₦airaland Forum

Usually, a notary public will not notarize a document in the absence of the signatory to the document. The purpose of a notary public is to verify that the signatory is indeed who the letter says he/she is... therefore the notary would verify the ID of the signatory and then watch the signatory sign the document. A pre-signed document typically won't be notarized. But I suppose some notaries may not follow this rule, but then that would defeat the purpose of using a notary.

If what you are trying to do is to get a certified true photocopy, then that's a different issue. The signatory wouldn't have to be there in that case.

lexyj123:
please house, i got a signed sponsorship letter from my sponsor but if i decide to notarize it, will he have to sign any other thing on the notarized document. am asking cos he wont be available soon.

Here's an idea: To get a study leave letter sample, you could look through the document list of other people on this thread and PM whoever's list contains a study letter.

In any case, here are my two cents for a study leave letter addressed to the embassy. Note that this is just a suggestion and you will customize it to your situation.

First paragraph:
Company states the purpose of the letter (i.e. study leave for John Doe, who has been working for us for X years as a blah blah). Company describes the business they are into, your role in that business, and the significance of what you do for them.

Second paragraph:
Company describes why they are giving you a study leave (e.g. giving John Doe a study leave because he expressed interest pursuing MSc degree in blah blah which we believe would help our business in ABC area when he comes back.). Company says nice things about your contributions to the company and how exactly they think your study leave would help fill a skills gap that they are currently having. Company explains the terms of the leave (i.e. paid or unpaid? length of the leave? etc... the company should be explicit and precise about the terms of the leave).

Third paragraph:
Company says more nice (but realistic) things about you and what role you would be coming back to when you are back from Canada. i.e. same role? will you be promoted? (fyi, they don't have to discuss this if they don't want to... they just have to explain what general area of work they anticipate using your skills in when you come back...).

Fourth paragraph:
Company wishes you the best and endorses your visa application to the embassy.

PS: This is just a skeleton that you should add more to and customize to your own peculiar situation.

mikel88:
Yes brother to the embassy @teesboy thanks bruv

So sorry about your delay. Please share your profile in order to throw more light.
What course are you going for? UG or PG? If PG, when did you finish your undergraduate and in what course? What have you been doing since then? Did you submit an SOP? Do you have any family in Canada?

PS: Please don't post in caps, it is the online equivalent of shouting.

Sammypraise:
WHEN I GOT TO THE VAC OFFICE TODAY TO PICK UP MY PASSPORT, I ALSO GOT A LETTER OF REFUSAL.
BELOW ARE THE REASON FOR THE REFUSAL...CAN SOMEBODY THROW MORE LIGHT TO THIS?

I've not seen a study leave letter before but I could give you ideas on what it should look like if you want.

Do you want your company to address it to you or you want them to address it to the embassy? This is sort of arbitrary but will determine the format. Let me know and I can give you ideas for format and content. (I'm presuming you would prefer it be addressed to the embassy.)

mikel88:
@ayooluwatoni @thesoj. Please can u help me with a sample of study leave letter. Thanks

Click on this CIC link and you will have a list of documents you need to apply for a visit visa. Applying for a visit visa is like applying for a student visa except it is simpler.

After thoroughly going through the CIC link above (the link is specifically for Nigeria applicants), you are welcome to come back here to ask questions. But keep in mind that if you come back to ask questions that are already explained in that CIC link, people on here may think you are lazy and your questions may be ignored in that case.

Another piece of advice is that you should include with your application a letter explaining your purpose of visit i.e. why you want to go to Canada? when? For how long? Is there any one inviting you? (If so, attach an invitation letter) who is funding the trip? What is your budget for the trip? Which city/cities are you going to? Where will you be staying? (If applicable, attach hotel and tour bookings or plans) etc. Basically you want to pre-emptively answer any questions the VO (visa officer) might have about your travel intentions and plans. You may title the letter "Letter of Explanation" or "Letter or Intent" or "Statement of Purpose" or whatever you like.

beautyuche:
Hello Guys, please is there another tread for visiting Canada as this feel like student forum? If no can sum one here help me with procedure for tourist visa to Canada. Thank u.

If you get full funding, you would barely need to spend your own money while in school in Canada. Most science/engineering PhD programs give substantial funding.

Many people go to school in Canada (even though it is not cheap) as an investment that they believe would reap greater benefits in the future.

afroxyz:
.
Choi! That one na better money to use do biz for naija o

If you get admitted to a PhD program in any of the sciences or engineering, there's a high chance that you'll receive substantial funding in which case your bank statement may need not be more than N3m (i.e. about $20k CAD, assuming the funding covers all or most of your costs).

If you have no funding, then according to CIC you need a minimum of tuition plus $10k CAD in your accounts (say $28k CAD). But to play it safe it is best to have at least double that amount in your account for a four year program... that is $56k CAD which is about N8.5m minimum.

afroxyz:
sorry. I intend enrolling for a PHD programme. Tuition is between $12k-$18k

Your question is extremely open ended. It is difficult to sufficiently answer without knowing your tuition fees and the length of your program, and if your admission is for undergraduate or graduate. Also, you would be able to easily infer the answer by reading starting from Page 1 of Part 9.

afroxyz:
Please what is the minimum amount of money one should have in his statement of account while applying as for a student visa.

Yes it is possible to still defer. This is a question you should be asking your school, not us. Do this asap.

opemotunrayo:
Hi guys got my TRV today...but its till nxt yr july but my School resumed since sept 1st so I want to defer til January...Is it still possible since the visa is til july.. wat shld I do and is it when one get dia the work permit will be given??

Young bro, do what you gotta do o. If you want to go to Canada just try to do it now. If I remember your case correctly, you are only 17 years old. Life is too short to not pursue what you want when you can. You can't predict the future. I think you should try Canada again in spite of your previous delay. We can help you on this thread.

People on this thread can help you look over your SOP and application details.

But if you choose to not go to Canada, life will still be fine for you as long as you are proactive and strategic about whatever steps you take. Not going to Canada now is not the end of the world. You have a whole life ahead of you, a life full of good surprises and achievements in spite of challenges you may face today. Cheers.

daudugodswill:
I have just two question PLEASE.
1. Is it best or safer to go for an Undergraduate program in Canada or better still just do an undergraudtae program in Nigeria, then go for your Masters or PHD in Canada, which is better? Please give reasons when supplying answer
2. If one shohld refire after refusal to Canada. is fhere any possibility of getting the visa.

Yes their statement of account would still be needed. Also, make sure in their sponsorship letter they explicitly and clearly state why they are sponsoring you and how much exactly they will drop per year.

I agree with @ayooluwatoni that the VO is likely to be skeptical about the sponsorship, so the burden is on you to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they would indeed be funding you and that this is not some ruse. Best.

bubsykay:
@emperoracro, thank you boss! Would their statement of account still be needed? other gurus in the house, what do you think?

@tnuola, I see your point however this CIC link states that you must be enrolled and be a full-time student before you can legally work. Starting work before initial enrollment is illegal. @Rolandy22 wouldn't be an enrolled full-time student before the official first day of classes.

Perhaps CIC doesn't enforce this, but it is important to know the letter of the law in order to prepare for any possible fallout.

tnuola:
Rolandy 's case is different, he can actually work full time once he has his sin number, he's to resume in january, so he's not breaking any rules.

The other person, is to resume already and wants to defer/take a break to work and make money.

I know someone that got in before resumption date and worked fulltime before school resumed in sept, and offcourse it was legal.

With less than 40 pages, you should definitely be able to fit it all your proof of funds documents in a single 4MB document.

But you gast play with your scanner settings and experiment with different image/pdf compression algorithms. In the worst case, just scan using black&white (not grayscale or color) at 300dpi... you might be able to even compress the resulting pdf further without significant loss of clarity. But if you can scan in color or grayscale and still fit it in 4MB, then make sure you do that. Or you can try 600dpi in black&white. You could also try 200dpi and see how the image quality looks. You could also scan everything at 600dpi color and then use some software like Adobe Acrobat Pro (or Photoshop) to change to black and white and reduce to a lower dpi, and then compress further.

Inkblood:
damn. didn't think of this. i have two soas. first one is 19 pages for gt and the other is much less. don't know if i can get good quality for the required size of 4mb

Hmm... your phone has a tiny screen so some images that look ok on it may look crappy on a 21-inch screen. Try opening the file on a regular monitor/laptop and maximize the window; does it still look clear and visible?

Cherokee:
thesoj,
Thats the issue, but it is clear enough because I can view it comfortably & clearly on my phone.

Oh online route. How would you describe the image quality of the scanned bank statement? Were all the bank logos and numbers clear and visible? Or were they excessively blurred? What scan dpi (dots per inch) did you use? 150? 300? 600? How did you compress your bank statement pages/images? Did you scan it in color or black/white or grayscale? (Pardon the infinite questions... but I've been immersed in image compression runs lately).

My bro is using online and we are working overtime to compress files without losing too much quality. There are some amazing resources for this, especially if one has access to Adobe Acrobat Pro. But still, it can be challenging to keep all the files under 4MB without compromising the quality (and thus credibility) of certain pages. IMHO, the image quality of the bank statements is critical and should not be excessively compromised (even if certain other documents have mediocre image quality).

PS: image and pdf compression approaches have been discussed earlier in the thread but I realize it is hard (yet doable) to maximize image quality while keeping file size small.

Cherokee:
@thesoj & Tnuola,
Thank you very much. I would want to change my route as well from online to paper to avoid such issues.

I agree with tnuola. Also, get the bank to stamp and sign the new statement of account. In addition, make sure that all your other documents are packaged as credibly as possible. It is possible that the VO had questions about the credibility of other documents too but decided that the bank statement was the easiest document to pick on -- this is just a wild hypothesis though (a la HayqinsbFX ).

Cherokee:
Please, what do you advise?

I agree with other comments that the VO was not satisfied with the authenticity of the Diamond Bank statement. However I think the VO must have been cranky and irascible. He/she could have just called the bank to verify it.

Cherokee:
thesoj, TheBae, Tnuola, Onyeoma3, Berexio et all...I just got my gcms, I dont really get what the VO is trying to say.

Smh. Come on, bro/sis. Be nicer to people, especially those that are helpful to you. Best of luck.

Antoinne:
Thanks. But you clearly didn't get what I meant by irrelevant. Nigerians and choice of comprehension! Phew!

Several readers repeatedly discussed this same issue less than 50 pages ago. No you can't work before school starts. That's illegal. You have to enroll in school before you can work.

I would recommend that you use the CIC website to confirm what anyone tells you, especially if it could have a high impact on your legality in Canada.

If you want to work under the table, that's a different story (I'm not recommending it tho).

rolandy22:
Hello house, a friend of mine in Canada said i can enter the country anytime from now if my visa counts from today. so i can be working full time, before January resumption that i can make some money.

Hmm... I don't have any thoughts about it. My bro is also applying for a PGD and we recently decided that we will do online route.

As long as your friend/Maple cannot provide an explanation for their assertion, I will consider it a moot point. I am unable to come up with a rational reason why online would be worse for PGD. Please ask your friend to find out from Maple why exactly they make this assertion -- if they don't have an cogent reason for their observation then I'd recommend you consider it to be unimportant.

An answer like "most of our online PGD applicants get rejected" is not good enough. Even if true, Maple's PGD online applicants could have been disproportionately rejected because of a hidden variable that they need to identify. The hidden variable may be the causation while the PGD would be the correlation. Correlation and causation are mixed up all the time. Causation is what is most critical.

I would like to hear Maple's reasons sha. I hope your friend is persistent enough to get them to give him/her a satisfactory and specific answer.

You are welcome @ my email.

ChicoBoy:
No reason per say.. He mentioned that MSc applicants are more favoured in online applications. What do u think?

Bdw, bro I got ur message. Thanks, u r the mannestest man.

What was the reason the friend/Maple gave for that assertion?

ChicoBoy:
Good morning house.

Please which is better of paper and online application for PGD..

A friend who aparently is consulting with maple said to me that he was told that paper application is better off specifically for PGD applicants..

Please any thots??

Thanks.

Glad to hear that you learned a lot from reading Part 8. Could you share with the house why you think your first two applications were delayed?

mine42:
Hi guys.
Done with episode 8.
Now I now why I was delayed twice.
Well done guys.
Thank you all.

In reference to the bolded part of your post below, my bro is in a similar scenario (sort of) so I spent some time in the past researching the issue. The peeps at the other Canadian thread tried to address this question a while ago. Hope it helps.

afolaseg:
whats up peps? pls can i use a sponsor statement of 8m and applicant statement of 2m wit a business plan and pix of existing fish farming with no register company name and letter from parent head office stating that his annual salary is 11m to apply for student visa and open work permit for spouse? the tuition fee and cost for expenses for the applicant and spouse is 6m.

This post earlier in the thread should help, just in case you haven't seen it already. Best.

rinw:
Please how did u get a supervisor. The professors I mailed are not responding. And I can't apply without getting an advisor... Kindly advice... Thanks

Actually you don't need a transit visa through the UK if you have a visa for any of the other Five Eye countries (Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand). This question was previously answered here. Also go here to read about it on the UK Border Agency website.

Kathymeredith:
Guys please do you need a transit visa if flying British Airways? Will appreciate your response. .thank you.

TheBae:
Yes, you most likely need a visa.

Please endeavor to read the thread.
The question has been answered over and over. The answer is yes.

lattychem:
ATTENTION PLEASE
I have been following this thread since June but I have one problem. Please can my Cousin be my only Sponsor. He is ready to carry everything,start from school fee and other expenses..PLS HELP ME OUT

8 weeks on average. I would strongly advise you to read through the thread. Read Part 8. If you can't read the whole thing, read like 200 consecutive pages of any part of Parts 6, 7, or 8. Most people on the thread ignore questions that have been answered over and over. Best.

AverageNed:
Thank you sir.
Please how long does the TRV take?

Apply for next year summer or Fall. Yes you will be able to get admission to schools.
Winter is too close. It is very unlikely that would be get both admission and TRV within this short time window.

To search for schools, use this link.
Also, richcasey's links will help you in the long run.

AverageNed:
...i would like to know if canadian universities (Ontario) can accept me for undergraduate studies.
I need advice Urgently because i would like to apply to for Winter 2016
My Waec Grades are...
I know its not strong at all
but i would like to know if i could get admission with this result. Thankyou.

Notarize all the most important documents for which originals won't be accepted e.g. CAC docs, tax clearance, etc.

For SOP... most SOPs on this thread are for study permit so they may not help you for visiting. The thing is you don't need to follow anybody's format anyways... Just write a letter explaining why you want to visit Canada (who is inviting you, if any... when you want to go, how much you have budgeted for the trip. what you will gain from your visit, etc). Also clarify any discrepancies or confusions you feel may have been in your previous application.

Additionally, address the travel history issue (you said you travelled out right after your previous application... State your travels and refer to the attached proof, e.g. copies of stamped entry/exit passport pages). Address the family ties issue by explaining what family you have in Naija and your important role in the family... Include photos of the family or other proof. For personal assets and financial status, discuss your business, why you enjoy doing it, how it ties you to Nigeria, and maybe how your visit to Canada will positively influence the way you interact with your future international clients. Also discuss the finances of your business and refer to the attached CAC and tax clearance docs.

Really, the SOP is your opportunity to say whatever you want however you want to say it. In my opinion, the SOP is your greatest weapon. Use it well. It is just a letter about you and your intentions.

Also, please do not copy any portion of another person's SOP. You would be doing your app a disfavor if you did this. No offense intended. Best

tariy:
Boss so sorry for disturbing you please kindly help to list the documents which I can notarize and would love to get a sample of a good SOP pleaseeeeeeeeee.

SOP -> Statement of Purpose, aka Letter of Intent aka Letter of Explanation or whatever else you might wish to call it.

You can notarize a document at a high court. If you are in Lagos, go to Ikeja High Court or the one at Igbosere on Lagos Island.

tariy:
Please what's SOP and where can I notarize cos I think someone posted they don't accept original copies anymore...
I did include CAC, Yearly payment of Tax n Tax Card

What is the purpose of your travel to Canada? Did you submit an SOP with your first application?

In any case, I recommend you attach to your next visiting visa application a strong SOP explaining and clarifying (with proof) the issues the visa officer believed you did not answer truthfully. This is highly important.

Include every proof you can find about the boutique you run, including CAC docs (if available) and tax certificates). Use notarized copies if they dont accept originals.

tariy:
...Refused March 19th 2015
1) Travel History
2)Employment
3)Current asst and Financial Status
You have not truthfully answered the questions satisfactorily........
I have a good travel history, run a boutique of mine please what do I do now cos I intend reapplying now cos I travelled immediately after the refusal in March.

Do you have a BSc already? Was the program a PGD? What was your BSc in and what course is the Conestoga program? Did you submit an SOP with your TRV application? When did you finish your most recent education and what have you been doing since then? Answering these questions would make it easier to help you.

Btw, a "purpose of visit" denial is usually when the VO is not convinced about why you are going for the program you are going for. This could be because the course is completely unrelated to your first degree and you did not explain clearly why you are going for the course. It sometimes is also because you are going for a program with a lower certificate than the one you already have... e.g. going for a diploma or advanced diploma even though you already have a BSc. A "purpose of visit" delay usually comes with other reasons ticked with it.

Also, to confidently tackle these issues, it would help you to read Part 8 of the thread.

iapaciolo:
...They said you have not satisfied me that you would leave Canada at the end of your several factors, including:
- travel history
- family ties in Canada and in country of residence
- purpose of visit
- personal assets and financial status
...
Please advise me on what to do. Thanks