₦airaland Forum

I just checked my British Airways Avios and it's currently at 97,000! And this is all just from using the AMEX card for 5 months, well most should be from people I referred.

With 97k points, I just noticed I could fly free of charge to anywhere in the world with Qatar Airlines, American Airline, BA and some other 10 Airlines or so.

Not a bad deal, since I haven't spent a single down payment for a roasted corn interest. Yeah, I just use for groceries and pay in full monthly, no interest or fees ever.

My link is below, let me keep accumulating these points.

https://americanexpress.com/en-gb/referral/jEDIDAcKK3?XL=MNANS

phyl123:
Are there still people like you? Someone who said he doesn’t travel with luggage? You should listen to your wife, What I would have done is rented Hotel for him or AirBNB for one week after that he finds his way.

Thank you! Even now, I will tell him everything he has done wrong, then tell him he's leaving immediately and I can bring out my money and rent airbnb of two days if he accepts, otherwise, he should prepare to come back the next time he leaves the house and see his luggage outside.

I once hosted my friend's family few months after arriving UK, but they were very pleasant, stayed for almost 2 months and the husband was sending me £75 every week to support bills.

Your guy needs to leave, if you're feeling too nice, like me, book Airbnb for him for two days, maybe £60, it's worth your peace of mind but you must let him know where he messed up cos of "tomorrow".

lightnlife:
Does any anyone know a platform to receive and send USD to a Nigerian USD account.

Wise has stopped sending USD to Nigeria. Chipper cash is trash with poor customer service. Send can't receive.

Thanks in advance

There are a lot: Sendwave, WorldRemit, etc

Lexusgs430:
Interest free mortgage, would eventually become a very nasty trap (if that's the only property you own)........

Repayment mortgage is the best, you're paying the interest + capital........

Let me explain Interest only mortgage to you, in the simplest form ......

You buy a £200,000 property, mortgage term is 25 years........

The interest on the mortgage is £70K............. In 25 years, you would have only paid back £70K.......

At the time of maturity, you must pay your lender the balance of £130K........

If you're now semi retired, and lucky enough to have £130K, under your pillow (goodluck).......

If you don't ...... You don buy wàhálà.........

At the end of the tenure, you pay £200k, not £130k... If I'm correct.

Ogbaba123:
Hello senior women/men, please what are the pros and cons of an interest only mortgage? I have read about these difference but still not sure why any of the options should be picked over the other. Please can someone explain further the advantages and disadvantages of the different kinds of mortgage payments. Cheers!

@Ticha

justwise:
Who gives you a high paying full time job on student visa? If the whole idea is not for sponsorship and ILR at the end how will you get a job in this country?

I think you and Amarathripple0 are saying the same thing but on two different extremes.

People get high paying jobs on student visas especially after graduating. Also, many people here are student dependants who can actually get high paying full time jobs too.

I don't want to talk about myself so no one says "If God blesses you...", but I have mentioned here of my friend who got a £50k job with sponsorship as a student in June. He was told to work only 3 times a week till he graduates in September. It was an energy company and he was a Banker in Nigeria but the skills were transferrable.

I know someone who was a HR personnel in Nigeria and I tried to encourage him to apply but he said what you're saying "it's unlikely to land a professional job", "it's only care that can give visa", etc. Who knows, if he had tried, he may have found his way in since he had 16 months before the end of the wife's student visa.

Another friend just got 3 year sponsorship in Construction. I couldn't believe that Construction could give sponsorship till he told me.

People should actually give heed to the advice. It's Nairaland, people share anonymous advice, take what you can and leave the rest. No point accusing people of being condescending.

Roles like Business Analysts are relatively easy to get and available, you can start without sponsorship and get another with sponsorship in a few months. I am speaking from my experience and that of others around me.

The rejection mails will come! I think rejection is even better than the ones that never get back. It's not easy but you have to chest it o.

HCA Visas are great! In fact, people can build decent careers in Care too, so nothing wrong with that. I guess the beauty of a platform like this is getting to see the wide variety of options and learning from people's experiences.

eniola1010:
I still stay in student accommodation for now where i on heater 24/7 even if i no dey house, my housemates all brits go on heater for sitting room, open windows and go out for 2days and not return. Water heater is on 24/7. We just dey do anyhow. Bulb is on 24/7. And we pay just 400/month. Everybody just dey waste light dey do anyhow.
So i dont really feel the brunt of electric fees.


But when i'm on my own. And i have my own apartment. Body go tell me. Infact. I no go get water heater self. Anybody wey wan bath. I go tell my wife make she carry kettle go boil water if she wan bath. No yeye water heater. And no yeye hot water coming out from kitchen tap. Cus that thing useless for my eye. Wetin i wan use hot water for kitchen tap do. Wetin no fit cook indomie

Heating in a kettle per usage may be more expensive

eniola1010:
The issue is that they are not looking at them in a condescending way. Dont you get!
They are only encouraging them to target higher jobs even whilst still doing their lower job. So no one is looking down on anyone

I can't believe people think that way. On a faceless platform? What would anyone gain by being condescending? People are sharing testimonies and quoting sites where they found jobs, giving strategies to their fellow Nigerians in the hope that people who can, will get better pays and others are attacking them. Hmmm...

I met an Indian who came in on a Dependent visa, as soon as he landed, he reached out to other Indians and told them the kind of job he wanted and they all pushed, advised, directed, referred... Within 1 month, he landed an Analsyt role where he was earning very well. He wasn't an Analyst in India o.

Of course, not everyone can get these jobs but everyone can try. You would be shocked at the volume of opportunities lurking around we are not aware of.

I have seen the people being attacked share some very good strategies here that anyone can try, I think people should look into them, at least, in the nearest future, no one would share such info again so they won't say "If God blesses you, don't look down on others..."

Viruses:
When God blesses you, do not look at people still awaiting their blessings like they are not hard working.

Wow, Omo, see mindset o!

deept:
Gas is not cheaper than electricity. Infact both are not cheap right now. It should not be a choice between either of them but how to regulate their use, simple things like switch off lights when not in use, boil only required volume of water you want to use for tea, etc helps.

Yup, particularly appliances that heat and cool. Do your bulbs get hot? Buy Energy Saving bulbs instead.

Recently, I studied my regulator for hot water and changed the settings, now it heats water only between 1am and 3am or so. Those 2 hours of heating daily is just enough for my entire family hot water usage daily: no more, no less. That was my magic number: any thing more than 2 hours, I have excess; anything less than 2 hours won't be enough.

Your curtains too, changing to thermal blinds that traps in heat could save you a lot.

Instead of heating the whole house so you can go around shirtless, turn down the heater and wear two layers of clothes. Saving £100 monthly throughout winter is a lot!

jadepinkett:
This bills are just scary � � �... how can one regulate their thermostat from the get go. If I have to pay this amount to learn a lesson, I'd just sit down and cry for the whole month..

If not that I was forming "hard man", I would have cried o! The regulators differ per house. Mine is quite straightforward thankfully. I just redice the set room temperature, so once the room reaches that temperature, the boiler goes off. The colder (lower temperature), the cheaper

eniola1010:
Which one is now better and cheaper.
Because i see a lot of people saying electric is better but i beg to differ o.

All the gas heater i have seen always heat faster and reaches wider. Most electric i have seen dont heat as fast and the heat doesnt disperse to wider reach like the gas own.

Of course, Electric is more expensive

justwise:
[/b]

You are not been realistic, its all good to talk the good talk but when you on student visa and needs sponsorship you are facing a different situation.
Job rejections can be demoralising and people keep reading here about landing those job salary jobs but it does not match the reality out there.

Get whatever job that offers you sponsorship, work towards getting ILR then....


Yes people do get those big salary jobs after graduation but there are in minority, majority have to work their way from low -high salary.


My point is...don't waste too much time chasing high profile jobs if you are on student visa and need sponsorship

Fair point actually, not everyone has requisite skills so it's important to try and get your foot in the door early first.

MrMash:
God bless you baba . I dey reason am . It's obvious something is fishy. Please which energy supplier do you use ?

What is the size of your boiler? Is it All-Electric? What's your Thermostat setting?

lightnlife:
At an average daily rate of £7.50, it's high.

Even if your house is all electric - power, heating and eating - you shouldn't be paying that high. Either there's a debt on the bill or the energy rating is between band E - G, abi person don tap your light .

For context, I stay in a one-bed flat. Prior to the current weather, my electricity (pre-paid) was £30 per month and gas was £31. Now, I'm doing £40 - £50 for electricity and £46 for gas (cooking and heating). Both are still under £100.

Even if it's only electricity you're using for power, heating and eating, £250 is rather too much.

Nah, you don't know much about Electric Heating. If you have a big boiler, one has to carefully regulate the Thermostat. My November bill was £284, with the rebate, I should pay about £218. I have paid about £900 in a month of carelessness before.

Rubyventures:
So gone are the days of popping into the thread for a little laughter.

Now you've said your appeal! Lool

A party that failed on every promise wants to be re-elected. A President who specifically condemned Foreign Medical trips and spent his entire tenure travelling for Foreign Medical Treatment should be ashamed not asking us to vote someone else who boldly does same.

I weep for Nigeria

The reason why this is a hot topic is because Tens of Thousands of people have their Tier 4 Visas expiring in January. After January, it'll subside.

Also, this thread is like an encyclopedia, almost all other issues have been addressed so no need of repeating them. After these career conversations, people can always refer to them in future too.

We've had lots of modules : IPTV, Cars, Housing, Credit Card, Weather, Banking, etc. I guess this is the module on "NHS Career Visa Sponsorship"

[quote author=Rubyventures post=118816685][/quote]Lool, well, I didn't see any deviation from the topic. I understand that the current conversation may not interest many of us, but I think it's definitely within "life of an immigrant in the UK", I may be wrong. If a "better" topic comes up, we'd all be sure to jump in if we can.

If you think it's too specialised, you can ask the mod to create a new thread for "switching visas" and "career conversations" but till then, you may have to "manage".

Rubyventures:
This thread has been overtaken by the same topics and the same questions for far too long. It has lost its intentions and appeal maybe a different thread needs to be created to answer most of these visa issues. This is just my personal observation.

Fair point. Two questions though:

1. What was the original intention and appeal of this thread?

2. Can you kindly raise topics that will re-ignite the "appeal" of the thread?

Amarathripple0:
Honestly, If I had seen this your comment last year I would have disagreed, but with what I've seen on this platform. I'm honestly worried. It's as if people are scared to strive for more. Platforms like Indeed, LinkedIn, Total Jobs, Glassdoor etc post great jobs every minute. I pray our people stop settling because being stuck with bad pay all in the name of Tier 2 visa and ILR is worrisome.

Have you forgotten the great " £20k pay" argument of few months ago?

AgentXxx:
Well done Elders in house, Please what good phone can one get with 150 to 300£?

Brand new? Get yourself a Samsung Galaxy A13. The 4G version is £130. Great specs for such an affordable price

CowbellY:
Quick question here. Do you get the 25% every year or for the first year only.

Every year... Once only for each new inflow

For those trying to learn trading, stocks and shares, crypto, etc just to avoid keeping their money in the Bank where Inflation will be sucking life out of it. You might be missing your Fixed Deposit back home where that Bank was giving you 10% per annum.

Consider opening a Stocks and Shares ISA, and invest your money in ETFs and Index Funds. If you're less inclined to risk, you can invest in bonds instead. Some of these funds do as much as 30% a year. But generally for Stocks, you can be looking at 7% per year and about 3% for bonds.

These remove the risk of analysing funds to know when the stock is going up or down.

ELff:
Please talking about this LISA, IA it true you can only use the funds for a new build assuming your plan is to use the money to buy a house.

Also please is the 25% government is giving considered public funds.

For someone like me looking to open one, when is the best time to start?

Thank you.

No.

No.

Yesterday.

justwise:
[/b]

Yes but only if the person is holding ILR or a British passport otherwise no.

You sure? Even with ILR, the person might still need a valid passport.

OgbeniOptional:
Hello everyone, please is this energy funds public funds? I get some money automatically added to my energy statements. A bit confused

Most likely not, As the grant is being applied directly to all energy customers, it can be accessed by a person with no recourse to public funds.

rinzylee:
Actually on the contrary, you pay a penalty of 25% on the total amount in your ISA.

So say you deposited 4k, government gives you 25% of £4k which is £1000, and you get to have £5K. If you decide to withdraw 4k for any other reason save clocking 60+ years, buying a house or a terminal illness, then you will pay a 25% penalty on the total [/b]of your contribution [b]£4K + 25% of 4K from government which = £1K , this means you end up paying £1,250 as penalty.

Please read the last two sentences again. I clearly stated it would be more, the mathematics I put in brackets is what you have just shown, thanks.

The idea of a LISA is for a house, retirement, terminal illness, etc. not for withdrawing randomly, the "L" means Lifetime. I don't know how else to explain that, if you want to buy your first house, getting a 25% bump is a great deal on your savings.

bigtt76:
Can folks above 40 years open a LISA account?

No. You can still open other ISAs though and earn Tax-free interest too. There are some that can even give you unguaranteed double digit returns with higher flexibility of accessibility of your funds than LISA

hustla:
Which app is the easiest to open and start it?

Moneybox.

These are neither sponsored nor Financial Advice but based on experience.

bigtt76:
Can folks above 40 years open a LISA account?

Unfortunately, no, which is another reason for folks below 40 to open it, cos you can still make contributions till 50, but can't open after 40.

You can open other ISAs though

Hate to be a carrier of bad news but Council Taxes might go up with the upcoming budget