually won't be a problem. Thanks
SmartJac: Please when did you start applying for the spousal visa? Secondly, my Agent was saying that they hardly approve the fiance visa. How true is this please?
Agent? Please forget using an agent.
You can do the process yourself unless you have a complicated case.....and what you need for a complicated case is an immigration lawyer in the US not a Nigerian agent that does not understand the process himself/herself.
You should also join visajourney.com. Great resource and information on any question regarding the K1 and Spousal visa there.
Treasureprince1: Guys I safely arrived the US last week, I had a very smooth session at port of entry, I was just asked the address I'll be staying and that was it. All the best to all of us
Yay. Wasere. Yankee man. You don escape leave us for Naija.
I don't know why but I am super excited for you. God bless your new start and new family.
daisydamsy: Please how is it that I got an email from someone from this forum? How did they get my email address? Thought it was protected on here.
You can PM Nairaland members.
If you are not connected to the the member sending the PM or the member is PMing the first time, your email address will not be visible until you you reply to the email, then the member can see your email address because your reply sent him an email.
So generally speaking, no one knows your email address until you reply the initial PM.
daisydamsy: Statement was taken but it was a narration of what happened indicating innocence. Below is how the question is asked on DS form. “Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though subject of a pardon, amnesty or other similar action?”
Based on your situation as stated, your answer is NO.
LegitBachelor: Yes O, it's been a while. Trying to cope with the very fast and demanding culture of the US. It's very hard for a lazy man to survive here in Yankee o....lol. If one is not careful, one will find himself or herself living in makeshift shelters with his or her family within a matter of seconds. But if you are hardworking, you will survive . If you are hardworking and also innovative, you'll become a billionaire . That's the good thing about the US.
Regarding my fiancée Visa journey, I'm waiting for my window period to begin the removal of the conditions on my greencard. The window period is 90 days to the expiration of the greencard.
You are spot on. It's a fast and demanding culture.
Them don kill me with work for office. They are always telling me I do a good job but I'm not fast enough. They are right, I like to take my time.
I got to the embassy by around 6:15am, we waited till around 7am till the security checks were done, , after everything I was called to window 17 and a chubby white guy interviewed me, I was asked just five questions
CO: how did you guys meet Me: answered
CO: when did you propose Me: I answered
CO: sorry i didn't understand what you explained on how you guys met, you talk so fast, please calm down a little,
Me: I started explaining from beginning.
CO: so who introduced you guys to each other, your uncle or hers
Me: mine
CO: what does she do
Me: answered
CO: I'm approving you and your visa will be issued within a week
Me: thank you so much sir, I'm grateful
CO: all the best in your marriage
Yay. Congratulations.
Our last born is gradually becoming first born.
You try. After a very loonnnng wait due to covid. Welcome to America. Which city will you be staying? Feel free to reach out when you arrive. America is sweet and it is a land of opportunities. Do the right things, put in the work and you will succeed.
Sukey: Hello guys,so it’s been a while I posted here but here’s my update,I got my green card,my interview was on the 5th of April and even though the interviewer didn’t approve us on the spot,we were approved 2 hours later,and I got my card the following week,I pretty much went with every possible thing plus we have a baby together so I think that must have helped,they didn’t ask us no personal questions or anything like that,just asked us to submit every evidence we have and stuff like that,thank you to everybody who has shared info in one way or the other to make this progress possible,y’all are the real mvp’s
You have a baby? Congratulations. God will continue to bless your home.
slimanyd: See as person dey change job monthly like say nah akara , Thats one beauty about a working country. Imagine , You Paying school fees , and rent just for doing deliveries. Who dear does that in the fucki n g hole country. We all go get there sha one day .
You can gross $5k per month ($60k per annum) doing food deliveries (DoorDash, Ubereats) working 11am to 9pm (with a 1 hour break and several down times in between ), 5 days a week (work Saturday, Sunday and take any 2 days off during the week) if you locate a good area to do the deliveries.
This post might be helpful for Nigerians living in diaspora or looking to vacation in the USA.
Let's me first say, I absolutely love "NOLA" as we here in the states fondly refer to New Orleans - it's literally a melting and such a fun city. The city simply does not sleep, and pretty much anything goes!
I recently visiting New Orleans, Louisiana on a “foodie tour” for 4 days. You might ask “what is a foodie tour”? It’s when you travel to a destination specifically to taste and sample local foods (and cocktails). Louisiana is a southern state and their cooking techniques clearly were passed down from our ancestors in Western Africa and France.
By way of history, Louisiana purchased African slaves and was part of the slave trade. We had the opportunity to visit the Whitney Plantation Museum. The Whitney Plantation Museum is the only museum in Louisiana with an exclusive focus on the lives of enslaved people. Many of its decedents can be linked back to Western Africa – a few we traced back to Nigeria, specifically Igbo and Yoruba tribes, although I’m sure there were other tribes.
I like to share this experience with you because many to travel to the USA yet bypass the southern states which you may have lineage through. It’s definitely eye opening (and painful) to see some of the conditions your ancestors had to live in and endure. However it’s our history and part of who we are.
We also visited the National WWII Museum which was quite interesting and educational as well.
If you would like to see about my travels, learn about budget travel tips, feel free to follow me on Instagram @MsTravelinDiva_ and YouTube MsTravelinDiva_.
Safe travels and I hope you enjoy!
First set of pictures is from my hotel. We lodged at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans
This thread is making me feel nostalgic.
I remember my trip to NOLA in January 2019. Nice place to visit.
Pic 1 - Jackson Park Pic 2 - Harrah's Casino Pic 3 - Buffet at Harrah's Pic 4 - French Quarters
humility1st: Please does anyone have an idea on the timline for AOS interview. Mine has been waiting since March. Im concerned because the EAD is valid for one year. With the long wait times what can one do? I Its a few months away. Also I have heard of a Automatic Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Extension. Does anyone know how this applies?
Just be patient. Your AOS interview will come when they are ready. You don't need to stress about it because you can't do anything about the timing except pray.
When your current EAD has 180days to expire, apply for another one. There is no automatic extension if you do not apply. The automatic extension only comes after you get your NOA1 and I think it's for 180days. The EAD would have been processed and sent to you before the end of the 180 days.
I hope everyone is fine and safe, especially our members who are in Naija? A quick update on my case, I got a mail from USCIS yesterday for my interview. However, the date they gave me didn't really favor me as my wife is away on active duty and will not be back before the interview date. I went to the local office today to explain the situation and also showed them a written letter from her command stating that she will be away between the month of October to November. After taking a look at it, the case officer I met placed a call, then came back and told me to still come for the interview with all the necessary documents and supporting evidence. If they still feel the need to contact her, they will. So I hope everything works out, wish me luck. Cheers!!!!
Silverpurple: I will appreciate insight from people here to know if this covid period is a good time to relocate to Aussy...
I recently got the Aussy, 189 PR visa. I stay and work in Lagos earning 550k a month. Is this a good time to leave all and move to Aussy. I am a software developer in Lagos.
Also, I have a wife and infant son.
Thanks for your advice..
Better get the hell out of that god forsaken shit-hole country.
OakPearl: I would advise that you gather as much knowledge as possible because your hard earned money will be sent on this errand. You don't want it to go and not return. In investing, capital preservation is rule no. 1 and 2.
Meanwhile, since mentorship is the legal short cut to success, lots of ideas, resource materials and web links have been shared on previous pages on this thread. Do your best to read up on them and utilise the links and materials. This will make you your own boss over time.
While you are at that, the time frame you have planned for is wealth creation friendly. Please if you must speculate, do it with very minimal funds unless you are in a hurry to "pay school fees.
Without hurrying, at a good entry price based on right timing, the following stocks can be studied and considered for your project.
1. $AAPL ($506.09) buy immediately after stock split 2. $NIO ($20.44) buy under $18 3. $SQ ($153.74) buy under $150 4. $FSLY ($89.69) buy under $80 5. $FB ($303.91) buy under $290 6. $PYPL ($203.48) under $290 7. $LOGI ($74.82) buy under $70 8. $CHGG ($76.34) buy under $70 9. $JD (80.83) buy under $70 10. $OSTK under $100
The above could easily pass for my top 10 most stable and most promising. But they are not exactly, simply because I didn't do a research of all available stocks on the exchange. I own some of these and still waiting for the right time to own those I don't have or increase those I already have. They will do very well in the future we are going into-the new normal.
Nothing is cast in stone. Anything can happen. Some may never return to the expected prices unless there is a crash which if it happens like it did in March this year, will be another fantastic opportunity to cherry-pick great stocks at "bend down, select" prices. Na so I use buy Apple at $290/share oh. Happy investing bro.
@OakPearl, I noticed you don't have MSFT on your list.
That stock seems to be one of the most stable and promising stock i have come across.
CuteMercury: Ladies and gentleman for so long AFRICANS have lost it, we have been made to accept things that were not right, things that have been said about Africa.
A recent video of pastor Chris oyakhilome surfaces when he Said AFRICANS should stop accepting that they are black and to my surprise.
lots of NIGERIANS started to attack him, well i really don't blame them because most NIGERIANS/AFRICANS are not Enlightened and this is why the whites secretly laugh at us.
Now taking a look at the new music video of Beyonce featuring Wizkid came out days ago and the song was titled "Brown skin girl"
Now was Beyonce trying to pass a message?
Why did she not use title like "Black skin girl"?
Why Brown skin girl?
LOL. OP......so Beyonce is the proof that your pastor is right? You no even try use the bible.....na beyonce you dey use.
Meanwhile.....your pastor and church members wear black suits o. Why are they wearing darkness in their lives?
mofedamijo: Hello, congrats and hope you're doing great. Sorry to disturb you. I will like to know if you wrote a "Circumstances of Meeting/Declaration of How We Met" letter?? thanks.
Thanks. The post you quoted is about a year old.
To your question, i did not write any letter on how we met. Where you asked for one?
CuteMercury: Good evening ladies and gentlemen, so by next year or next two years, it is now 100% certain that i will leave for the United States of America.
Though i am educated but what i have come to understand is that in our world today, most especially in the United States of America, learning a skill is very Very important and you can can never go broke or jobless if you have certain skills in the United States of America.
So i want to use the rest of this year to acquire a skill that will be of great help to me when i get to America.
So i have decided to learn interior home and office designing and decorating.
I want to ask if acquiring a skill of interior design is the best for me or what are the top skills you think i can acquire or someone can acquire before travelling to the United States of America.
If you learnt this in Nigeria......just forget it......our standards are too low.
Except you plan to attend an interior decor and office design school in the US.
Drenimarcus: With this caps my weekend adventures. I am heading back home but surely will be updating this thread when ever I am on my adventures. Thank you.
Nice.
But you try o. Adventure for this covid era? Let your next adventure bring you down south.
America might have more educational opportunies than Nigeria but overall, I dont think that life is better here. Although it's nice to have electricity 24 hours a day, but I really didnt mind sleeping without in the dark.
People go through the same problems that some Nigerians complain about; Crime and corruption. The American government is also filled with corruption just like Nigeria. Except education, what other reasons do people have for leaving Nigeria?
If it was up to me, I would return to Nigeria in a blink of an eye because I miss everything about it.
This comment made in 2009
AjanleKoko: For the same reason that you are not older than your father, Nigeria cannot be better than abroad. Abroad in this case being Western Europe and North America.
Even those of us who live and work in Lagos don't deceive ourselves. Some people work in top jobs here, but nobody is decieving themselves. I have four generators and an inverter. Last Monday it took five hours before I got home. Even though I have a driver, I sure didn't enjoy the time spent in traffic!
Someone said Nigeria has the cheapest education anywhere. What a crock. We don't even have a functioning educational system. I think like someone said, Nigeria manages to function. It's not really a country, it's just a place where people live. Some make good money from the environment, the by far greater majority just scrape by. Nigerians are great people though. Very resillient and adaptive, and they try to make the best of whatever situation they find themselves.
But there is no money made in Nigeria that cannot be made elsewhere, if you are talking about legitimate earnings, and not looting. Of course it's more difficult to steal abroad. They have working law enforcement, unlike Nigeria, and there's a system in place. So nobody can just make millions of dollars disappear just like that, though some like Madoff or Stanford are able to do it. They still end up paying for it sha. I know lots of Nigerians abroad who are making very good money, both paid employees, and business owners. Unlike their Nigerian counterparts, they don't go for lau-lau spending, primarily because of the tax system, and also because they understand the true principle of business, which is expansion by re-investing profits, not using the profits to buy houses for your girlfriends and stuff.
Now.......we are half way in 2020 and this argument is still goes on everyday.
After 14 years.....no progress. No nothing. The country is getting worse. Any hope for this country?
My conclusion......Nigeria is a hopeless situation.
smartkester: you forgot he has more than one stream of income and he works overtime as well. Well, that's what you get when you're in a functional system, your hard work would reflect in your account unlike Nigeria.
Exactly my point. He has more opportunities and potential to be better.
smartkester: bro you don't make comparisons that way. #5.3million naira isn't a big deal when converted to Canadian dollar, the state of the Nigeria economy is making you see the amount as huge Money. #5.3million can buy you a land in Nigeria but that same amount can't do same in Canada. It's quite relative. Don't get me wrong, I'm just trying to explain how the state of the nation is making us see normal things as huge.
He did not say he made or earned that amount. He said he SAVED that amount in 4 months working as a security guard......after taking care of all his living expenses.
How much do you think a security guard can save in 4 months in Nigeria?? That is the difference.
The total deductions from the income no reach 40%?
So wetin you dey talk abi you ignorant?
Someone's gross is 10k monthly but he can only use 6k. Isn't that the point?
Please bounce.
This olodo. After one full week....you have come again to restart an argument that already ended. You even quoted a post you already responded to. Are you this retarded?
Where did you see anyone in the US earning 10k go home with 6k because of tax? In your dreams abi.
Travel › Re: It Is Impossible To Save $25 (₦10,000) Daily Abroad by sharpman1(m): 6:35pm On Jul 19, 2021
. If you are hardworking and also innovative, you'll become a billionaire 
. That's the good thing about the US.