₦airaland Forum

A friend who is now a professor at Penn state University is looking to fill 2 Phd positions (phd students) in the area of controls and robotics

https://sites.psu.edu/donaldebeigbe/openings/

He really would love to take Nigerians. So if you qualified or know someone that this would help, please share

Denuga91:
Guys, I'm having issues paying my SEVIS from the US. A friend tried helping me, he went two Western Union outlets in Chicago but couldn't get it done.
Has anyone experienced this before?
What could be wrong?

Yea, SevisFee payment haven’t been going since today. I tried twice today and wasn’t successful.
Dunno what’s wrong with DHS

Lete:
Please can anybody help me with this please, some is trying to make sevis fee payment for a friend right there in the u.s but he doesn’t know how to proceed, can anyone help please it’s urgent. Thanks.

If you still need the help, I won't advice your friend to do that payment himself. Sevis fee is non refundable so any mistake and your $359.99 is gone.

Tell your friend to go to Walmart or any grocery store, money store or bank that does western union and let them make the payment. It's easier that way.

Some workers in these stores won't know how to do the payment, some will even call it fraud but he should just move to another place

Mosminic:
Kiddos?
Some are older than you you know? Just because you're in the US already doesn't give you the "Elder Brother" position. Majority have come this far without any help from anyone (except genuine helpers here e.g fairheart and Lagosismyhome) on this thread. Aced their tests, waited throughout the application review period. So I believe if anyone thinks he can dampen their enthusiasm, kindly reevaluate.

Mehn I pray y'all get your visas o so y'all can see the other side of the world. FYI, kiddo is an informal greeting. Same way most of you think "Hey" is a word that shouldn't be used on elders when actually "hey" is a greeting.

I wish we can learn not to be so fast to attack. Come to think about it, you are trying to go through a path other people have gone through, so you are their kiddo with respect to that path, so am still correct to address you as "kiddo" on this thread. If you come to the city where I live in, i can pick you up at the airport, accommodate you and help you find your way around town. So yes, you are "kiddo" in that regard.

And that post is not in any way about enthusiasm dampening. It is not even dampening anything at all.

Age might be a big factor in the part of the world where you are right now but age is not a big deal in the part of the world where you are aspiring to be. You will learn that soon kiddo

lifeofgolden1:
@

With all due respect Sir/Ma, that's not a good response. Some questions might be asked, not because the questionnaire does not have the answer, but for clarity and firmness sake he/she just wants to know. Been helpful costs us nothing biko.

In the mouth of two witnesses, the truth will be established.
@Oreoluwamipo:
It is not a wise decision to seek a second degree when you've passed that stage already. It might be a red flag for you at the embassy but it's not impossible. I won't say the chances are low or high but you should always be on the safer side you know!.....Anyways, it all depends on how you defend yourself in the presence of the consular officer. But, if I were you, I won't go for a second degree. Nothing pass God

Why are we just keen to attack. Your response is exactly the biased one sided opinion I talked about.

While it may not be a wise decision and doesn't make sense to you, some other persons have successfully gone for another BSc after acquiring a Bsc in Nigeria. You clearly don't know the posters reason for going for a second degree and so you won't necessary be in the best position to give advices.

You criticized my response yet you went further to say "it depends on her". How does that differ from my response?

We can all give advice without criticizing other people's responses

Oreoluwamipo:
Hi guys , I'm new here .. Please does is make sense to apply into a college after a Bsc degree over here ? I await your response (s) , thanks.

Ask yourself this question, "why would I need another BSc since I already have a Bsc"?.

Try to answer that question as honestly and to the best of your abilities as you can. Whatever answers you come up with will help you determine if it makes sense to apply to a college after a Bsc degree in Nigeria.

Note that the answers people will give you on here will be biased based on the responder inclination/life experiences on issues like this. You alone know your true situation and should be able to give the best answer

Picricchem:
I agree with you sir. CDC did not come out to agree with that but there is an element of truth in what she said.

I recently decided not to argue much on this thread but I must say this.

There's no element of truth is what she tweeted. It's simply a political stunt. She wants to contest Nancy Pelosi seat in November election. Go to her tweeter page, all she tweets about is left this and left that.

Measuring instruments all have margin of error but an almost 80000 margin of error is ridiculous. So sad someone will even imagine CDC will erroneously do such.

Same thing they said about New York cases. New York solved their problem and everyone forgot their theories. Florida is the new epicenter and the theories is coming back again. Nawa o

Picricchem:
Madam lagosismyhome, let me tell you that you are among the few people I respect the most on this platform. I have never contacted you directly but I am confident that you've made huge impact on so many lives here. I'm saying this to let you know that I would never comment on your space rudely.

But then, Yoruba people say when a young fellow is cutting down a tree in the forest, the elderly usually know the direction in which the tree would fall. While the elderly were right with their predictions almost all the time, many atimes they don't tell the young fellow, that's because they believe they can't be right all the time.

Time has a way of healing even the most hurtful occurrence or experience. When people hope and clamor for things and God didn't make it happen, they adjust. The present issue of opening of embassies is beyond any of us here.
People go out in the US to perform their daily routines. We can't pray to remain under lock forever here. People that locked Nigerians up here have a way of traveling abroad when they want to.

US government is moving their permanent residents and citizens to the US when there is need for that. At least a flight is scheduled for that tomorrow (check their website). The people they are moving to the US tomorrow would consist majorly of Nigerians that have secured permanent residence in the US and those that are already citizens. They are not afraid to catch COVID, and they would rather associate with the US.

Even the COVID cases we are shouting in the US sef, it is becoming glaring that some figures are hyped. Check the attached picture here. CDC agreed they made mistakes in recorded cases. Initially reported 90k cases in Florida is coming down to 11k under scrutiny. See the margin!

So, please ma'am we need encouragement from you. If we have the opportunity to get to the US this Fall, we shall take precautionary measures. We shall live.

I personally understand your point of view, but hmm.. What is after number 6 is more than number 7 oo

Point of correction. CDC never agreed to any mistake. Main stream Republicans have gone past "denial" stage with respect to Covid. Even Trump has accepted that Covid will get much much worse. So pay no attention to Deanna Lorraine and her stupid theories and useless tweets. Anybody with a smart phone and data will tweet. let her come and explain why ICU beds have maxed out in most parts of Florida.

We should learn to do more research and evaluate what we hear. Don't just accept anything you hear as the truth just because it aligns with your optimism

greenskittles:
Thanks. I definitely would be able to study from Nigeria if I had the resources, but unfortunately I don't, and that's why I need to be completely sure that I could be paid the stipend. I don't think I would be able to take a part time job and still perform to the best of my ability. The courses I'm going to be taking are pretty intense, and that's part of the reason why I'm being funded on a fellowship (no work, basically) instead of an assistantship. The international center said they're still reviewing the legality of paying students and will give an update when they're sure of a solid interpretation of the laws. I also just got news that the Stanford Credit Union is also going to make it possible for students to open bank accounts with them remotely, so right now it really is a matter of the laws. Keeping my fingers crossed. All this would be solved if the Nigerian Government actually cared about it's citizens.

When I got my on campus job, I didn't receive my first cheque when it was due. My boss said I was paid so I went to payroll to complain. Payroll seized my cheque because I didn't follow through on the paper work and submit my SSN for tax purposes.

So i think the payroll department will determine your fate. Be rest assured your department will pay you your stipends. Worst case scenario, payroll will seize all your cheques until you get on campus if they don't want to use your ITIN for tax purposes.

I think you should be just fine with ITIN. The Full Bright scholars that came to my school last year were not given SSN despite them being on campus. They were given ITIN and they were fine. W9 form accepts ITIN for tax purposes, so I think you should be fine as long as Stanford Credit Union agrees to open a remote US account for you guys.

Always let them know that you already have an ITIN and that you can fill your w9 form from Nigeria and courier it to them. It might come down to that w9 form

When I said incoming Nigerian students should forget about visa for Fall, people accuse me of trying to deprive people of their optimism.

Nigerians take things to heart without proper evaluation. The moment Covid 19 started, Bill Gates and dem dem prophesied doom for Africa. Do you all think Americans believe the low Covid 19 cases coming out of Africa. Hell NO

You have an anti immigration POTUS that is claiming he has done a GRE AT job handling Covid 19 and that the US has lots of cases because they are doing more test. He's implying that other countries (shit hole countries) are not reporting lot of cases because they are not even testing.

The same POTUS banned Nigeria from immigration visas last year and you think he will send his agents to reopen embassy in Nigeria just like that.

The problem is the POTUS and his administration doesn't believe in the numbers coming out of Nigeria and Africa in general.

Sadly Nigeria can afford to keep its international airspace closed. The minister of education already said he is ok with school children missing one full academic year and priviledged Nigerians are flying international even with the closed airspace (as am speaking, a chartered airplane just left MM2 for Toronto with Nigerian-Canadians and Nigerians with Canadian permanent residency). If the current rubbish continues, spring semester ain't even sure for Nigerians

iWise:
This is not quite the case. The rule modification only apply to returning students.

This is the immigration lawyer that I got the explanation from. The judge that delivered the news said "ICE will go back to status quo" which means how things were before the 6th July directive

statemanui:
Guys, please am i suppose to request for a new I-20 from my school?
I got one in May this year for fall.

With today's surrender of the Trump administration and ICE reverting back to March exemptions, schools can now go fully online if they wish hence there will be no need for a new i-20.

If you can get an appointment at the embassy, you can use your already issued i-20.

DT ploy to force schools to reopen failed, the game continues

Legit215:
If Nigeria doesn't open up their airspace by the end of July or beginning of August, how can one go about it. like bus to take to cotonuo and the name of flight one should book to arrive in the USA.
Thanks

ABC, Chisco can take you to Cotonuo from Oshodi, Mile2 etc, then you can search for airlines to the US on expedia

greenskittles:
According to the guidelines from ICE, yes. You can email your school's international center to ask, although they might still be in "panic mode", and may not reply on time

Yea, true. Everything is still unclear right now. 18 states including Washington DC and at least 3 ivy league schools has sued the administration over the ICE directive. A federal judge will be presiding in one of such lawsuit today. Hopefully, the directive will be voided in court today.

My school international office has already planned a webinar to discuss the fall out of today court ruling. They will formulate a plan after today decision. So everything is up in the air right now

Legit215:
The US repatriation flight scheduled this month stated for only residents and citizens, how possible can a student follow through with the flight.

Hope for the best (Nigeria airspace reopen for international flight) but expect and plan for the worst (airspace doesn't open).

If by month end the airspace situation has not changed, move yourself to Contonuo and travel from there. My sister with Canadian immigrant visa had to do so recently.

I must warn you, that route will be freaking expensive so budget likewise

Paragontek:
You are in Nigeria now?

Am in the US but I have visa to some other countries. An expired US visa means I can't visit those other countries because I can't return to the US on an expired visa

TrojanSnail:
.

Thank God I didn't post this else people would have said I should allow people to be hopeful.

If I have said here that the EU posted their directives last week about reopening and Nigeria isn't on the list of countries that will be allowed into the EU, some persons would have come here to say am a pessimist.

Truth is a bitter pill. Am weeks away from having an expired visa, I need a visa much more than most people here before am stuck in this country without a visa but I had to swallow the bitter pill that if i graduate without fixing my visa issues I might not be able to leave this country for a long time even in emergency.

HoluwadareY:
Mehn broh...why are you so rude? I hope you find peace o

rude? You are so funny

Someone quoted where I tried to explain that ICE has nothing to do with embassy reopening and she also tried to say am preventing people from having hopes, like I have a personal agenda against optimism and I responded, then am being rude.

Some of you guys want people to just be telling you want you want to hear. But unfortunately not everyone is wired that way.

You can call me all the names in the world but anytime I come here and see anything I feel is out of place, trust that I will point it out

Chacha22:
It’s not misinformation.. the document clearly made a statement about “All” students scheduled for fall semester.
So like the previous person said . We appreciate the information but allow people to exercise their hope. Embassy may or may not open for fall. But no one is 100% sure of what it will be tomorrow. Even if they open they can still close The next day . These are uncertain times

Again seeing only what you want to see.

Where have I ever said people should ditch their hopes or where have I ever said embassy won't reopen?

I guess you just wanted to comment just to mark attendance. Oya we don see you, you visited the thread today. lol

Cocao:
I never said or insinuated so. There was never a fabrication of information in the first place.

Did you also try to go through the flow of the thread to understand what led to that epistle? There would have been no need for you to take the pain of going through ICE website and reading all the FAQ if you have just read through some 5pages back.

The posters I quoted in his previous post tried to link the new ICE directive to helping embassy reopen. I tried to unlink his statement stating that ICE has no link to embassies. He went ahead to buttress his misinformation with an excerpt of Homeland security.

And here you are after reading unnecessary pages from ICE website arguing there was no misinformation on this thread.

The world is how you see it. If you want misinformation to gladden your day you can keep on being selective on what you read on this thread but don't say that people don't want to hear the reality on this thread. Facts over misinformation

Cocao:
You are making sense. I understand. But nobody needs to hear the epistle you just wrote. People on this thread want hope, even a ray of it will make their day. Most of what you typed could be true, but right now, nobody wants to hear that. It is not your job to give anyone the reality on ground, believe me, they know this reality. But reality has never stopped anyone from hoping or having more faith. There is a time for everything and Sir, kindly note that now is not the time for what you typed.

So it's ok for the thread to be based on misinformation as long as it gives people false hope?

Can you even hear how you sound right now

Sanguine1:
Hello all,
Is I-20 needed if i want to register for online classes for this FALL-SEMESTER.

And more so, what is the implication of my decision to start online classes for this FALL-SEMESTER on my F1 Visa? Hope I am safe or I should just defer the admission?

Please help me out gurus in the house.

You don't need an i20 if you don't plan to be on campus for fall semster. i-20, Sevis fees are what ICE uses to track your legal status while you are in the US. So if you plan on taking online classes from Nigeria, then you don't need both of them.

Taking online classes for fall semester doesn't guarantee that you will be issued visa for subsequent semesters. You can take online classes and USCIS will still find you without adequate home ties hence deem you unfit for a visa.

Like I advised before, if you want to take online classes for fall semster and you ain't on full funding, don't pay fall semseter tuition as you won't get a refund if you don't get visa later. Except you can afford to forfeit the paid tuition or you are OK with doing the entire program online from Nigeria if your visa application goes south

HoluwadareY:
The info in the attached file clearly solidifies the point I was trying to make here...

If people wey get experience dey tell you something you go dey argue because say you get data, phone and nairaland account.

That subsection you highlighted in your picture refers to current students with visas that left the country before the lockdown (during spring break) and will be trying to return for fall semester or incoming students that got visa before closure of embassies. Nothing concerns ICE and embassy.

Embassy and visa are sole responsibility of USCIS. though both agencies falls under Department of homeland security (DHS) their duties are clearly distinguished.

When you hear DHS use the word "admittance", they mean Visa, legal entry and staying lawful in the country, if USCIS use the word "admittance" it may then mean Visa, if CBP use the word "admittance" it means entry into the Country and if ICE use the word "admittance" it means lawful stay in the country. Don't mix them up

That directive have added more uncertainty to the whole F1 process especially for upcoming fall semester. In a communique issue out by a school, ICE will be clarifying a section of that directive in the coming days.

So stop dreaming and trying to explain something you have no idea about. ICE issuing out that directive were not trying to help embassy reopen because embassy is the sole responsibility of USCIS that are currently fighting their own battle with solvency

oracle009:
Olasubomy... I said it is laughable because the tone of the mail reflects that the schools are quite against the Trump policy.

It sounds quite rebellious, and ofcourse highly optimistic as you have rightly noted.

It is not an act of rebellion. They are doing what they think it's best to keep their school community safe.

Governor Dewine of Ohio issued a mask mandate for 7 Hotspot counties in Ohio and you think it sounds rebellious for a school to decide to go online?

Trump wants all schools to reopen without regard to safefy. He even threatened to withdraw funding from schools that don't reopen.

Harvard and MIT have kukuma sued this policy, let's see how it's pans out

Friedpotato:
Transferring is not an option as most schools are done with admission processes. Then the logistics involved is cumbersome and unnecessary. I believe most schools would make it hybrid for international Students.

Below is an excerpt from Havard's response.

Everything na politics but one yeye ICE no fit outsmart thousands of school. Schools go outsmart them by moving to hybrid with a large percentage of activities still online.

We no suppose to dey give this yeye proclamation all these attention wey we dey give am.

In my opinion, it's a dead on arrival proclamation

Friedpotato:
I'm not sure you read the stuff.

They're saying people there should come back to their countries but you think it's a way of opening embassies so that those outside would come in?

The guy funny ghan. Plenty people just full nairaland dey dream, only seeing what they want to see out of every situation.

kilankoazeez:
What if it's a decoy for schools to open during fall semester in-person instead of online. I think Trump wants to reopen at all cost and that's what majority of his fans want. If schools don't reopen in-person int'l students will transfer or leave the country and schools will lose funds invariably.

So see this policy/threat in an objective way.

Everyone that has sense by now would have known that anything this administration does now is a reelection strategy.

You want to force schools to reopen at the expense of elderly professors that are likely to die at Covid-19. Go and see the mutiny Georgia Tech professors are brewing against in-person classes

How will school react? Most schools like my school will smartly switch to hybrid and shey ICE will be in their office and know what percentage of student are really doing the in-person part of the hybrid.

USA right now is a game, the best players will come out top

HoluwadareY:
Though I feel the new proclamation is not very fair especially for students already in the US, but I think it's ICE' way of ensuring ONLY people that needs to travel to study are given VISAs...I also think this is a good step leading to embassy reopening (International students are to be prioritized for the new i-20). All the best guys and I hope those affected negatively will be okay , too.

This one is a dreamer o, walatali.

How will this proclamation by ICE help USCIS that is about to furlough a major amount of its workers reopen embassy?

This proclamation has just thrown more uncertainty into the whole school, F1 visa and everything related to it.

And international students are the only students that need i20, so there will be no i20 priority over any other subset of students

sexylassie2:
I will just say this

rewriting a test 2 times is bad, i can tell you categorically, that if you fail a test in the first sitting, in the second sitting you wont score higher mark even if you get 90% of the questions in some exams.

no matter the preparation, as long there is a grading, if you write a test and someone score higher than you, according to the grading system, he is smarter than you.

All test have grading systems and they use the grading systems to judge a student performance in an exam.

I find this funny

I wrote the GRE twice. First time I score a miserable 305, second time I scored 318. Does that mean I wasn't smart enough the first time I wrote the test or my smartness/intelligence increases with increase in the number of GRE tests I take?

Do you know the average number of GRE tests people that score very well on the GRE usually take? I guess you will be surprised if you do this research.

GRE is a standardized tests that like every other test can be mastered. If I have written GRE a third time, I most definitely would have performed better than my first 2 trials

Topiipii:
The plot was based on what ETS released for every country, so I don't know the reason for the snide remarks. If you think 320+ is not unusual, then give us your proof since ETS report is not good enough.

apologies for the snide remarks

Topiipii:
The plot was based on what ETS released for every country, so I don't know the reason for the snide remarks. If you think 320+ is not unusual, then give us your proof since ETS report is not good enough.

Am not doubting ETS report, am arguing the use of the word "unusual". 320+ score is not rare/abnormal/unusual. I know many Nigerians that score 320+ on the GRE. I know many Nigerians that score 160+ on Quant and Verbal section.