₦airaland Forum

hustla:
My house mate got 5 years yesterday. He is beside me with the passport as I am typing laidis

Yes because the US did the reciprocity rule.
The length of visa is the same as possible to those applying for Nigerian visit visas from the US. or other US consulates
When Nigeria made theirs 5yrs, US did the same shortly after

Stargangz:
Naijamanyoutube its been a while oga mi. Umbanda, Santeria, Candomble, Orixa(Orisha), Xango(Shango), Oxun(Oshun), Voodoo, Ifa, Iemanja(Yemoja), Ogum(Ogun), Babalao(Babalawo) etc.. are all still widely practiced across Latin America, Carribean, and as far as North America. I also learnt they make sacrifice(Ebo) as well. I wonder how the Yoruba kept it going despite hudreds of years of the trans atlantic slave trade. I even thougt as widely speculated that Yoruba is one of the recognised languages in Brazil, because I learnt they use yoruba language to perform those spiritual rites.
God bless the Yorubas!

Yoruba is considered as a religion in Brazil so a religion that has various deities. So they do not even need to speak Yoruba to be Yoruba if you get what I mean

As opposed to be a tribe and a language in Africa so I learnt to explain that to Brazilians before Dem tink say I follow them do ebo for yemoja

Goke7:
It's 5 years like you said for Nigerians but you can only stay for six months and then leave to re-enter for another six months. Same with Canada visitor visa no matter the length they give. The good thing is that once you make another application for another kind of visa, you can continue to stay beyond the six months till you get the decision on that application which they call an adjustment of status

Just to add context to the up to six months on US visit visa. CBP at the port of entry determine how long you can stay..in the past they would stamp that length on your passport now it's available online check i94 I think it's called. So they might put up to 6 months or sometimes less.

Yes you can adjust status AOS on a visit visa however only certain visas categories can you adjust status to without having to leave the US. And even those have certain restrictions.
Typically those visa categories related to immediate families eg marriage spouse and children.are more straight forward

Zahra29:
Sponsorship is also not the only pathway to settlement in the UK.

For example, in the UK you can apply for leave to remain on the basis of having a British child- as soon as the child is born, unlike the US where the parent of an American citizen has to wait till the child grows up and is able to file for them.

So there are swings and roundabouts both ways.

Don't you have to prove you're the primary caregiver?

horlakay:
Bro thanks, but I find it difficult to understand some of your points, with the way you typed

Are you saying using my father has the major sponsor is a red flag?

And when you say reasonable tuition, my tuition was $18990 and living expenses for the duration was $15000, My dad can pay my tuition, coupled with the fact that I will still find some student jobs to support my living expenses plus my 6m

Apologies I was typing with my phone.

You're working post graduate you said your Dad was covering 41m whilst you'd cover 6m,

You're at least 5years plus post graduation right? So yes I think your Dad paying majority of your fees doesn't look good.

Majority of US citizens parents would and can't pay for their kids tuition so the students take loans in their own name or look for scholarships or work and go to school. These are for tuition fees that are less than fees charged to Intl fees.

So bare that in mind. If you were going for undergrad and parents were paying most of it or you recently graduated and parents were paying that's different.

For you it would be better if you can cover majority of the fees either with you own money or through GA RA or scholarship then your parents adding to a small deficit would be better.

That's why said find reasonable tuition fees (within what you can cover majority of the costs)

As an F1 student you are only permitted to work on campus for limited hours. That money can't cover anything serious it's like pocket money.

This advice is for both visa approval and actually getting in the US.

Ebubu:
Sorry, what doesn’t?

The truth is simple, it doesn't need to much grammar.

Clarify your reason for your choice in course clearly in simple terms. You done it here for us .you even mentioned you're already interning in that field.

Your funding and getting a date is what you need to get correct.
We're rooting for you. Be confident and it will go well.

horlakay:
Cost of tuition and living expenses was $37,000
Family funds was to be used father 41m, SOA , me 6m SOA, I had the documents with, but VO was not even interested.

Other factors that could have led to denial, was maybe my age(31 years) and single.

Another thing I noticed was the crowd of people all had very rich dad with exorbitant SOA, so the VO might have been sick of hearing g how great everyone's dad is doing.......my thoughts, you need to see her when I started talking about how i will fund my studies, she was not even looking, she just kept typing and when she was done, she interjected me like stop talking bro........ 😂, just take your blue paper.

My advice is for anyone going,please try to secure some funding with the school you re attending, they already have preconceived notion about us. Pray very well, at least some people smiled out today

You need to understand that even those in the US who pay home fees either get loans, use college funds set up when they were little or work and school to afford school fees.

My two cents
Get a reasonable tuition costbor get school funding.
Using your parent as the source of majority of your fees as a graduate that works.

VOs don't look at your docs unless they ask of it.

Ebubu:
Hello,

I have a bachelor in pharmacy here in Nigeria, obtained 2023.
Pharmacy students in Nigeria undergo training in PharmaCognosy ( field of pharmacy that studies use of medicinal plants in healing and also understudies manufacture and use of chemicals to kill weed encroaching in medicinal plants farm. This is called herbicide use study).

I happen to gain 100% scholarship admission and Graduate assistantship (paid stipends) in soil and plant science through rigorous interviews. The masters in soil and plant science has a specifics in weed science).

I’m finding it hard to convince the visa officer that masters in soil and plant science with emphasis on weed and herbicide science, is actually related to pharmacy. Can that sale ? That I want to become an agroscientist and so a graduate masters in soil and plant science will position me well to become an expat in that field? And if they ask, so why didn’t you obtain an agriculture bachelors ? I want to answer simply because i want to focus on chemical and medicinal aspect of agroscience. Is that convincing?

Hearing a masters in soil and plant science, and looking that I have a bachelor degree in pharmacy seems off for a stranger. And they never have the patience to listen to what you have to say, nor do they want to be convinced by you at times. Once it’s just off to them, every other thing you’re saying is pouring water on stone.

Actually, I prefer this field because as much as chemistry and pharmacology masters are the area of interests for pharmacy graduates, I don’t want to wear lab coat to conduct wet lab researches and sit in labs all day like chemistry and pharmacology masters do, I prefer field work and really enjoyed PharmaCognocy (area of pharmacy related to plants).. i really enjoyed that in my university and came out as best graduating student in PharmaCognosy department, faculty of pharmacy.


Doing wet lab research don tire me. Visa officer might consider an agriculture graduate to be more qualified and will want to start asking what will this degree do for you as a pharmacist? Going for masters in soil and plant science with emphasis in weed science as a pharmacist? (Remember USA are into doctor of pharmacy and not bachelor of pharmacy so their own pharmacy degree has a hospital/clinical focus unlike ours that is still multi-disciplinary).


That question is a tough nut for me to crack, I have a way of answering it but I am discouraged because of how non-understanding they will become once they raise eyebrows about how your masters will impact on your undergraduate or the link.

Like I said I was the best graduating student in PharmaCognosy field in school and want to look at how to solve the problem of herbicide resistance that is gaining ground among weed and pests in medicinal plants farms.

I just need words of encouragement or less? Because these visa officers can be unreasonable? Throwing these large amounts o money around in name of visa interview hoooing, ds-160 for something that looks tricky and discouraging is…. i dunno, off? For a young graduate?

Have you ever applied for F1?
If not then stop assuming what VOs think

If you got a scholarship for this field then focus on selling why this field is of interest to you. How you passed that course in your pharmacy degree. Connect you pharmacy degree to this degree.
Put it in say 5 short sentences and talk to yourself what you've written.
Short sentences you hear because interviews are short times.

You are over analyzing this and it will come across as you not knowing what you want.

Your main focus should be getting a date in time for school resumption.

The truth is simple, it doesn't

horlakay:
My transcript
Me: good morning Ma,
VO: Good morning,how are you?
Me: I am good( handed her the I20 and passport)
VO: I see you work for **** company
Me: interjected, I work with **** company
VO: you have been their for two years(she was reading everything from my profile)
Me: yes ma
VO: have you traveled out of Nigeria before
Me: yes ma, I have been to Ghana for a weekend vacation and toured Togo and benin.
VO: oh, so how is Ghana, do you like it there?
Me: Ghana is a beautiful country, I love it
VO: when did you finish your Bsc, and what was your major,
Me: I finished in 2015 and I majored in Metallurgical and Materials engineering.
VO: why Msc computer science

Me: I know my time is almost up,so I brought out my study leave, I have been working for **** company which majored in tech, I was selected to go on study for my outstanding performance, the digital world fascinates me....(VO was already feeling disnterested in my explanation), just to say I will resume a senior role at my place of work......(VO interjected)
VO: who is covering your deficit
Me: my father bla bla bla.....(while I was trying to explain what he does for a living)
VO: already printed the blue paper

That's my experience today, please don't be discouraged, we go again.

If you don't mind sharing
How much was your school COA
How much was your attendance

aysticksz:
Thank you sir.
Can I please send you a private message?

Unfortunately no.

Goke7:
Do you know the average wage in this country? no allow all those noise of 50k deceive you o

Gbam
Nothing fantastic about average wages in the UK.
It's been a living wage which worked for all, provides all basic needs and still afforded some wants if planned well

lavida001:
Bills dey force you to do any job that comes your way. Stop saying people are not forced.

They are not forced,

NotATroll:
Hmmmmmmm
Are you saying it's much better than people let out ?
Um selling my entire life to move so na one way

They shared with you their experiences which are valid and true. Learn from it.

There many people here, came into the UK at different times to different cities and with different levels of supports both from Nigeria and in the UK.

Is it as difficult as those ppl told you? YES . It's the truth do not ignore.
Could it be easier for you ? YES and NO.

You need to sit down and think about
time you want to migrate
the cost to you personally to migrate
the living costs in the UK at the time you want to migrate
and your own personal reasons for migrating.

If you are looking to others to tell you what to do then you are avoiding being responsible for your actions.

.

aysticksz:
Thank you for your response.
My student visa will expire in May and the month of delivery is June.

What do you think ?

Sir
Just apply for the US visa early many students apply for psw or work visa after studies anyways so your expiry date isnt such a big issue.
You can also apply for vacation , most schools would provide a letter confirmkng you're a student and that your plan to go on vacation.

Answer truthfully that you're married and youd be
going on vacation with your wife . Nobody will question you if after being approved you change your vacation dates.

Ypu are alredy martied please so stop being afraid. This isnt US consulate in Lagos.

eniola1010:
I wouldnt know but when it comes to conpany acc that was the reason they stated for refusal which is rubbish to me, why deny me when i have proved i am in custody of the company acc and i can spend from it and its a sole business

Businesses are NOT personal accounts and should not be run as such.

Its a fallacy that Nigerians need to know.

RaniOpe:
Thank you for taking the time to respond.

The reason for the outcry was because people I keep asking for information, make it feel like I have no future here because my course of study is non-stem. Someone said it to my face , that I was studying rubbish and all the opportunities are in stem.

I don’t see myself learning coding or going to nursing school , it’s not my passion. Not everyone wants to do stem. I have joy in my field of Education and the goal is tenure track professor or policy researcher.

I just glanced through a few pages of Macky’s thread , noticed he’s also in STEM and my hope got dashed again.

I am tired 😪

STEM just gives 2 years OPT thats the only advantage, by the way Macky adjusted status through marriage so STEM isnt a 'guaranteed' route. Another friend had STEM OPT and he still struggled because it is still a lottery with limited visas so although he had a job ready to sponsor he did not get it despite trying twice--it is still EB1 NIW he got to stay in the US.
I asked you to read the thread because there are helpful hints there on how to position for jobs not because of STEM. You need to stop closing doors yourself. You have more OPTIONS than you know - keep that in mind.

Find people in your field kindly focus on them not those who do not share your passion

Look to applications or internships outside the west coast eg DC and the east coast
Development organisations , educational consultancies - research them out. You can target fellowships, join communities in your field online.
US is big, find internships , fellowships, look for consultancies.

I worked in Ed development agency in Nigeria and many grants were US funded.
Also target universities outside the East coast they might have opportunities for H1B1 as well

RaniOpe:
Anxiety wants to kill me . It is like I’m the only one in this country without information.

I don’t even know who to ask . Please if you have been here for a while and you are willing to share information, kindly quote me.

I feel like I am very unserious and everyone else is making plans to secure their stay
I don cry tire today

I'll assume you're a student and you are still in status,

You can read MackyNaija thread its a long read but you'll get nuggets there


Please position yourself to get a job, career fairs, job fairs, network in your field on linkedIn. If your course qualifies you for OPT use that in the meantime.
Read online about H1B1 and also EB1NIW (if your course qualifies you for that).

After F1 you'd need to adjust status in-country to stay
You can also explore Canada - get on the EE entry pool or any other migration pathway you qualify for.

There are options so no need to bemoan

.

There is also a good writeup on CC on the Living in the UK thread from Solumtoya, different country but advice is still relevant

https://www.nairaland.com/7695199/living-uk-life-immigrant-part-3/177#125483322

Elixosodi:
Greetings,

I am student in Canada about rounding of my program. although I know i need a one year work experience in canada before I can apply for my PR however before that time come, I would like to get myself acquainted with what is needed to achieve this so i would appreciate it if anyone can share the PR thread to me. thank you

there's a living in Canada thread - ask there

Financial Literacy

One of the most important things to learn about living in North America is financial literacy. Lack of it is why many people live paycheck to paycheck, live in poverty or are rich but perpetually broke.
North American system runs on credit - living and working here is based you spending what you do not have. It is very consumer focused so if you have no discipline with how you work with money then you and your family can be perpetually broke. Unlike the UK where you can build credit history from bank loans outside of using credit cards, the US is different, building credit history starts from getting a credit card. When you arrive as an immigrant it is almost impossible to get a CC without first having a job. If you arrive on a work visa say L1 or as a nurse etc then getting an unsecured CC is easy. Students as well get offered CC with some good offers (such as no annual fees, rewards, 0% interest free for 18months)

I watched Graham Stephan on YT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8KqZuOybds
- he gives yearly advice on best credit cards for beginners. So he suggests Discover IT secured card as your 1st CC. With Discover IT where you deposit a certain amount of money and use the CC as you would normally use (your deposit would be your credit limit). Typically after 6 months of proper use Discover gives you back your refundable deposit and will offer a credit limit. Soon enough you'll get a number of pre-qualification offers and you can choose what meets your needs.
Thats the card I started with, if
Tips /Advice
Do not use more than 30% of your credit limit
Do not spend what you do not have ITS A TRAP
Pay off as much as you can before the end of the month or your balance due date
Money on credit cards is not [b]free, financial institutions make money when you default on payment. Late payments fees can be 40$ and above that is minus interest on the balance
Defaulting on payments on CC will affect your ability to get a mortgage and get good rates for interest
Credit Card debt is like a gambling debt, it can be a bottomless hole and it can take years to improve your credit score/credit history
Note if your spouse has bad credit score it impacts on your credit score if you buy property together.

Use the CC to build your credit history and credit score wisely. A lot of our forefathers and their offspring started off wrong which led to the cycle of poverty they are in. Fortunately, we have access to more information on how to build generational and avoid financial trap doors

Juwon21:
House,
How do I get cheap winter jackets and gears because the cold want to finish me, and the cost of winter jackets in stores ain't nice

thrift shops
salvation army etc

For a student with spouse and young child
Where would be best to live if studying at Seneca College?

Any links for accommodation

Askkng for a friend..truly

Kennetheno:
Good day and Happy New Month
I'm currently residing in Nigeria and a Nigerian citizen as well, I'm at the verge of being offered a job at the United States but my potential employer is asking that I get a temporary I-551 stamp on my Nigerian passport or temporary I-551 printed notation on a machine readable immigrant visa. Attached with this mail is the document sent to me by my potential employer with what is required of me encircled. Please can anyone guide me on how to go about this and what are the requirements needed for me to attain this status.
Thank you so much as I look forward to prompt and favourable response.

You can only get that if you are qualified for an immigrant visa. That means you have the right live and work in the US aka permanent residence

If your potential employer is saying that then that job isnt yours. They can get millions of people in the US that already have that.

thatthickgurl:
Hello ,

Please what is Chen

Legal firm

mayowa94:
when can he join then?

Only if you get married.
I dont believe the US has a dependient has a dependent visa for unmarried students.
No category for boyfriends or girlfriends

lily156:
Yes, they are current. Nigeria has prioritized IR/CR categories since post-covid.
F categories that have been current since 2019/2020 and DQ since 2020 are still waiting for interviews (including F2A). This has nothing to do with being not current or the retrogressed ones. Several people on this thread are in that boat - they just keep getting the 60 days email.
Check the public visa issuance stats for Nigeria for the past 2 years.

I was DQ early 2020 and current mid 2019 and i know a few others too

So maybe those who got DQ much later in the ywar 2020b might still be waiting

mayowa94:
Hello
Please is there a way for my fiance to join me on my student visa?

As your dependent?
No

lily156:
Within a year is for IR/CR categories. For the F categories, people DQ 2020 are still waiting for interview in Lagos

And they were current?
At least the embassy should have been done with DQ 2020 who are curent within that year.

aysticksz:
Hello everyone, please I need advise

I have a US citizen wife that’s pregnant.
I have 7 previous F1 visa denial in Nigeria.
I am currently studying in the UK and my wife also moved to UK with me.
I want her to have the baby in the US and I want to witness our first baby birth and give her moral support too.
Please what is my chance of getting visa approved?

Your previous F1 denials wont affect you. Ypu sjoild be assessed based on your ties to the Uk, i assume youre there as a stiudent or on a work visa.

Apply with thevreason of being there to witness your childs birth.
Apply for visot

Ausdre:
My mum is unmarried as my dad died before the whole process was initiated. It's actually F1 and not F3.

Also, PD is April 2015. Then in 2020 we were asked to go ahead and submit documents. We didn't because we were reconsidering the whole thing and it expired after a year.

Luckily and for some reason again, they asked us to send it again last year and the time frame expired April this year. We submitted the documents and were DQ around June/July after which we received a letter that we should wait for our interview.

Okay.

Well you're current so it's just to wait till Lagos schedules interviews.
I know ppl have mentioned Facebook groups for Lagos embassy interviews. That help in tracking where they are.

I'd guess and say within a year.

Lawal1555:
What would have happened if he had applied before, someone else had applied on his behalf, or he had used an agent? How did this affect his rejection? I don’t get your response here

If he used an agent and the agent filled he was married
If he had applied for a visit visa in the past and was advised that being married would be best to get approval
If he had a gf who applied for a visa and filled his name as her husband.

Based on the OP post the VO asked if he was married.

If there's anything on their database that has him married then it's misrepresentation.