₦airaland Forum

gokuu:
You have to submit GRE scores in January, and you’re registering to take the exams in late December. That says a lot about your own judgement. You’re not in any position to be questioning anybody’s judgement or intellect, TBH.

lol you read my mind.

jerrypeacelinks:
My people, indeed it takes courqge to come up here to post your denial transcript o. The moment I was denied, I felt like the ground should open lemme fall into it or even disappear into thin air but now, it seems am better and stronger now emotionally.

Now, here comes my denial

Visa Interview Denied at the Lagos embassy today 7am. Consular was a dark American lady at Windows 9.

VO: Good morning. (No smiles whatsoever). Pass me your i-20 and passport.

Me: Good morning. (Me smiling and thinking, madam smile for once kwanu) I passed my documents)

VO: I see, you are going to study Maths and Statistics at TAMUK, Texas?

Me: (Smiling) Yes.

VO: What is your highest qualification?
Me: I hold a BSc in Computer Science.

VO: You said?
Me: I repeated.

VO: Okay. When did you graduate?

Me: November 2011.

VO: and since then what have you been doing?

Me: After my graduation, I embarked upon the compulsory NYSC experience which elapsed in 2013 and I secured a job at XYZ bank.

VO: Okay what do you do for them?

Me: I stated my responsibilities.

VO: How long have you been working ?

Me: over 3 years. January 2018 will make it 4 years at the bank.

VO: So what will this course do for you?

Me: It will equip me with the analytical and technical skills needed to flourish in my career. It will also help facilitate my promotion at my place of work.

VO: Why did you choose this school?

Me: Asides the fact that they offered me my concentration, they also offered me a free campus scholarship housing with an instate tuition waiver which will allow me enjoy paying my fees as an instate Texan resident.

VO: Quickly grabs my i-20 like say she b Russian . But I can't see any free housing scholarship on your i-20.

Me: Yes and that is because the email came later after i-20 was issued.

VO: Okay? Can I see the letter?

Me: I passed it.
VO: Nodding her head. Okay?

VO: How many schools did you apply to?

Me: I applied to three schools.

VO: Did you write any language test scores?

Me: Yes. I sat for toefl and GRE.

VO: Can I see them?

Me: Showed them.

VO: Okay? Tell me the requirement for this course.

Me: To complete this course, I will complete a total of 30 credit units of course work which include 18 credit unit of core course work, 6 units of elective, and 6 units of thesis. The course duration is 24months starting from January 10th 2018 and will end in December 2019.

VO: Sorry, can you take it all over again?

Me: I stated it again but in a remixed version.

VO: Have you travelled out of the country before?

Me: Not really. And that is because I have not had any reason to until after now.

VO: Okay? Who is your sponsor?

Me: My dad is my sponsor. He is this and that �.

VO: Well, I will be issuing you (I come dey happy for my mind)... She continued... the denial paper, this is because you were not found eligible for a visa according to Section 214 (B) of the US Immigration and Nationality act. Blablabla.. The rest no even near my ear as I was like? What happened? (Maybe VO even heard me talking to myself). I had to hide my blue paper so that one of us a nairalander who was warming up for hers won't be demoralized.

I marched out like an old major ;Dwhile people dey hail me congrats sir, anything dey for the boys? In my mind, I was still asking, what happened?

House? Abeg make una gather come sit for my head o. At a time I wanted to ask VO if we can start the interview all over again.

Well? Denial is not failure though. I shall return to retire after the house is done sitting on top my matter.

Your interview was pretty good. You took the GRE and TOEFL, good school, good major... it's surprising that you got denied. I would recommend that you try again... asap.

oduzbaba89:
Bro, u try God, may God forgives what we knew not!

I guess you just weren’t “favored”? Perhaps you should fast more.

oduzbaba89:
Good morning visa delayed at Lagos...nov 27

Vo: good morning
Me: good morning

Vo: pass me your documents
Me: OK
Vo:where are u going
Me: am going to Ashland university for my MBA degree and I will concentrating on business administration and management general

Vo: why u need MBA
Me: MBA degree will prepare me for the role of senior manager and business developer and will bring about increment in salary, aside the managerial skills I will be gaining I will be gaining leadership skills as well all which are useful and important for growing my career. MBA program will enable tackle challenges associated with management of business firms and developing a viable business solutions to help solve problems all which am going to gain at Ashland university coupled with global best practices that will be modelled into use upon my arrival back home.
Vo:why this school?
Me: I consider this university based on four major reasons, the University offers affordable tuition fees that is afforded by my parents, secondly the univ offer a well structure MBA course outline that align with my career interest n path, furthermore the University offers an integrated community service program that will enable no more about the University and it's environs which will help me relate with people in a responsible and diplomatic Way as it will help me towards my job when m back home and will also help me towards my political ambition lastly the University MBA mentorship program will help me acquire skills from those alumni who are successful in their business which will help me in a long way towards my career as trained business manager.

Vo: are u married or single
Me: single
Vo: u have a children or a child
Me : no

Vo: have u travelled out bfr?

Me: yes, to bene republic on 2 several occasions

Vo: who is sponsoring u?
Me: my dad
Vo: what does e do
Me: a real estate consult and property developer and also a major beer distributor.

Sorry u are not eligible,

What's the problem, I need clue

Everything (aside from tuition) you said up there is not genuine and sounds rehearsed. Even I could spot that a mile away. If alumni connections are important to you and your career then why Ashland instead of Harvard, NYU or UPenn? C’mon, the VOs weren’t born last week. Be honest. You’re better served saying less than digging a deeper hole for yourself.

Senate111:
I guess the number of denial with good response today alone justifies the testimony(transcript) of Cassy14 when she rightly stated the number of denial before hers showing her gratitude to God.

I dont know if God seats in heaven & carries out visa lotteries on who to grant visa like you jokingly or mockingly said, but am certain it takes Gods favour to secure one. Eccl 9:11 the race is not to the swift nor the battle is to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding nor yet favour to men of skills.

That you sleep & rise, got ur visa while others did not or you got a job and others were not as lucky as u were is not because you are better, but because a higher authority chose to set you apart. You may call it luck but I call it favour.

So if you have forgotten the place of God in one's life by reason of long stay in the USA, I suggest u return to Nigeria and learn or relearn what Gods favour truelly is.

I like your last line. In there lies the irony that you obviously missed. It seems God’s “favor” only exists in countries where people are too incompetent to rule themselves. Favor is simply grace unmerited. Favor is being able to wake up when others don’t, it is being blessed to breathe, enjoy good health and long life. Favor is NOT when you obtain a visa. The decision on whether a visa is issued or not isn’t based on how long you prayed or how well you fasted. It’s based on the fact that you met a clear set of criteria best known to the VO who interviewed you. Others may not get visas, but you don’t get to see the rationale for why they were denied. You have zero idea if they had once misrepresented themselves in previous applications. You have no clue if they have prior histories of visa denials... to say you were favored over them is to perpetuate the stereotype that we are a lazy people overly dependent on the spiritual since we are unable to think for ourselves. If we were competent enough to run a corrupt-free country, where everyone does the right thing, we won’t need a visa to go to America in the first place.

Let’s get real, we pray really hard, not because we love God, but because there is no hope elsewhere. We are simply emergency “Christians”, forced to lean on the spiritual in the face of grinding poverty and pervasive despondency.

I do not depend on favor to have electricity at home or travel to Germany tomorrow. I just benefit from being part of a society where integrity and hard work is favored over endless hypocritical church going.

comfort207:
Hi House, I had my interview last week and my visa was granted.
I had chosen Abuja when i was filling my form i chose but when i tried booking for appointment earliest Abuja date was 13th december so i went back and put Lagos and got Nov 22nd, i actually got earlier date in lagos but i chose 22nd to enable my sevis payment to be confirmed. At this point i already submited my form and printed my confirmation and even in the appointment i chose Abuja Dhl office as my pick up point.

So I went to Lagos on 21st and on the 22nd morning i headed to the embassy for my 7.30 appointment.

When it got to my turn to scan my passport, they couldnt read my info, eventually she saw where the posted Abuja on my passport and asked why i had Abuja and im interviewing in Lagos i explained that i couldnt get an earlier date in Abuja. she said that my form was sent to Abuja and that i should go and wait at the back till its sorted, i waited for long then i heard them call my name over the mic and i went back to her.

Eventually it got to my turn, The young looking guy in window 6 was my VO
VO: Good morning
ME: Hello, Good morning
VO: may i have your passport
(i passed him my passport)
VO: have you been to the U.S before?
Me: Yes sir
VO: Okay, let me have your I-20 and sevis fee
(i passed him the two)
VO: what are you going to the US for
me: I'm going for my masters in law
VO: Tell me about your school
ME: I'm going to the University of Arizona, its in Tucson..(i really wasnt sure how to answer this cos i was prepared to talk about my course not my school so i was glad he stopped me)
VO (interrupts me) what is your highest qualification
ME: I have an LLB in law
VO: which school and is that your highest qualification?
ME: from********I also have a BL from Lagos law school
VO: how many schools did you apply to
ME:4
VO: how many admitted you
ME:All
VO: Did you write any standard test
ME: No
VO: (frowns, typing on his system)
ME: No test was required, the main requirement for an LLM is an LLB
VO: oh..okay, why do you want this course
ME: I want to build up my profile as an authority in the field of international investment law and cross border representation for Businesses across border.
VO: (Nods....checks his system again) who is paying for your school
ME: My elder brother
VO: What does he do
ME: He is an oil marketer and also deals in real estate
VO: Why would your brother pay for you?
ME: The company he is running is family business so i'm part owner
VO: (nods) I will be approving your visa, you can pick up your passport at...(looks at my passport and saw that the small paper on it says abuja) (holds back the white paper that he was already sliding to me)
VO: How come you're interviewing in Lagos when your based in Abuja?
Me: I actually wanted Abuja but the earliest date i could get was december and i wanted to interview earlier so that i can get on with my plans.
VO: okay(slides me the white paper)

I might have missed a thing or two but this is basically it, and i read every single page of this thread even though i didnt ask questions i benefitted a lot and i hope someone will benefit from my experience too, buzz me if you are headed to Tucson, Arizona. I dont think the University of Arizona is that popular here but i Nigerians are everywhere so....Good luck to those that are still preparing for their interview

There are plenty of Nigerians in Phoenix, Tucson and Scottsdale. You’re in excellent company. You’ll find Nigerians at the University of Arizona as well, it’s quite popular. Welcome to America and congratulations!

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
For future sake, things we fūcking don't want to hear from your transcripts.
Everybody before me was denied - why the fūck does everyone say this nonsense, yes we know you have now become a visa guru, but please keep this BS to your self

How else do you want folks to highlight the importance of their visa?

EZEIGBO1OFIMO:
and yet some people on this thread, in their infinite wisdom will go to tier 7 colleges for dead rated MBA's and Humanity degrees ...

If Twoods says anything now, the association of Nigerians-Must-Go-To-America-By-Force will come for my head. A word, or in this case, many words from the NY Times is enough for the wise.

As i have always maintained, too many are focused on short term gains - admission and an F1 visa. There is very little thought about the "what next". You won't go to school forever, you don't want to be on an F1 for life. You will need to get a job and move on to an H1B. I recall many Nigerians had to go back home in 2009/2010 because of the financial meltdown which meant a lot of financial service employers were not hiring at all. For those who found jobs, the H1B visa was 100% guaranteed because there were so few people applying compared to the limit (there was practically no lottery that period). What to expect in the next 1-2 years:

1. The OPT is going to be severely limited. More than likely the USCIS will come out with new rules to shorten the OPT period and reduce the number of folks who are eligible. Those outside of STEM programs are likely going to lose out big time.

2. The H1B isn't going anywhere. The government can make all the noise they want. However, the rules have changed. As the NYT has noted, you now have a higher bar to meet to convince the USCIS that you bring a specialized skill that no American can meet. Going to 1-building schools is a sure banker that you will find it very hard to meet that bar, at which point, i can only wish you good luck.

shakol91:
you need to go back and read my post, I'm not anxious to come to America, when the time comes I will leave and won't have any reason to seek for any stinking advice from you. Lagosismyhome and others are far better and useful than you in million ways. If it remains only you to give advice on NL, I will choose to take illegal route over your hypocritical advice. You're wayward.

Yeah sure, because i'm the one who gets put in jail for it... be my guest.

Owols:
Hi, I take an exception to what you just said, not everyone on this thread is here to cut corners. I've been to the US before and I left after I finished what I was there for. I do not appreciate been spoken about like you did.
I hate anything illegal and I will not accept been referred to this way.
Thanks.

My unreserved apologies to you, if i have mischaracterized you.

omoluabiguy:
This is a completely WRONG information. There is no way in the world you can defer an admission or semester for a year in the US as an international student. Defeating one single semester is enough to knock you off status because your school would report you to DHS and your sevis could get terminated. Your friend is lying to you. He has probably fallen off status to become an illegal immigrant!

One semester is too long... once the school reports, the visa is cancelled retroactive to the last day you attended full classes.

Most of the folks here are shortsighted. They don't realize there is a life after school and an F1 visa. Once you've been out of status for even 24 hours, you become ineligible to adjust status within the US and have to go back to your home country. There you'll have to deal with the US consulate again where your time out of status will count against you.

You talk to them and they tell you you're just trying to find trouble... bros... let them fall in the ditch themselves. I will no longer provide any serious advice. Every man to his own folly. I'll be here to laugh at them... by the way, pounded yam loading. You are powerfully invited.

omoluabiguy:
This is a completely WRONG information. There is no way in the world you can defer an admission for a year in the US as an international student. Your friend is lying to you. He has probably fallen off status to become an illegal immigrant!

Let them be... they know how to make noise on web forums. they'll be back here whining for help when things pear shaped. If you correct them, they'll say you just want to discourage them.

shakol91:
i'm not surprised to see your hypocritical post. You always complain about Nigerians,what has religion got to do with what Lionlee216

Everything. The same people who are happy to cut corners are the same hypocrites who are prepping to go waste their time at the Experience and Holy Ghost congress in a few days. Yeah, people like you too.

Point out the hypocrisy in my post if you can... else i'll assume you're just another disgruntled Nigerian.

lionlee216:
Since you have money for airline ticket, You have no problems. All you have to do right now is to write GRE and get good scores. If you have an excellent GPA, You might get good funding.

Nothing is impossible.. visit us student visa thread

Really bad advice... did you read his post at all?

burrytee:
@blowjobs. Biko please advise for a hustl having a bit financial constraints but got the necessary doc admission and finally scale through F1 visa for masters in mechanical Engr. The constraints is there is no fund to pay for school fee and foot student program but could find means to get flight ticket to cross and hold some small fund.

If i switch on entry to do program deferment and choose to work for a year through undertable to raise fund and get back to school.Do i need to pay anything for deferment or what condition is tied to deferment.
I have been in talk with my old schoolmate filing his paper and he intend giving an helping hand asper jab link (undertable).
Pls your inputs will be appreciated cos its way hard to start saving for school runnings in naija .
If i choose to leave deferment and face schooling.I know 20hrs student per week jab can't amount to anything.pls can you advise how someone in my shoe can cross these river. Thank you

What you ask to do is impossible... regardless of how long you pray. Your stay in the US is only legal so long as you are maintaining full time attendance at the school listed on your visa. Should you "defer" your admission, your school is required by law to report to the USCIS, which then considers your visa at that point to no longer be valid. Your proposed stay in the US for 1 year then becomes illegal. Once you've overstayed a visa, you cannot adjust status back to F1 within the US. You will have to come back to Nigeria to obtain another F1 visa. Since you would have overstayed your visa by longer than 6 months, you can be rest assured of a lengthy ban from obtaining another US visa.

Best and only advice anyone can give you - if you cannot afford to school in the United States, then stay in Nigeria or find another school that will offer you funding. Being illegal in the US is worse than living in Nigeria. Anyone who tells you that you can work under the table and afford school fees in the thousands of dollars is lying to you... once you get here, those same people will abandon you to your fate.

omoluabiguy:
TWoods, you don reach here again?? I hope people on this thread are ready for you

WetinConsignMe:
"circumstantial evidence" and "common sense" are big parts of science. That's the only way we know there is dark matter or that we even exist at all. It is all based entirely on "circumstantial evidence" and "common sense"

5 years as a molecular biologist + 7 years as a toxicologist... i think it is safe to say the above is absolutely untrue. Common sense, at best, can give you a hypothesis. It does not replace actual empirical evidence in the lab. The evidence that we exist has zero to do with circumstantial evidence. The fact that you and i are typing here is empirical fact.

shakol91:
Already smelling critics on this thread....they're everywhere on travel section with their stinking advice/observation without providing solution, thinking that America belong to them alone....no carry dis madness enter this thread make we no spoil dis thread.

Nigerians love "solutions", that is why the country has the largest churches on earth and yet is one of the most corrupt and poor... all seeking for "solutions" without realizing that they are the problem. Cutting corners, laissez faire attitudes to legitimate laws, lack of integrity, lax principles [even when they all claim to be "godly"], THESE are the problems with Nigeria... the solution is to change your attitude, not run away to other countries built on the firm foundations of honesty, morality and the rule of law.

sirhamilton:
I'll start by saying if I could choose a mentor on this thread, Twoods would be top of the list
I'd admit your responses can be harsh sometimes, but yes, in there inbetween would always lie the response to the question.

As for the illustration you gave, that's where silence comes in or maybe a scathing response.

Ah thank you! Always happy to help... it's a lot easier to help folks who are starting from scratch. If you've got a high GPA (>4.0) you've frankly got the best shot... we should talk, on here. If your GPA isn't that high, that's still not a problem. A lot of graduate schools do not care so much about your final GPA as much as the trajectory of improvement from year to year. If your GPA is low because of a poor first/second year performance but the last 1-2 years were pretty strong, you got a good chance. My only advice would be to take the GRE, always.

Always be wary about schools who don't ask for the GRE. Those are typically smaller schools who care more about the tuition you're paying than the education they are providing. Better schools like the GRE because it is also another means to thin out the applicant pool.

Get to know your admissions coordinator, they always have email addresses or phone numbers you can use to contact them. Especially as an international student who will be relying on a visa, i can't tell you how useful this was for me. She was like a mother to me my first year.

Give yourself at least 1 year to plan. 2-3 is even better. You want to get admission and a visa all in one shot, to avoid stories that touch the heart (there is no guarantee of course, but to be prepared is to improve your chances greatly).

Spare a thought for where your school is located. America isn't the same cost-wise. Schooling in NYC, NJ, California... all look good on facebook. Until you have to pay for rent, transportation, food etc. If you intend a modest cost of living, try Michigan (i loved living there! It's cold in winter but an absolutely lovely state for outdoor activities in spring to fall). It's also a cheap state. Other places to look out for, NM, TX, WI etc. Don't look for cost of living advice when you are now looking to get a visa, its too late.

Funding - you will get far better funding opportunities at better established, highly competitive public schools. I find it sad that it is rare to find anyone here applying to Duke, Harvard, Rochester, UPenn, UMich, MSU, NYU, UNC etc. Why not? Aliens are not the only people admitted there.

Let's face it, 99.9% of folks will be looking to stay and get a job in the US after school. Don't lie . If that's the case, then your school choice is ever more important! You want to go to a school that your future employer doesn't have to use google to find! That is not good... especially in a crowded job market.

Anyway... i truly wish all genuine applicants the best. As for the frauds for whom a student visa is only a vehicle to immigrate to the US... well, i wish you the best too.

WetinConsignMe:
Based on preponderance of circumstantial evidence and common sense. Mention any natural food that factory processing makes better including spring water.

Perhaps you are referring to Nigerian factories. In that case, i cannot argue with you. By the way, "circumstantial evidence" and "common sense" are not substitutes for actual science.

sirhamilton:
Sincerely apologize if I sounded insultive. My point is : Sometimes when a question is asked here it's not because the individual is lazy or unserious, for every knowledge acquired there's always a starting point. SOMETHINGS you know today you were probably oblivious of MONTHS ago. I particularly find it quite disturbing when people seize the opportunity to make fun of these individuals or bully them.
No one knows it all. Be polite, or don't respond at all(IMO).

This wasn't directed at me but i will presume that i'm one of the "individuals" being referred to above. So allow me to state my case, as politely as possible:

1. Yes, most questions asked here are solely because the individual asking the question is lazy and unserious. For example, someone asks the question about whether a school is good or not - this shouldn't even be a question, a 5-year old can find this out in 10 minutes on google. Another example, someone asks about whether a certain school will waive application fees - err most schools have a dedicated admissions contact with a listed phone number and email address; it doesn't take 5 minutes to make a quick phone call to clarify. My point - if you're basing an important life-changing decision, such as what school to do a phd in, on answers you get from a web forum, yes you are unserious.

2. You talk about "knowledge acquired" coming from a starting point. True... but the knowledge was not acquired by magic. It took someone else taking time to search for information. You should do the same.

3. The idea that people are being bullied is simply laughable. I can agree that too often, Nigerians dislike being shown up for their own incompetence... but to label that as bullying? C'mon...

4. Be polite or don't respond at all... now it seems to me that what you want is an echo chamber. If that is the case, please state so.

Thank you.

lionlee216:
I'm always careful with choice of words when it comes to nairaland.

I never encouraged fake marriage. I said IF they overstay, I'm sure they will can only change status tru marriage to a USC which is NOT legit. So tell me how I encouraged her.

I sd Google "Sanctuary cities" to get soft landing but remember TRUMP is the POTUS. I guess your eyes skipped thst part OR the part where i said if they work illegally and get caught, they will be banned which I'm sure they don't want.

The point of the highlighted section is that there is a way they can stay in the US illegally and be protected. Everything else you said after that is meaningless.

In your post that seems to have been taken down, you went through a fairly thorough scenario of whether she or the husband should consider who should first come here if they intend to immigrate through fake marriage. You also indicated that they may need to consider divorce here first to avoid being caught by USCIS... i read your post in detail before making a comment bro...

lionlee216:
What illegal advice did i give her?

Smoochii, first know TWoods is not a VO, so don't be discouraged with whatever he says(he's entitled to his opinions). He's known for saying whatever he deems fit to say

Encouraging fake marriage to obtain US residency, telling her to research sanctuary cities for the purpose of maintaining illegal residence in the US... just 2 examples. I'm not a VO, but you can bet that posts that encourage illegal activities will be reported.

jamoyakz:
oga I know you most mention me? continue with your e-bully

What does "e-bully" mean? I asked a basic question... perhaps you mean another "god" because the God of the bible is not the author of confusion and expects us, as christians, to obey constituted authority (Romans 13, 1 Peter 2:13-25). God will not override the decision of a VO to grant an unqualified fraud a visa, regardless of how much you starve yourself in the name of fasting. You can take that back to your pastor tomorrow.

jamoyakz:
oga you ain't God.... why do you guys always prophecy bad for others!!!! please learn to encourage others rather than throwing aspersion

Is God the person reviewing visa applications at the US embassy?

fatima04:
@smoochi, good advise lionLee gave up there, however try doing research on canada or Australia PR with the amount of info on NL u will be able to pick a good immigration route for yourself and the family.

All the best

No, just no. Lionlee gave options on how to cheat and circumvent US law. The only reason the US is what it is today is because citizens obey the law to the letter... your country is what it is today because you think laws should not apply to you. Shame.

smoochii:
Weldone Mouth Gig...thank you so much for taking time out to answer so many questions on here.....please I'd like your advise about my issues: I gota Masters degree ( Management Information systems)from the UK in 2012, I came back and got a bank job here in naija in 2013 but I was laid off June last year and I have applied for several other jobs but to no avail...now I'm thinking about visiting the USA with my family ( husband and a baby) before mid next year....Are they options for me as per how i can remain over there?

Since you will indicate on your DS-160 that you were laid off from your job over a year ago, you will most likely be denied a US visa, and rightfully so. There are zero options for you to "visit" the US and then remain. It is against the law.

Tekecoms1:
You go about asking stupid questions that can implicate everybody. Instead of you to send someone a pm for clarifications.

The VOs aren't stupid. I think they can spot a fraud quite easily.

WetinConsignMe:
Not true. Anything processed in a factory is suspect, including water.

Based on exactly what evidence?

Sanctus1:
Broda at 28..hmmm me sef na 25 my heart just dy cut but get i get backup shaaa for the second degree...the truth is that 70% of our Nigeria undergraduates are doing courses which they are not interested in but due to some peer or family pressure or most times because their desired course is not given to them ,they end up doing one course or the other just to be a graduate. but since we have the opportunity to correct this. We are not going to let it slip off our fingers .

Age is only a number. The problem is you'll have to convince a VO that you are legitimate. Do the best you can.