₦airaland Forum

I think Trump may actually be good for the H1 visa programme as it is being abused by companies especially Indian IT outsourcing companies. It is well know the Indian IT outsourcing companies (Tata, Infosys, Cognizant etc.) play a numbers game with the H1 visa and flood the system with applications each year and as you mentioned they pay the workers the minimum they can get away with.

This makes it difficult for applicants from other countries e.g. Nigeria.

Bossman:
Some company (for example the Hospital the Medical Doctor works for or is applying to) has to apply on your behalf. Can't do it yourself. And you have to have some skills where there is a shortage. For example Medical Dortor, computer programming, etc. BTW, As a Computer professional, I work with tons of H1's from India. At my last contract, I met one Nigerian on H1. I was actually shocked! because it's very rare to see Naija on H1. He was a software developer working with the Indian IT consulting company Infosys, and they were the one that applied for his H1. Even he was complaining that he has to be with them for at least 3 years, and that they were paying him a very low hourly rate. Nothing is easy o. That's the way it rolls...the company that does your H1 holds you ransome till you complete your contract.

PS. I was just discussing this H1 thing with my colleagues last Friday. They were worried that with Trump now about to take over, he has vowed to put a stop to all the H1 visas.

There must be more to his story, that is the requiremnets for doctors to file for H1 visa. I am not saying he cannot get a H1 visa as a doctor, he can but he will be getting a H1 visa by an employer/hospital.

You cannot file for a H1 or L1 visa by yourself, it must be sponsored by an employer and there must be a job offer.


Standard H-1B visa requirements apply to Physicians:

•The position must be a specialty occupation. By definition doctors fall within the regulatory definition of a “specialty occupation.”
•The hospital, private practice or public health care institution must pay the doctor the prevailing wage as set forth in the Department of Labor’s (DOL) regulations.
•The employer must file an H-1B petition on behalf of the doctor, and the doctor must work for the petitioning employer pursuant to the terms of the approved H-1B status. The doctor may work part-time for more than one hospital if each hospital petitions the physician. Of course, it should be noted that if the doctor obtained a J1 visa waiver in conjunction with the H-1B petition, part-time employment is likely not an option.
•The employer must file a labor condition application (LCA) with the DOL. The Immigration Attorney will assist the employer in complying with the DOL’s regulatory requirements for filing the LCA.

falopey:
I personally know someone that came to the state last year. He got his H1 without working for any company. He was a professional in Nigeria iin the medical field. In fact he is just preparing to take the exam to get his license to practice. Maybe there is more to his story. But I'm 100% sure of is that he was not working for any company to get it for him. In fact, he doesn't have the license to practice yet.

Not technically correct, you cannot apply for H1 visa, you have to get employed by a company who them applies for a H1 visa for you or it is the employer who applies for you not just you finish studies and apply or land in America and apply.

falopey:
If you graduated as a professional in the US, you can apply for H1 visa while you are there and work your way to citizenship. Even if you are a professional from Nigeria, in as much as you have already set your foot on US soil, you can apply and get your H1 based on your profession even before you write exams to get license to practice.

You don't have to be a dual citizen to steal and lodge money abroad and not many Nigerian politicians who have done such have dual citizenship

Pidgin2:
Thank you for this candid response. They will no longer steal and lodge their funds in foreign accounts except their plan is to eventually give up their citizenship but here is where it gets better, their kids may also have to give up their own citizenship as there is a saying that "where your treasure is, is where your heart will be" this would spare us from having more of our wealth and position of influence stolen by the children of these wicked people

Another point is that they will be fewer reasons to acquire property abroad except such people are prepared to give up their Nigerian citizenship for that of their host countries(especially in countries where you have to be a citizen to own property) because once they accept their citizenship over there then they seize to be Nigerians. I think this will help us in reducing the effect of the wickedness of some of our thoughtless country men and women who steal here and invest the money abroad

justwise:
I think before you make such assumption you need to find out first if i have any remote political interest in Nigeria.

Moderating travel section got nothing to do with nationality, i don't need work permit to do so and this is purely a volunteering

Slightly off topic but with all the work and effort you have put to this forum and the success of nairaland you and other moderators should be getting paid now. Either in form of salary or something like stock options which can be valuable should nairaland go public in the future.

When you say process it what do you mean? What category will you be processing it?

MISTAICEY02288:
Yea it is possible... You process it and you would be issued a green card later. Have some close relatives that came through student visas too and all havee their green cards already and some of them have gotten citizenship while some are still waitin to get their citizenship. Im here on a student visa too and I'm about to start processing my green card too.

His mother is a green card holder and filed for him.

As a student your best options as EgunMogaji has stated will be get good grades and try to get a job with a company willing to sponsor you for a work visa, or fall in love with a citizen or green card holder and get married.

vickertony:
what of through student visa, eg how come op got permanent residence so soon am just curious bro, i read somewhere in Canada thread, you can apply for pr after you graduate..... isn't applicable to usa!? the above recommendations is really tough for a student moving from Nigeria, you know how it is over here.

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It's useful for some as it saves them applying for visa everytime they want to visit.

cloudyskygrind:
Of what use is Nigeria citizenship?

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That's all I could come up with myself lol

Kolababe:
hmm

Nice write-up.

I guess home will mean different things to different people and as long as we are all happy where we are there shouldn't be any need for arguing on nairaland.

The OP is happy where he is and posting about his new life there, If Playa0ne feels so inclined e can easily open a thread about his next trip to Nigeria.

Even if Nigeria becomes the best country in the world tomorrow, people will still move abroad. Americans, Britons, Canadians, Australians, Chinese, Singaporeans etc. all move and live all over the place so migration will always be a constant. People will move for various reasons, love, family, work, opportunities etc. No matter how good a country can be, there will be people there who don't like it and prefer to live in another country and that's fine. As long as you are doing what you want and are happy.

TWoods:
What system? I've lived here 12 years and have not felt trapped by the system.

I often feel that the Nigerians who live here and yet rail against the "system" here are mostly those who either did not fully assimilate into the country, allow their inferiority complex to marginalize them or simply were not able to succeed in the system. My brother, cousins and i are making it quite well in corporate America and not a single one of us will contemplate spending one night in Nigeria if it can be helped. No system is perfect, but you cannot convince me that Nigeria holds any value to anyone who appreciates real living (as against merely existing).

Its easy to speak from your perch. You will always have an American passport to allow you to escape back to the "trap" you despise once things get bent out of shape for you in Nigeria. For what its worth, will you give up your US citizenship? If not, why not?

I was thinking about the tit for tat here as i drove home from work. I thought a lot about what home meant. Then it hit me - home is where i have peace, security, justice. Home is where i know i can drive at night, alone, on impulse, and have zero fear of armed robbers or area boys or bad roads. Home is going back to my abode, knowing i won't have to struggle to find kerosine to cook, that i won't need candles as my source of light, that i will turn on the tap and water will flow and that my biggest problem would be what to cook rather than if i will get to eat or not. Yes, there is racism here... but so what, its not like my black Nigerian brother did any better for me. The average 18-year old American kid can take a backpack, pick a ticket to anywhere in Europe and fly out... with nothing but a few dollars in their pocket. In Nigeria, successful middle class adults have to provide tax forms, letters from employer, return tickets home, bank account information, invitation letters, cram visa interview questions and answer + 7 day fasting and prayer, just to spend a few days in South Africa of all places. My brother... America isn't perfect, but i'm sure glad i live here not in Lagos.

Aren't you guys tired of this yet?

Viking007:

God bless you, now I no longer feel discriminated against when I go shopping lol.

xynerise:


I fought and protested for our own mannequin and they finally listened

While I agree not everyone has to have a degree do not speak down on education. While she may be making money selling moi moi and that's good, we still need education to move the country forward in areas such as science and research etc.

And point of correction bill gates and mark zuckerberg both saw the four walls of a university, they only dropped out when they saw better prospects with the business they started in same university eg Harvard gave zuckerberg the platform to start facebook before he went commercial.

Also don't forget it's one thing to start a business, it's another to grow it into a sustainable successful business and that's why bill gates partnered with Steve balmer which came with the skills and knowledge to commercialise and scale his ideas. That's why mark zuckerberg partnered with Sheryl Sandberg who helped commercialise and grow the company to the level he was able to go public.

LifeofAirforce1:
Selling moi moi by a graduate now a big deal

what's so special in been a graduate if i may ask?

The reason why Nigeria is so fuckedup s because we've placed so much emphasis on education

mumu country.

Bill gate, mark zuckerberg of this world didn't see the four walls of university but look where they are today.

Only in Nigeria our so called graduates who can't even spell out their own name correctly get juicy jobs while the ones with brain are left with no choice than go abroad to look for greener pasture.

Well what you see as naija advantage I see as part of the rot that is destroying our country and holding us back.

Sorry but we need order, a lawful and functioning society to progress to a developed nation if not we will continue emerging and developing forever while some people get away with any and everything.

You shout our leaders are corrupt yet you also want to get away with unnecessary silly offences such as ignoring traffic stops or overspeeding which in the process endangers other people.

Malayy:
I now understand. this is where naija has advantage over US. as naija born and brought up, lawlessness and disorderliness are in us.. we can even hit the traffic warden and go Scot free. no fine. I love naija sha

You ain't paying? Really? The fact they sent the letter and proof to your house shows they know to who and where the car is registered and the longer you avoid paying it the more the fines and penalties increase.

One day police will stop you for something random, run your name and will see there is a warrant out for you, na county jail be that. God help you it's a Friday so you can stay there the whole weekend lol.

Jokes aside if you don't want to pay the fine, avoid it by obeying the law simple.

In fact you know something as simple as not paying the fine can escalate to the point you end up with a record which can impact job offers in the future? It can affect your credit score and affect you in many ways.

Malayy:
please don't mention it.. I had to comment when I saw this.. 400grand wasted just like that. if I was her, I ain't paying that..

I will replace Latin with Mandarin

RoyalBlak007:
Spanish

Latin

French

Is there a reason why you keep using these random light coloured fonts? It is not exactly easy to read on the page background.

ILuvGummyBearz:
[color=deepskyblue]thats not good enough.u've not told me anything really

I dont want make a thread.
U make 1 and we can "rub mimds" there.[/color]

Haha the culprit nah black guy. Even churches are so greedy, 55% guaranteed lol

steppins:
Ha! So Mathew Ashimolowo dey do oyibo MMM?

Well it may be because Hawaii is more expensive and also further out from Nigeria because it's in the west coast so tickets will be expensive.

E.g. Lagos to Miami direct will be about 13 hours while lagos to Honolulu direct will be about 20 hours, and by the time you consider the fact there are no direct flights from lagos which means you will be travelling for a long time, you have to consider how that will work with a little kid. Also additional cost of getting to the island you want to go if not Honolulu.

I was planning a trip with my daughter from Chicago to Hawaii but gave it up after realising it was a 9 hour flight with a 5 time difference. Decided on San Juan in Puerto Rico instead as only about 3 hour flight.

bravedude:
I prefer Hawaii as my son is just 1year old.Was just wondering because I haven't seen anyone on this forum having Hawaii as his or her tourist destination.

Bravedude Hawaii is quite kid friendly as well and lots to do for both adults and children. Obviously some of the resorts may be geared towards couples but there are more than enough resorts geared towards families and also other options such as Airbnb which I prefer when to travelling with kids are plentiful in Hawaii.

It all depends on what you are interested in and after. Orlando has more theme parks but if you are not after theme parks I would say I prefer Hawaii to Florida ( Miami or Orlando)

seyewest:
Hawaii is a cool place to visit you should visit... Remember it's also a vacation paradise.. taking the kids is okay but not as good as Florida so think about it very well.

No but that guy is a prankster who has been known to make controversial videos eg one where he claimed he was harassed by police but ended up being a lie.

Also eye witnesses on the flight claim he is lieing and wasn't even on the phone. He and his friend did it to intentionally stir up trouble and get a reaction for YouTube. Happy he was thrown off the plane.

tdayof:
Does speaking Arabic automatically make you a terrorist suspect?

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The link bodescous provided should help you get in touch with the VO but I don't see how or why your case will be pushed up and you keep mentioning your dad has a medallion: it means absolutely nothing for immigration.

There are thousands and thousands of people waiting in the queue to join their family members in the Us as well with different situations hence why I told you to submit your I-130 asap to get in line.

Also you mentioned earlier your dad hired lawyer, in that case you should be addressing your questions to the lawyer who can best advice you on your case as he has the details. That is why you are paying him.

larrychulo:
Hi Vo, 6yrs wait for f1 is very upsetting. My dad is freaky old and he has a medallion in the states. He needs me as soon as possible to care of things for him due to his old age and health wise. I'm sure he wont be able to do much in the next 6yrs. Is there any probability I could get my PD earlier than that? I need a response from VO please. Thanks

Don't know how far you are from Lincoln park but there is free zoo there Lincoln park zoo and they have a lovely Christmas lights show which you should check out.

https://www.timeout.com/chicago/blog/twinkling-photos-from-zoolights-at-lincoln-park-zoo-121916

FrankNetter:
Most of the pictures were taken while the car was in motion that's why some of the pictures were blurred.

Pardon me.

The below text from the USCIS website explains the difference in how children under and above 21 are viewed with regards to green card applications:


Bringing Children, Sons and Daughters to Live in the United States as Permanent Residents
The age and marital status of your children are important factors in the immigration process. For immigration purposes, a “child” is defined as being unmarried and under 21, whereas if a person is married and/or over 21, that person is defined asa “son” or “daughter”.

https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-us-citizens/children/bringing-children-sons-and-daughters-live-united-states-permanent-residents

larrychulo:
Thanks for your information! I'm still single. Is your wife filing for you or you are filing for your wife??. I learn cases are different, i.e if a U.S citizen father or mother is filing for his son or daughter above 21. that, there's a special treatment for those categories which means it will be a bit little faster unlike if a US citizen husband or wife or a green card holder filing for his or her spouse, that the case takes much longer.

My wife filed for me.

Yes cases are different and I am in the F2A category which is about a 2 year wait while you as the son of a US citizen over 21 fall under the F1 category which is a 6 year wait based on the USCIS bulletin below.

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-for-january-2017.html

This website also explains the different categories so you can read and decide where you fall.

http://www.immihelp.com/greencard/familybasedimmigration/preference-categories.html

This link explains the criteria for immediate relative who do not have quotas and hence are quicker but as you will see children of US citizens over 21 or married kids are excluded.

http://www.immihelp.com/greencard/familybasedimmigration/immediate-relatives-us-citizens.html

I am not aware of any special treatment for children over 21 that you refer to. You can do some research online and in the USCIS website. Besides I can't see a situation while children over 21 will have a special treatment over the spouse of a US citizen.

larrychulo:
Thanks for your information! I'm still single. Is your wife filing for you or you are filing for your wife??. I learn cases are different, i.e if a U.S citizen father or mother is filing for his son or daughter above 21. that, there's a special treatment for those categories which means it will be a bit little faster unlike if a US citizen husband or wife or a green card holder filing for his or her spouse, that the case takes much longer.

Well waiting this long because of the taxes has cost you a lot of time.

There is nothing a lawyer can do to speed up the process. You apply with the form I-130 and other repaired documents to USCIS and if everything is ok it gets approved. Should take about 2-6 months.

After that you have to wait till your priority date is current as per the bulletin I sent you they are working on cases submitted 6 years ago so the early you submit the earlier you can get yourself in the queue.

On a side note I don't know how much the lawyer is charging you but if your case is honest and straight forward there really isnt much need for a lawyer. I am going through same process via my wife and have not paid anyone as all required information is available online. I would recommend a lawyer though if your case isn't straight forward or is complicated.

Also you say you are 32 and I don't know if you are married or planning to get married soon but if you do then you automatically get moved to F3 category which is a lot longer as they are working on 2005 applications so pretty much over 10 year wait.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/my-us-citizen-father-petitioned-me-category-f1-i-need-stay-unmarried.html

larrychulo:
Acccording to what he said, he said he has not been paying tax until recently cleared all his tax. He has been a taxi driver for years in the US. He has a madallion. So I really have to wait for 6yrs to be approved?? Though, he paid an attorney to take care of it. Just waiting to get my new passport and move on from there. I really hope it won't take that long to get my petition approved and again, my dad already included my details initially as he gained entry into the US about 25yrs ago. So now the attorney is bringing up my case under him. Everything is legit, no fraud. Hope to hear from you again soon. Thx.

Your prior application will not impact new immigrant visa application unless there was a case of fraud etc which may impact your credibility.

As the child of a US citizen over 21 years, you fall under the F1 category.

https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-for-january-2017.html

According to the latest bulletin they are working on applications submitted by Jan 2010 so that's roughly a 6 year wait and you only get on the queue after submitting the I-130 form so the earlier the better.

Regarding questions it's pretty straight forward and if you legally changed your name, are truly the child of the US citizen and can prove it all i.e. nothing fraudulent then it shouldn't be a problem.

One question though why has your dad waited this long to decide to file for you? Eg if he filed for you before you turned 21 the process would have been a lot quicker.

larrychulo:
Hi VO, I'm a 32yr old man. My father is an American Citizen and is in the process of filing in an Immigrant visa for me. Though i applied for a Non immigrant student visa 3yrs ago and which was denied 3 times. Now, he's filing in for me. I want to know if my previous Non immigrant application refusal will anyway affect my Immigrant visa. Secondly, i want to know how long it will take for the petition to be approved. Thirdly, what are the likely questions to be asked by the Consular. Plus, i recently did a change of name on my last name and I'm getting a new passport that shows my current last name. I'm worried about this. I need a help please. Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks

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I must say kfc isn't that nice in America, at least compared to the UK.

Given you are in Chicago you should try out Chic-fil-a. It's really nice and a lot better than kfc.

FrankNetter:
Food

I'm rearing to go to the popular eateries like kfc, McDonald, Burger King, etc etc
(Yup, I love food like that)